The Cathedral of Sant'Andrea
The Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea at the top of a broad staircase above the main piazza is one of the finest examples of Arab-Norman architecture in southern Italy. The cathedral itself is free to enter; the Chiostro del Paradiso behind it — a ninth-century cloister with interlaced arches above a courtyard of ancient sarcophagi — charges a small admission and is worth twenty unhurried minutes when the town is at its most crowded. The interior contains the remains of Saint Andrew, brought from Constantinople in 1206.
Museo della Carta
The Museo della Carta, in an old paper mill in the Valle dei Mulini above the town, documents the Amalfi paper-making tradition that dates to the 13th century — among the earliest in Europe. The sfusato amalfitano paper, made using Arab techniques and local water from the mill streams, was the medium on which the Amalfi maritime code — the Tavola Amalfitana, one of the earliest bodies of maritime law in the world — was written. The museum is small, uncrowded, and costs almost nothing. The walk up through the valley is cooler than the waterfront.
Amalfi as a Hub
Amalfi town is the best base for moving around the coast. Ferries connect to Positano, Salerno, and in season to Capri and Naples. SITA buses leave from the main piazza to Ravello, Scala, and points east. The town has more affordable accommodation than Positano and a functioning daily life — a covered market, a pasticceria that has been operating since 1894, and a waterfront that belongs to residents in the early morning before the day-trippers arrive.
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