Mark Schatzker limned Italy's Amalfi Coast by sea kayak—but even hydrophobes can benefit from his picks for the best this storied shore has to offer

The famous charms of the Amalfi Coast are revealed most fully to those game for a voyage by sea kayak. These sleek but amazingly stable craft allow visitors to remove themselves from the din of the main towns, and they also offer a rare experience of the beautiful and often remote coastline that lies between them. Two American companies organize weeklong trips: Northwest Passage (800-732-7328; 8 days, $3,595 per person) and H2Outfitters (207-833-5257; 9 days, $3,950–$4,575 per person). Or you can hire a local guide, customize your voyage, and have your pick of hotels and restaurants—as I did, with Federico Ferendeles of Sottocosta (39-329-409-7555; about $300 a day for up to five people).

The country code for Italy is 39. Prices quoted are for fall 2008.

Lodging & Dining

The easternmost town, Vietri sul Mare, is the official starting point for paddling the coast in its entirety. Famous for its porcelain, Vietri is crowded and gritty and can feel like an extension of Salerno, a couple of miles away. The secluded Hotel Raito has a laid-back 1950s elegance and great views over the Gulf of Salerno. Its restaurant, Il Golfo, serves excellent seafood on an outdoor patio (089-763-4111; doubles, $378–$494; entrées, $34–$44).

Minori has a superb restaurant, Ristorante Giardinello, that's perfect for those willing to beach their kayaks and walk ten minutes to fill up on fresh pasta and seafood (17 Corso V. Emmanuele; 089-877-050; entrées, $16–$28).

Perched on an outcrop between Minori and Amalfi and overlooking lemon groves and vineyards, quiet and lofty Ravello is a cloister of cool refinement. Stunning views of the wending coastline can be had at the Palazzo Sasso. This 12th-century villa sits a thousand feet above the sea, but the amenities are uneven, especially given the high prices: The hot tubs are insufficiently hot, and connecting to the Internet can be an exercise in frustration. Sasso's restaurant, Rosselini's, has two Michelin stars, and signature dishes—such as buffalo mozzarella cooked and raw, liquid and iced—imbue traditional Campania cuisine with an international flair (089-818-181; doubles, $510–$1,003; entrées, $50–$111). Just next door, the Hotel Caruso re-opened in 2005, after a five-year renovation, to five-star acclaim. Almost every room comes with views of the Gulf of Salerno and the infinity-edge pool (089-858-801; doubles, $723–$887).

The Amalfi Drive zooms through Praiano, forcing visitors to navigate its narrow pathways and stairways on foot if they want to penetrate this curiously reserved town. The serene village is best enjoyed at the Casa Privata, a onetime fisherman's home whose six rooms have 14-foot domed ceilings and sea views. Breakfast is served in the lushly planted pool area (089-874-078; doubles, $324–$370).

The Marchese Sersale family has been setting the standard for glamour and polish for two generations at Le Sireneuse, their hotel in steep, beautiful Positano. If the view from this 18th--century palazzo's champagne bar ever gets boring, you can come indoors and feast your eyes on the collection of antiques (089-87-50-66; doubles, $675–$4,680).

The closest town to Capri on the Amalfi Coast, out-of-the-way Nerano is the perfect place to lunch and then launch. Fuel up for the eight-mile paddle to Capri's Marina Piccolo on the foliated patio at Quattro Passi, which has one Michelin star (13 Via A. Vespucci; 081-808-2800; entrées, $22–$28).

Capri is a worthy reward for anyone willing to embark on a heroic paddle across the channel. Hotels are notoriously uneven in this idyllic tourist playground. A case in point: The Hotel Villa Brunella has sweeping views of Marina Piccolo and elegant poolside dining, but my shower had no showerhead and I found two cans of insecticide not quite hidden behind chairs (081-837-0122; doubles, $494).

Though technically not on the Amalfi Coast—it's on the wrong side of the Sorrentine Peninsula—Sorrento is the perfect place to wind up your stay after making the crossing back from Capri. I checked in to the Parco dei Principi, a symphony of sixties design in blue and white that feels straight out of a Marcello Mastroianni movie. Visually, the hotel is five-star, with a sensational garden and stunning views over the Bay of Naples—but the rooms and food meet a decidedly lower standard (081-878-4644; doubles, $393–$675).

Reading

"Positano" may just be the single most difficult Steinbeck essay to put your hands on: Copies are so rare that they fetch well over $100. However, the story can be found in its entirety in America and Americans and Selected Nonfiction (Penguin Classics, $15).