The Amalfi coast is an area of great physical beauty and natural diversity. It has been intensively settled by human communities since the early Middle Ages. There are a number of towns such as Amalfi and Ravello with architectural and artistic works of great significance. The rural areas show the versatility of the inhabitants in adapting their use of the land to the diverse nature of the terrain, which ranges from terraced vineyards and orchards on the lower slopes to wide upland pastures.

The Costiera Amalfitana, stretches along the southern coast of the Sorrentine Peninsula in Salerno province and can rightly be defined as a landscape of outstanding cultural value, thanks to the astonishing work of both nature and humankind. Its dramatic topography and historical evolution have produced exceptional cultural and natural scenic values. Nature is both unspoiled and harmoniously fused with the results of human activity. The landscape is marked by rocky areas, wood and maquis, but also by citrus groves and vineyards, grown wherever human beings could find a suitable spot.

On the southern side of the peninsula, a natural border is formed by Lattari Mountains which extends from peaks of Picentini Mountains as far as Tyrrhenian Sea, dividing the Gulf of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno. The World Heritage property is composed of four main coastal areas (Amalfi, Atrani, Reginna Maior, and Reginna Minor) and some secondary areas (Positano, Praiano, Cetara, and Erchie), with the characteristic villages of Scala, Tramonti and Ravello, and the hamlets of Conca and Furore. - UNESCO