On Monte Sant’Angelo, the scrub green and salt crusted leaves form an olive headdress atop the rugged rock face. Set between the greens and browns are pristine white buildings, in startling contrast to the riot of colors seen so frequently along the Amalfi Coast. So steep are the cliffs that the stairs of Praiano themselves are an attraction not to be missed.

The first flight reveals a brilliant blue slate, boats bobbing Amalfi bound. A further flight and you spot a small gallery branching to the side, bright spotlights picking out the vibrant pigments splashed across canvas as a sign of Praiano’s emergent arts scene. A third flight and you step out onto a square, slightly short of breath which is lost once more at the sight of fresh produce and game straight off the backyard gardens and densely vegetated hills above. Praiano’s charm may not lie in its backbreaking climbs but it does rest in the serene calm unbroken by tourist establishments and pandering. Indeed, Praiano is the much-needed shot of cold lemon sorbet on a hot day, a refreshing take on the well-known Amalfi coast.