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The fabled isle has had its detractors – it has been called “nothing more than a rocky cliff with over-priced cafés” – and, in ancient times, the notorious shenanigans of Tiberius gave it an enduring reputation as the ultimate in decadence, as did the party life here in the 1950s. Yet, if you choose to stay awhile, you will discover the real Capri beyond the hype – a world of traditional farm life, scenic hiking terrain and sparkling azure waters for swimming and boating. A place with undeniable allure for those who love the best of what life has to offer.

This remarkable little town floats above the Amalfi Coast like a dream and has attracted its share of visionaries over the centuries, from artists to composers, to actors and philosophers. Notable visitors have included Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, André Gide, D.H. Lawrence, Graham Greene and Gore Vidal, a current resident. Sumptuous palaces and their gardens, most now turned into exclusive hotels, recall Ravello’s heyday centuries ago as a major mercantile centre and a political force to be reckoned with. But any visitor will be content simply with the astounding panoramas along the coast, that seem to stir the poetic inclinations in everyone who comes here.

These ancient Greek temples are among the most complete – and most evocative – to have survived into modern times, even taking into account those in Greece itself. Besides the beauty and majesty of these timeless structures, this site has offered up countless other treasures, the remains of the Greco-Roman city that thrived here for some 1,000 years. The wonderful on-site museum is the repository of many unique finds, including the only known Greek paintings to have survived the ages. Taken from a tomb found nearby, the frescoes include a depiction of a joyous banquet of lovers, and a renowned diver – possibly a metaphor for the Greek conception of the afterlife.

The island of Ischia is surmounted by an extinct 788-m (2,585-ft) volcano, Monte Epomeo, and the many hot mineral springs here (some of them radioactive) have drawn cure- and pleasure-seekers to their soothing sources since ancient times. Green and rugged in appearance, the island also benefits from fine, long beaches. Like Capri, Ischia has had its share of famous residents – in the 19th century the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote Peer Gynt during a stay here, while in the 20th century the English poet W.H. Auden and his homosexual circle scandalized the locals. The island was also the first place in the area to be colonized by the Greeks, in the 8th century BC.

Smaller than Capri and Ischia and much less touristy, Procida attracts holiday-makers looking for tranquillity and cultural tradition. The island is flat with highly fertile soil, and is noted for its lemons, considered the best in the region. The island’s most original feature, however, is its unique architecture. The colourful houses along the Chiaiolella Port, Marina Corricella and Marina di Sancio Cattolico are known for their vaults – built as winter boat shelters – arches and external staircases.

On a rocky spur, Vico Equense is of Etruscan origin but was razed by the Goths in the 5th century. What is seen today, however, is the town’s reinvention by the Angevin king of Naples in the 13th century. A visual high point is the church of Santissima Annunziata, dramatically perched atop a cliff that plunges straight down to the sea.

Palisades and grand hotels notwithstanding, there is no getting around the fact that Sorrento can be chaotic. Yet, popular in song and literature, the town has been a resort since the 1700s – Casanova and Goethe are two notable past visitors – and there is still charm to be found in the old streets.

To the west of Sorrento, this is one of several fishing villages clustered around little ports. Rarely crowded, the site affords wonderful views across to Capri from the belvedere in Largo Vescovado. At Marina di Lobra there’s a beach and a collection of pretty houses.

The famed Costiera Amalfitana lives up to the highest expectations in every way. The winding corniche road offers striking panoramas, and some of the towns seem to defy gravity clinging to impossibly steep slopes. Beauty and history are everywhere, tastefully blended with the vita mondana (sophisticated life) of Italian resorts. There’s not much in the way of beaches, but on the whole, this perpendicular paradise never fails to delight.

Renowned in medieval times for its medical school, this city has been almost entirely ignored by tourism. All that may change, however, now that the historic centre has undergone a restoration. The Romanesque Duomo and its treasures are a reminder that Salerno was the capital of southern Italy in the 11th century.