Amalfi Coast · Month comparison

March vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs March at #6. The finest month — warm sun, lemon harvest fragrance, clear water, and 30% below summer prices.

March

#6 of 12 months

Strong option

Spring stirring — hotels reopening, lemon groves waking up, and prices still well below summer.

↑Spring flowers beginning on the terraced hillsides: wisteria and wildflowers between the lemon groves by late March
↑Hotels and restaurants reopening: more choice available than January–February, while prices remain at off-season rates

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The finest month — warm sun, lemon harvest fragrance, clear water, and 30% below summer prices.

↑Sfusato Amalfitano lemon harvest: the famous elongated Amalfi lemons ripening on the terraced groves — fragrant, photogenic, and celebrated across local restaurants with limoncello and desserts
↑Sea temperature reaching 19°C: first comfortable swimming of the year, and boat trips to Capri and the Grotta dello Smeraldo with clear visibility

March trade-offs

↓72mm of rain still likely across the month — spring arrives gradually with some grey days mixed in
↓Sea still cool (15°C): swimming possible for the hardy, but not comfortable for most
↓Easter weekend (if in late March) brings the first significant crowd surge — accommodation fills fast for the long weekend

↓Crowds building noticeably: weekends in May can feel like a preview of summer — Positano particularly busy
↓Book 4–6 weeks ahead: May now fills faster than it once did as word spreads about it as the shoulder sweet spot
↓Prices rising from April: May is no longer the bargain it was — but still 30% below July–August

Scores compare months within Amalfi Coast. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →