Things to Do in Amalfi Coast in February
February weather, activities, events & insider tips
February Weather in Amalfi Coast
Is February Right for You?
Advantages
- Dramatically fewer crowds - you'll actually get photos at Positano's colorful buildings without 50 people in frame. Hotels that are fully booked April through October often have availability, and you can walk into restaurants that require reservations months ahead in summer.
- Prices drop 40-60% compared to peak season - accommodations that cost 400-600 euros in July go for 150-250 euros in February. Even luxury properties offer substantial discounts, and you can negotiate rates directly with smaller hotels since occupancy is lower.
- Authentic local atmosphere returns - the coast essentially belongs to residents in February. Markets sell to locals rather than tourists, restaurants serve regional winter dishes instead of tourist menus, and you'll hear Italian conversations instead of international chatter at cafes.
- Ideal hiking weather on the Path of the Gods - temperatures between 8-13°C (46-55°F) make the 7.8 km (4.8 mile) trail comfortable without the summer heat that leaves hikers exhausted. Clear February days offer spectacular views across the Bay of Salerno without the summer haze.
Considerations
- Many hotels and restaurants close entirely - roughly 60% of tourist-oriented businesses shut down from November through March. This includes some of the coast's most famous restaurants and several beachfront hotels. You'll need to research carefully which properties are actually open, as booking sites don't always update closure dates accurately.
- Ferry services are severely limited or suspended - the main ferry connections between Positano, Amalfi, and Salerno typically don't run in February due to rough seas and low demand. This forces you onto the winding SS163 coastal road for all transportation, which adds significant travel time and can trigger motion sickness on the hairpin turns.
- Beach activities are essentially off the table - water temperatures hover around 14°C (57°F), and beaches often have winter storm debris. The classic Amalfi Coast beach club experience with swimming and sunbathing simply doesn't exist in February. If Mediterranean beach time is your primary goal, you're visiting the wrong month.
Best Activities in February
Path of the Gods hiking between Positano and Praiano
February is actually the best month for this famous trail. Summer heat makes the exposed sections brutal, but February's 8-13°C (46-55°F) temperatures are perfect for the 3-4 hour trek. The trail stays relatively dry compared to December-January, and you'll encounter maybe 10-15 other hikers instead of the summer crowds of 200-plus. Clear winter days offer visibility across to Capri that summer haze obscures. The trail is 7.8 km (4.8 miles) with sections reaching 650 m (2,130 ft) elevation, so the cooler weather is genuinely appreciated.
Ravello's Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo gardens
Ravello sits 365 m (1,197 ft) above sea level and February is when locals visit these gardens without the tour bus crowds. Villa Cimbrone's Terrace of Infinity is genuinely peaceful in winter - you might have it entirely to yourself for 20-30 minutes, which never happens May through September. The gardens look different in February with winter blooms and bare trees, but that's actually the point - you see the architectural bones and cliff-edge positioning without summer's overwhelming greenery. Entry costs 10 euros per villa, and you can spend 2-3 hours exploring both without rushing.
Amalfi Cathedral and Paper Museum cultural visits
February weather makes indoor cultural sites more appealing, and these two Amalfi attractions are actually better experienced when you're not melting from summer heat. The Cathedral's Cloister of Paradise has a completely different atmosphere in winter light, and the crypt containing St. Andrew's relics is refreshingly cool rather than uncomfortably cold. The Paper Museum demonstrates Amalfi's 13th-century paper-making tradition in a restored mill - the 45-minute tour is hands-on and works well on rainy afternoons that happen roughly every third day in February.
Pompeii and Herculaneum archaeological site visits
February is legitimately ideal for Pompeii - summer temperatures make the exposed ruins exhausting, with zero shade across the 66-hectare (163-acre) site. In February's 10-13°C (50-55°F) weather, you can comfortably spend 4-5 hours exploring without heat exhaustion. More importantly, you'll see maybe 500 visitors instead of the 5,000-plus daily crowds in peak season. Herculaneum is smaller but better preserved, and in winter you can actually study the carbonized wooden structures and intact frescoes without crowds pushing you along. Both sites are 45-60 minutes from Amalfi via Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento.
Sorrento and Sant'Agata food experiences
February is when Amalfi Coast restaurants serve actual regional winter cuisine instead of tourist menus. In Sorrento and the hilltop village of Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, family-run trattorias offer dishes like genovese (slow-cooked onion and beef sauce), minestra maritata (winter greens and pork soup), and fresh ricotta with local honey. This is also citrus harvest season - the coast's famous lemons are everywhere, and you'll find sfusato amalfitano lemons at their peak. Cooking classes in February are smaller and more personal, typically 4-6 participants instead of 15-20 in summer.
Capri day trip via hydrofoil
Capri in February is polarizing - it's either wonderfully empty or disappointingly closed, depending on your perspective. The Blue Grotto is often closed due to rough seas and low winter tides, but the rest of the island is genuinely peaceful. You can walk through Capri town and Anacapri without the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, and the Gardens of Augustus offer unobstructed views. The 30-minute hydrofoil from Sorrento costs 20-25 euros each way and runs year-round, though schedules reduce to 3-4 departures daily in winter versus hourly in summer.
February Events & Festivals
Carnevale celebrations in various coastal towns
Several Amalfi Coast towns hold small Carnevale events in February, though nothing like Venice's scale. Maiori typically has the largest celebration with a parade, costumes, and street food stalls. These are genuinely local events where families bring kids in costumes - you'll see more homemade outfits than elaborate masks. It's worth experiencing if dates align with your visit, but not worth planning your entire trip around.
Sant'Antonio Abate celebrations in Furore
January 17th technically, but some villages continue festivities into early February with traditional blessing of animals and communal meals featuring local winter foods. Furore, the tiny fjord village, sometimes extends celebrations with special restaurant menus featuring dishes made with blessed ingredients. This is extremely local and not touristy whatsoever - you might be the only visitor attending.