Furore Fjord & Emerald Grotto by Boat

From the helm

Between Positano and Amalfi, the coast keeps two of its best secrets just a few minutes apart. One is a fjord: a deep crack in the mountain where a stream meets the sea, spanned by a single arched bridge. The other is a cave where daylight enters from under the water and turns everything a glowing green. The coast road runs right over both, and most drivers barely notice them. From a boat, they're among the most memorable moments of the day.

The Fiordo di Furore: a postcard you float into

Furore is known as "the village that doesn't exist": its houses are scattered up the mountainside, with no real main square. Its most famous corner lies down at sea level — the fjord of Furore, a narrow gorge carved by a mountain stream (strictly speaking a ria rather than a glacial fjord). At its mouth sit a tiny pebble beach and a handful of old fishermen's houses; high above, the arched bridge of the coast road spans the gap about thirty metres over the water.

From the road, the fjord is a glimpse between two bends, and reaching the little beach means a long flight of steps down from the bridge. From the sea you look straight up into the gorge, the bridge framed by the cliffs on either side. Your skipper brings the boat as close as the sea allows and holds it there for the photo everyone wants.

Stories of the fjord

This crack in the rock has had its share of fame. In the late 1940s Roberto Rossellini filmed an episode of L'Amore here with Anna Magnani, and the bridge has long hosted high-diving competitions, with divers dropping from the parapet into the sea below. Seen from the water, those thirty metres look even higher.

The coast road runs right over both, and most drivers barely notice them.

The Emerald Grotto (Grotta dello Smeraldo)

A few minutes along the coast, at Conca dei Marini, lies the Emerald Grotto. A local fisherman, Luigi Buonocore, discovered it in 1932, and it is the Amalfi Coast's answer to Capri's Blue Grotto: daylight enters through an opening below the waterline and lights the sea from beneath, so the whole cave glows a deep emerald green.

Inside, the cave is full of stalactites and stalagmites — some of them now under water, a sign that the cave was once dry, before the sea rose. Look down through the clear water and you may spot a ceramic nativity scene, placed on the seabed in 1956.

How the grotto visit works

Boats don't sail inside. Your skipper brings you to the grotto, where you board its own small rowboats and a local boatman takes you around the cave. The ticket is paid on site, and the grotto opens only when the sea allows: on the day, your skipper will tell you honestly whether it's open and worth the stop. If it isn't, the coast has plenty more to give. Visitors arriving by land come down from the coast road by lift or on foot; arriving by sea, you're already at the door.

Swim stops between the two

This stretch hides some of the clearest water on the whole coast. Depending on the sea, your skipper may suggest the coves around Conca dei Marini, the water off Praiano or a quiet corner beneath the cliffs that only a small boat can reach. That's the beauty of a private boat: if a spot is busy, you simply move on to the next.

How to include Furore and the Emerald Grotto in your day

Both lie on the route of our Amalfi Coast tour: a full private day from Sorrento with Positano, Praiano, the fjord of Furore and Amalfi, plus the Emerald Grotto when the sea allows. Staying in Positano? The same day can start from the Spiaggia Grande pier — see our boat tours from Positano. For the rest of the coast, read our guides to Amalfi by boat, Li Galli, the Sirens' islands and the places you can only reach by boat.

Frequently asked questions

Can you see the fjord of Furore by boat?

Yes, and it's the best way to see it. From the sea you look straight up into the gorge and its arched bridge, and your skipper brings the boat as close as the sea allows.

How do you visit the Emerald Grotto from a boat?

Your boat takes you to the grotto, where you board its small rowboats with a local boatman. The ticket is paid on site, and the grotto opens only when the sea allows.

What's the difference between the Emerald Grotto and the Blue Grotto?

Both glow because daylight enters below the waterline. The Blue Grotto on Capri, reached through a tiny opening, glows electric blue; the Emerald Grotto glows green and is full of stalactites and stalagmites.

Which tour includes Furore and the Emerald Grotto?

Our private Amalfi Coast tour, from Sorrento or from Positano. The Emerald Grotto is visited when the sea allows.