Amalfi Coast in 5 mornings

Positano

Coffee before the beach fills up.

Early is the only time the main beach belongs to the people who live here. Boats get pulled out and the cafés hose down their terraces.

I worked from the room afterwards. By ten the steps were full.

Atrani

A short walk from Amalfi and much quieter.

Tiny square with a church on top of a staircase. You walk over from Amalfi in a few minutes and it feels like a different coast.

Amalfi

Cathedral steps before the day trippers.

The stairs up to the Duomo are steep and wide open. Early it's you and a few pigeons. Once the ferries come in, it's a different place.

Ravello

High above the coast. Worth the bus ride up.

The bus winds up from Amalfi and you get off in a town that looks down on everything. The terrace with the marble busts is the picture everyone knows.

Praiano

Between Positano and Amalfi, slower.

Fewer shops, more stairs. If I came back for a month to work, this is probably where I'd stay.