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A ferry crossing the deep blue water in front of Positano, its houses stacked up the mountain above the beach

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Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi by ferry: the Amalfi Coast from the sea

Round the tip of the peninsula past Capri and the Sirens' islands, and step off on Positano's beach.

The short answer

Ferries from Sorrento's Marina Piccola reach Positano in about 35 to 50 minutes and Amalfi in about 70, landing at the pier beside Positano's Spiaggia Grande. On the 2026 timetables NLG, Alilauro and Alicost run about 14 sailings a day from Sorrento towards Positano from 1 April to 31 October or 3 November, at €18 one way (Alicost) to €21.50 (NLG), with Sorrento to Amalfi at €17.50 (Alilauro) to €24.50 (NLG). Buy online from the operator and be at the quay 30 minutes before departure.

From Sorrento the boats run west under the cliffs, turn the corner at Punta Campanella with Capri across the 5 km strait off the right-hand rail, and come down the far side of the peninsula to Positano, its houses stacked up the mountain above the beach where you land. Twenty minutes more and Amalfi opens up behind its harbour, the cathedral at the top of its 62 steps. It is the way the coast was built to be seen, and in summer it is also the way to avoid the one road.

Italy

Sorrento to Positano
35 to 50 min
Sorrento to Amalfi
about 70 min, via Positano
Sailings from Sorrento
about 14 a day, summer 2026
Adult single, 2026
€17.50 to €24.50
Season
1 April to early November
Strait off Capri
Bocca Piccola, 5 km wide

Why the sea is the right way in

The Amalfi Coast faces the water. Its towns were built where a gorge reaches the shore, their houses stacked up the slope and their churches turned to the bay, and for centuries the sea was the road. Between the 9th and 11th centuries Amalfi was a maritime republic whose ships carried spices and fine cloth from Byzantium, North Africa and the Middle East; a tsunami destroyed its harbour in 1343, and with it the republic's sea power. UNESCO inscribed the whole coast as a World Heritage Site in 1997.

From Sorrento the boat has to go the long way round, and that is the point. The peninsula is the end of the Monti Lattari, a limestone ridge that splits the Gulf of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno, and to get from one to the other you round Punta Campanella, the cape where the Greeks kept a sanctuary of Athena and passing ships poured wine into the sea as an offering. Across the Bocca Piccola, a strait about 5 km wide and on average 70 m deep, Capri stands close enough to read its cliffs.

Then the other coast begins: bare limestone walls dropping into deep water, the three islets of Li Galli where the ancients put the Sirens, and Positano, which you meet head on from the water rather than in glimpses from a hairpin bend. The coast road above, the SS163, winds for about 50 km with one narrow lane each way, and in summer that road is the reason the boat is quicker.

Along the way

  1. Sorrento

  2. leaving Sorrento

    Marina Piccola and the Sorrento cliffs

    The boats leave from Marina Piccola, the harbour at the foot of the cliff Sorrento is built on. Look back as you pull away: this side of the peninsula is softer ground of tuff, sandstone and marl, its slopes gentler than the limestone walls waiting on the far side.

  3. at the tip of the peninsula

    Punta Campanella and the Bocca Piccola

    The boat turns the corner at Punta Campanella, inside a marine protected area run by six comuni, with Capri across the Bocca Piccola: about 5 km of water, 70 m deep on average. The Greeks had a sanctuary of Athena on the cape, and ships passing through the straits poured wine into the sea and lowered their sails to her.

  4. to seaward, on the approach to Positano

    Li Galli, the Sirens' islands

    Three small islands off the right-hand rail: Gallo Lungo, 400 m long and shaped like a dolphin, La Rotonda and La Castelluccia. Strabo called them the Sirenussai. The dancer Léonide Massine bought them in 1924 and built a villa that Le Corbusier remodelled; Rudolf Nureyev bought them in 1989. They are still private.

  5. arriving at Spiaggia Grande, 35 to 50 minutes from Sorrento

    Positano from the water

    The town comes at you all at once, a cascade of houses from the mountain to the beach. You land at the pier beside the Spiaggia Grande, in the heart of the town, with the shops, cafés and the first of the staircases a few steps away.

  6. the 20 to 25 minute hop east

    Positano to Amalfi

    The leg most people never see from the road. The boat runs under the cliffs that the SS163 is cut into, past Praiano and the coves below the road, before Amalfi opens up behind its harbour.

  7. on landing in Amalfi

    Amalfi and its cathedral

    From the harbour you walk into Piazza Duomo, where the cathedral of Sant'Andrea stands at the top of a staircase of 62 steps. It was founded in 987; the bell tower is 12th and 13th century, and the striped façade is a 19th-century rebuilding after the old one fell in a gale in 1861.

  8. 35 minutes beyond Amalfi

    On to Salerno

    For the full length of the coast, Travelmar's boats continue east past Minori, Maiori, Cetara and Vietri sul Mare to Salerno, landing at Piazza Concordia by the railway station: 35 minutes from Amalfi on the direct boats, 60 on those that call along the way.

  9. Positano

Where to sit or stand

Going from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi, sit or stand on the left, the port side. The boat keeps the coast on its left the whole way: west along the Sorrento shore, round Punta Campanella, then east along the Amalfi side. Capri and Li Galli pass on the right, so step across for them at the cape and on the approach to Positano. Coming back, the coast is on the right. On the enclosed hydrofoils, take a window seat on that side; on the monohull boats with open decks, go out to the stern rail, which gives you both sides and the best view of each town as you leave it.

Ways to do it

When to go

Timetables, fares and tickets

How often does the ferry run from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi, and how much is it?

On the 2026 summer timetables (1 April onwards), NLG sailed from Sorrento to Positano at 09:00, 09:30, 11:00, 12:25, 15:15 and 16:10, every boat continuing to Amalfi, and back from Positano at 09:15, 10:33, 14:10, 16:24 and 17:45. Alilauro's published Sorrento to Positano departures, which include its sister line Alicost, were 09:15, 10:10, 10:30, 12:05, 13:00, 14:55, 17:10 and 17:35, with returns from Positano between 11:35 and 17:05, plus an 18:19 via Capri from mid-June to mid-September. The last boats back to Sorrento leave Amalfi around 17:00 (NLG 17:02, Alilauro 16:45), and Positano Jet's 18:40 from Positano ran in September and October.

Fares are fixed by each line and published on their sites. Buy online from the operator: tickets for this route sell out in summer, and NLG warns it has no ticket office in Positano and its crews cannot sell or change tickets on board. Alilauro asks passengers to be at the port 30 minutes before departure.

Sorrento to Positano, adult single
€18 to €21.50 (2026)
Sorrento to Amalfi, adult single
€17.50 (Alilauro) to €24.50 (NLG)
Positano to Amalfi
€10 to €13, 20 to 25 min
Amalfi to Salerno
€12, 35 min (Travelmar)
NLG day tour from Sorrento
€46.50 return
Check-in
at the quay 30 min before

Ports and luggage

Where do the boats leave from in Sorrento and where do they land in Positano?

In Sorrento every line leaves from Marina Piccola, below the town. From the centre you can walk down the steps or take the public lift from the Villa Comunale gardens to the port, or come by bus or taxi with bags. In Positano you land at the pier beside the Spiaggia Grande, in the middle of the town. In Amalfi the boats berth in the harbour a few minutes' walk from Piazza Duomo, and in Salerno Travelmar uses Piazza Concordia, by the railway station.

Each ticket includes one piece of hand luggage, but the size differs by line: 50 x 35 x 20 cm and up to 9 kg on Alilauro and Alicost, 45 x 35 x 20 cm on Travelmar, 40 x 20 x 25 cm on Positano Jet. A suitcase is extra: €3 to €3.50 on Alilauro, €3 on Travelmar, €5 a piece on NLG.

Sorrento
Marina Piccola; public lift from the Villa Comunale
Positano
pier beside the Spiaggia Grande
Salerno
Piazza Concordia, by the station (Travelmar)
Extra bag
€3 to €5 a piece

Sea state and cancellations

Do the Positano ferries get cancelled in bad weather?

They can. Every operator warns that sailings may be delayed or changed when the sea is rough, and Positano's landing is a pier off the beach. If a boat does not sail, Alilauro rebooks you on another sailing or refunds the ticket, and Positano Jet waives its cancellation penalties when the company cancels. On a windy day, check the operator's site or call before walking down to the port, and do not plan a tight onward connection on the last boat of the day.

If the line cancels
rebooking or refund (Alilauro); no penalty (Positano Jet)
If you cancel
Positano Jet keeps 20% up to 24 h before, 50% up to 1 h before

Boat or road

Is the ferry better than the bus or driving from Sorrento to Positano?

In summer, usually. The SS163 is the only road along the coast, about 50 km of one narrow lane each way, and congested on summer days and at weekends. Under a scheme agreed in 2019 by the coast's comuni, the region and Anas, non-resident cars are limited to alternate number plates, odd or even, between 10:00 and 18:00 on peak summer days, and campervans and caravans are kept off the road from 06:30 to midnight. The boat avoids all of it, lands you in the centre of Positano rather than on the road above it, and shows you the coast the road cannot. The road wins in winter, when the Sorrento boats stop, and after the last boat in the evening.

SS163
about 50 km, one lane each way
Alternate plates
10:00 to 18:00 on peak days, residents exempt

Worth knowing before you go

The journey in pictures

Marina Piccola in Sorrento, the ferry port under the cliffs and the hotels on top
Li Galli, the Sirens' islands, in a bright blue sea off Positano
A boat cutting along the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast between Positano and Amalfi
Amalfi from the sea under its mountain, with a ferry heading for the harbour
Amalfi seen from the water, its cathedral bell tower rising above the beach front

Questions people ask

Good questions about The Amalfi Coast by boat

How long is the ferry from Sorrento to Positano?

About 35 to 50 minutes, depending on the boat and whether it stops on the way. NLG's 09:30 from Sorrento reaches Positano at 10:05; Positano Jet quotes about 50 minutes for its direct run. Most boats continue to Amalfi, about 70 minutes from Sorrento in all.

How much is the ferry from Sorrento to Positano?

Adult singles published for 2026 run from €18 (Alicost) through €19 (Alilauro) and €20.50 (Positano Jet) to €21.50 (NLG). Sorrento to Amalfi is €17.50 with Alilauro, €20 with Alicost and €24.50 with NLG, and NLG's day return covering both towns is €46.50. One piece of hand luggage is included; a suitcase costs €3 to €5 extra.

Does the ferry from Sorrento to Positano run in winter?

Barely. The 2026 season runs from 1 April to 31 October on Alilauro's Positano boats and to 3 November on NLG. In winter 2025 to 2026 NLG kept one boat each way at weekends from 17 November, daily from 24 March; the 2026 to 2027 winter timetable was not out on 19 October 2026. From Salerno, Travelmar runs to Amalfi and Positano all year.

Can you see Positano and Amalfi in a day by boat from Sorrento?

Yes, comfortably. NLG's day tours leave Sorrento at 09:30 and give about three hours in each town: one lands in Positano first and leaves Amalfi at 17:02, back in Sorrento at 18:20; the other does Amalfi first and leaves Positano at 17:45. The return costs €46.50 for adults in 2026. You can also buy separate singles and choose your own times.

Is the ferry or the bus better from Sorrento to Positano?

In summer the ferry. The SS163 is one narrow lane each way for about 50 km and is congested on summer days and at weekends, and the comuni restrict cars by number plate on peak days. The boat lands at the Spiaggia Grande, in the middle of Positano, and shows you Capri and the Sirens' islands on the way. Outside the boat season, apart from NLG's winter weekend boat, the road is the way from Sorrento.

Which side of the ferry has the best view?

From Sorrento towards Positano and Amalfi, the left (port) side: the coast stays on your left the whole way round Punta Campanella. Capri and the islets of Li Galli pass on the right, so cross over at the cape and on the approach to Positano. On the way back, sit on the right.

What happens if the ferry is cancelled because of the sea?

The operators warn that sailings can be delayed or changed in rough seas. If the line cancels, Alilauro rebooks you or refunds the ticket, and Positano Jet waives its cancellation penalties. Tickets bought through an agency are refunded by the agency. On a windy day check the operator's site before going to the port, and avoid relying on the last boat when you have a flight to catch.

The Amalfi Coast by boat

Round the tip of the peninsula past Capri and the Sirens' islands, and step off on Positano's beach.

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Image credits: Dipl.-Inform. Sebastian Schreiber (CC BY-SA 2.0 de) · Norbert Nagel (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Gianfranco Vitolo (CC BY 2.0) · Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA (CC BY 2.0) · Jensens (Public domain) · Bernard Gagnon (CC BY 4.0)

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