Who they are
Amalfi Sails S.r.l. is one of the longest-running businesses on this coast: the first sailing trips date from the 1980s, skippered charters from the late 1990s, and the company now speaks of more than thirty years in the trade. The office is in Minori rather than Amalfi, and TripAdvisor files the listing under Minori, where it ranks first of sixteen activities.
This is an upper-tier operator: crewed boats, tailored itineraries, events. They also own a boatyard, which is not a trivial detail — it means maintenance is done in house. Alongside private charters they offer small shared groups of up to twelve and multi-day cruises.
A warning about names: several similarly named charters operate out of Minori — Amalfi Charter, Amalfi Yachting Charter — and one directory lists the firm as "Amalfi Sails di Rispoli Carmine". Check VAT number IT05590120654 if you want to be sure who you are dealing with.
The fleet runs from an Apreamare gozzo to a Princess 81 of nearly twenty-five metres.
Where they leave from
The office is on the main street in Minori, but the real commercial advantage of Amalfi Sails is that boarding is negotiable: any harbour between Sorrento, Capri and Maiori. If you are staying in Positano you do not have to travel to Amalfi; if you arrive by hydrofoil on Capri you can step aboard there.
Minori is served by SITA buses along the SS163 coast road and by seasonal ferries from Amalfi and Salerno; on foot from Amalfi harbour it is about three kilometres of coast road, not a walk to do with luggage. If you are chartering for the day, fix the boarding point nearest your hotel: it costs nothing and saves an hour of transfers.
The fleet
This is what really sets the operator apart. Two twelve-metre Pershing 37 Cabin for six guests, a Pershing 37 Open and a Pershing 7X; a 24.7 m Princess 81 for sixteen; Princess V50 and V65 for twelve; a Riva Rivarama 44 for eight and a Riva 63 Vertigo for twelve; an Alfamarine 60 for twelve; an Azimut 16.5 and an Azimut 68S; an XL Marine 43 for six; an Apreamare 35 gozzo for twelve; a Gagliotta for ten; a Tornado 40 and a Tullio Abbate Soleil for eight.
In practice that spans a slow day on a gozzo, a classic Riva for an anniversary, and the Pershings, which are the best balance of speed and comfort on a coast where distances matter.
Tours and prices
This has to be stated plainly: the official website publishes no prices at all. That is common at the top of the charter market, where a quote depends on boat, season and route, but for anyone comparing options it is a real obstacle.
The only figures we found come from the operator's own listings on positano.com and capri.com, and they are per boat: full day along the Amalfi Coast EUR 1,869-2,469; Capri from EUR 2,019; Ischia and Procida EUR 2,469; sunset trip EUR 1,119; yacht rentals from EUR 1,869 to EUR 11,319. As these are third-party price lists, treat them as an order of magnitude rather than a quote.
Typical durations are two or four hours for sunset and half-day trips, around seven hours for a full day, plus multi-day cruises. An English-speaking guide can be booked separately.
Minori, where the company is based. Boarding, though, is arranged at whichever harbour suits the guest.
Booking and cancellation
You start with an enquiry form on the site, then move to email at info@amalfisails.it, the phone on +39 089 853500, or WhatsApp on +39 334 1010203. Payment is by bank transfer or card. There is no instant booking: this is a quote-based process, which fits the product.
The cancellation terms in the FAQ are stricter than the usual tourism standard: on day trips, seven or more days' notice means 30% is retained; between three and six days you get 50% back; inside 48 hours there is no refund. Shared tours follow the more familiar rule of a full refund up to 24 hours before. In bad weather the company offers a new date or returns the money. If you book far ahead for high season, accept that 30% stays with them even if you change your mind a week out.
What reviewers say
TripAdvisor showed 4.7 out of 5 from 223 reviews, first of sixteen activities in Minori. We found no Google listing we could attribute with confidence.
The recurring praise: captains — Antonio, Stefano, Salvatore and Biagio are the names that come back — described as knowledgeable and warm; smooth coordination of the pick-up point, which is not a given when boarding can happen anywhere along half the coast; swim stops in quiet places; itineraries built around what guests ask for.
The criticism is thinner but should be reported: the quality of the day changes with the crew assigned; one family describes feeling unsupported in rough seas; one guest reports the trip being subcontracted to another operator. These are patterns read in public reviews, not facts we verified. If subcontracting worries you, ask for the boat's name and the captain to be written into the quote.
Booking direct or through GetYourGuide
For a charter at this level the direct channel makes sense: you build the route, choose the boat and negotiate the package. It is the only way to reach the whole fleet, which never appears in full on the platforms.
The flip side is rigidity: a penalty seven days out is a term no platform would apply. Booking on GetYourGuide, most products carry free cancellation up to 24 hours before, a price in euros, support in your own language and reserve-now-pay-later, against a much narrower choice of boats. If you want a private trip of a similar shape, the private Positano tour along the Amalfi Coast and the private tour with prosecco and snorkelling are the closest products; for a sense of current prices there is the Amalfi Coast overview.
Rule of thumb: under a thousand euros, use the platform. Above it, negotiate.
The sunset trip is the most affordable item on the list, but it is still a per-boat price.
Alternatives
If you want a private boat with published prices and a deeper review record, look at Bluestar Positano. For a lower budget with a transparent price list and recent boats, there is Chic & Fabulous between Maiori and Amalfi. Before asking for a quote, read our guide to yacht charter, which explains what a crewed day actually includes, the catamaran and sailing page if you would rather travel with the engine off, and the private tours page for the cheaper options.