Things to Do in Amalfi Coast in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in Amalfi Coast
Is December Right for You?
Advantages
- Genuine local atmosphere - December transforms the coast into what residents call 'our season.' You'll actually hear Italian in the streets instead of tour group chatter, and restaurants drop their tourist menus for proper regional cooking. Shopkeepers have time to talk, and you can photograph Positano's colorful houses without elbows in your ribs.
- Accommodation prices drop 40-60% compared to summer - that €400/night hotel in Positano? Try €150-180 in December. Many family-run properties offer their best rates of the year, and you'll have actual negotiating power for longer stays. Plus, you can book quality places just 2-3 weeks out instead of the 6-month advance planning summer requires.
- Christmas season brings spectacular traditions you won't see other months - elaborate presepi (nativity scenes) appear in every town, some dating back centuries. Amalfi's Piazza Duomo hosts a proper Christmas market (not the tourist trap summer fairs), and the New Year's Eve fireworks over Positano are genuinely worth experiencing. Churches hold candlelit concerts that locals actually attend.
- Hiking trails become accessible and comfortable - the Path of the Gods in summer heat (32°C/90°F) is genuinely miserable. December temperatures of 10-13°C (50-55°F) make the 3-hour trek actually enjoyable. You'll have trails largely to yourself, the Mediterranean views are clearer in winter light, and the cooler air means you can tackle the steeper sections without feeling like you're melting.
Considerations
- Roughly 60% of tourist-oriented businesses close entirely - that includes many restaurants, tour operators, and shops in smaller towns like Praiano and Conca dei Marini. Positano and Amalfi stay more active, but your dinner options shrink considerably. Ferry services stop running (typically ending late October), so you're dependent on SITA buses or expensive taxis for town-hopping.
- Weather genuinely limits outdoor activities - those 10 rainy days translate to unpredictable conditions. A morning that starts sunny can turn grey and drizzly by 2pm. The Amalfi Drive gets genuinely slippery when wet, and coastal winds can be sharp enough to make beach walks unpleasant. You'll need legitimate backup plans, not just 'we'll wing it' optimism.
- It's properly cold by Mediterranean standards - locals wear puffy jackets and scarves, and most accommodations have heating that's adequate at best. Those charming old buildings with terracotta tiles? They hold cold. If you're imagining mild Mediterranean winter like you'd get in Sicily, adjust expectations downward by about 5°C (9°F). Evening temperatures regularly drop to 6-8°C (43-46°F), especially in December's second half.
Best Activities in December
Ravello Villa Gardens and Classical Music Venues
December gives you Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo without the summer tour bus invasion - you might have the Infinity Terrace to yourself for 20 minutes at a time, which is unthinkable June through September. The gardens look different in winter (less flowering, more architectural), but that's actually the point - you see the bone structure these places were designed around. The 8-13°C (46-55°F) temperatures make the uphill walk from Amalfi comfortable rather than sweaty. Ravello Concerto Society often holds intimate concerts in December, attended mostly by locals and classical music enthusiasts rather than cruise ship crowds.
Amalfi Coast Path of the Gods Hiking
This is genuinely the best month for the Sentiero degli Dei - summer heat makes the exposed sections brutal, while December's 10-13°C (50-55°F) keeps you comfortable on the 3-hour trek from Bomerano to Nocelle. You'll have the trail mostly to yourself (maybe 10-15 other hikers total versus 200+ in summer). The catch: you need to watch weather forecasts closely. After rain, sections get muddy and the limestone can be slick. But on clear December days, visibility is spectacular - you can see all the way to Capri without summer haze. Start by 9:00am to finish before afternoon clouds roll in.
Pompeii and Herculaneum Archaeological Sites
December is actually ideal for the ruins - summer's 35°C (95°F) heat reflecting off ancient stones is genuinely oppressive, while December's 12-14°C (54-57°F) makes the 3-4 hours of walking comfortable. The sites stay open (8:30am-5:00pm in December, last entry 3:30pm), and you'll have significantly fewer crowds - maybe 30% of summer visitor numbers. Herculaneum is particularly good in winter because it's smaller and more covered, so light rain doesn't ruin the experience. The lower UV index (3 versus summer's 9) means you're not getting scorched while reading informational plaques.
Sorrento Peninsula Lemon Grove Tours and Limoncello Tastings
December is actually harvest season for sfusato lemons (the variety used for proper limoncello), so you're seeing working groves rather than just ornamental trees. The family-run operations that offer tours are less rushed in winter - you'll get 90 minutes instead of the 45-minute summer conveyor belt experience. The cooler weather (10-13°C/50-55°F) makes walking through terraced groves pleasant, and you'll learn about the traditional cultivation methods that have been used for centuries. Many producers make their winter limoncello batches in December and January, so you're seeing actual production rather than just tasting rooms.
Traditional Ceramics Workshops in Vietri sul Mare
Vietri has been producing hand-painted ceramics since the 15th century, and December is when artisans actually have time to teach rather than just fulfill summer orders. Workshop sessions let you paint your own pieces (plates, tiles, bowls) using traditional patterns - the kind of hands-on experience that's genuinely memorable and gives you something meaningful to take home. The town itself is less visited than Positano or Amalfi, so you get a more authentic feel for coastal life. Ceramics Museum (Museo della Ceramica) provides historical context and costs only €2.50 entry.
Naples Historic Center Food Walking Tours
Naples is 45 minutes from the Amalfi Coast and makes a perfect rainy day backup - the historic center is UNESCO-listed and you're mostly walking through covered streets and ducking into shops. December food tours focus on seasonal specialties: proper pizza fritta (fried pizza, a winter street food), baccala (salt cod dishes traditional in December), and sfogliatelle that are actually still warm. The 12-15°C (54-59°F) temperatures make walking comfortable, and you're experiencing the city when it's functioning for locals rather than overwhelmed by cruise ship day-trippers.
December Events & Festivals
Amalfi Coast Presepi Viventi (Living Nativity Scenes)
Multiple towns stage elaborate living nativity scenes throughout December, with locals in period costume recreating Bethlehem in coastal settings. Maiori and Furore host particularly impressive versions with 100-plus participants, torchlit processions, and traditional music. These are genuine community events, not tourist performances - you'll be standing alongside Italian families who attend every year. The scenes typically include traditional crafts demonstrations (blacksmithing, weaving, bread-making) and you can sample period foods.
New Year's Eve Fireworks in Positano
December 31st brings spectacular midnight fireworks launched from boats in Positano's bay - the displays reflect off the water and illuminate the vertical town in a way that's genuinely dramatic. The main beach area (Spiaggia Grande) fills with locals and visitors, and most restaurants offer special New Year's menus (€80-150 per person, reservations essential). It's festive without being rowdy - more champagne toasts than drunk chaos. Temperatures will be around 8-10°C (46-50°F), so dress warmly.
Christmas Markets in Amalfi and Salerno
Amalfi's Piazza Duomo hosts a modest but authentic Christmas market (typically 15-20 wooden chalets) selling regional products: handmade ceramics, limoncello, preserved lemons, local cheeses, and traditional sweets like mostaccioli. It's small compared to northern European markets but genuinely local rather than tourist-oriented. Salerno, 30 minutes away, hosts Luci d'Artista - one of southern Italy's largest Christmas light installations transforming the entire waterfront with elaborate illuminated art pieces. Worth an evening visit.