The beautiful Fiordo di Furore in Amalfi, Italy is a fjord with a small, rocky beach that lies in a gorge below an arched stone bridge. It is surrounded by cliffs on all sides, and through the opening under the bridge you can see out to the sea. While this is definitely a huge attraction for locals and tourists, it doesn't get overwhelmingly crowded and is still a quieter place to tan in the sun or go cliff jumping.
Getting there (public transportation):
The easiest option to get to Fiordo di Furore is to take a SITA bus. If you are coming from Amalfi, hop on a bus that is headed towards Sorrento or Positano & the ride should take about 15-20 minutes. If you are coming from Positano, hop on a bus headed for Amalfi & this ride should take about 30-35 minutes. Whichever direction you're coming from, get off at the Furore stop - if you're worried about missing this stop, put directions to the fjord on google maps and follow along as you ride the bus; google maps has each designated bus stop, so you'll know when to press the 'request stop' button on the bus (which is after you pass the stop before the Furore stop) and when to get off.
To get back, if you're headed to Amalfi wait for the bus on the side of the road opposite to the stairs. If you're headed to Positano, wait for the bus on the same side of the road as the stairs.
Cost: You can purchase a SITA bus day pass for 10 euros per person (allowing travel on SITA busses for 24 hours after purchasing). You can also pay for single trips or pay cash on the bus which both costs between 2 and 4 euros. We purchased day pass tickets from a travel shop near the bus station in downtown Amalfi.
Other options of transportation: You can also get to Fiordo di Furore by renting a scooter or car, however these really are not recommended unless you are (1) very comfortable on scooters, (2) comfortable on narrow, winding roads, and (3) are willing to deal with the parking situation. It is very difficult to find a place to park, and when you do find a place you will have to walk for at least 20 minutes to get to the fjord. A nearby hotel or restaurant may let you park there, but it certainly isn't guaranteed, and he roads are far too narrow to park on. Really though, saying that the roads in Amalfi are narrow would be a bit of an understatement. There is hardly any space on the roads to the point where it seems as if it should only be a one way. We realized most large busses actually have to honk their horn before going around the sharp corners in order to warn other cars not to move forward, since only the bus would fit. Riding the bus is an experience in itself; it truly made my palms sweat just looking out the window at how close we were to the edge of the cliffs, and how close we were to other cars in passing!
At the beginning of the video when the bus stopped, it was to let the car back up so the bus had more room to keep going! The views from the bus are clearly amazing, however you can see how tiny the 'guard rails' are! It really seems more scary than it is - these drivers know what they're doing! Of course I had to look up how often cars fall off these cliffs, since I am definitely not used to seeing such narrow, winding roads placed directly next to an extremely steep cliff - the answer? It's quite rare for this to happen (which I was a bit shocked and very relieved about!)
When you arrive at Fiordo di Furore, you have to walk down quite a few stairs to get to the bottom. It's pretty easy but you may need a short break on the way back up! The beach is very rocky, so bring slides or water shoes since you'll likely want to wear them to walk up to the water and take a swim. You can go cliff jumping here by swimming out a bit and climbing up the cliffs, or walking a bit up the stairs and then jumping off! When we were at Fiordo di Furore in July, and likely all throughout beach season, there was a tiny stand selling water bottles, beer, and chips for 2-3 euros each - it is highly affordable and very convenient especially if you've forgotten to bring extra drinks or snacks like we did. They were also renting out very comfortable beach recliners with a cover to block your face from the sun for just under 10 euros for the entire day - they took both cash and card for drinks/snacks and the chairs. This is very worth it especially since there is no sand, just rocks, so it's not the most comfortable to lie on just a towel.
Dogs are often off-leash in Europe, and we have a funny story about an off-leash pup on this beach. We watched a couple leave their items to go for a swim, and while they were gone the dog went into their bag and stole a sandwich. He then ate the entire sandwich in front of laughing on-lookers, including myself and my boyfriend. I would have tried to stop the dog, but you never know what its behavior could be, especially in regards to food!
Because Fiordo di Furore is between very large, tall cliffs, the sun begins to get blocked by around 4:30 p.m., so I would recommend showing up around 11 or 12 to get the most out of the day!
The following day we were able to see Fiordo di Furore from a different angle - we saw the other side by boat! It was so fun swimming in the fjord and seeing the boats pull up to check it out one day, and then being in one of those boats the next! See my post on renting a boat for the day in Amalfi for more details on this!