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I squint upwards at the precipice rising abruptly from the sea as huge gulls resembling pre-historic creatures wheel above.

It looks almost as if some ancient God pushed this slice of land upwards from the sea aeons ago before sitting back to admire his work.

The rugged section of cliffs on the island of Capri seems even more impressive from our viewpoint of a sleek, modern yacht moored metres from this imposing slab of rock.

Amalfi: Pastel coloured villages cling to the sides of cliffs above a cobalt Tyrrhenian Sea

Experiencing the Amalfi coast from the sea rather than land gives a subtle twist to touring this area of Italy widely considered to be one of the world's most beautiful stretches of coastline.

The Costiera Amalfitana, to give it its proper name in Italiano, is on the western coast of Italy, south of Naples in the Campania region, and curving around the bays of Naples and Sorrento.

Pastel coloured villages cling to the sides of cliffs above a cobalt Tyrrhenian Sea, and the inhabitants up there on the cliffs overlook a coastline with killer views - it's no wonder there's a constant flutter of celebrities to these parts.

If you're looking for undiscovered Italy, you won't find it on the Amalfi Coast, popular with the jet-set and rich Italians, but I am thankfully away from the crowds on a well-equipped 50 foot sailing vessel, able to dip in and out of the tourist areas as and when I choose.

Happy sailing: Catherine takes a break from tacking to watch the rugged coastline go by

Intrepid Travel, an adventure travel company known for its focus on responsible travel, local food and locally-owned accommodation, is the company I'm travelling with, on one of its first 'Sail the Amalfi Coast' trips since expanding into Europe recently.

Somewhat impressively, Intrepid is also a carbon-neutral company with reduced greenhouse gas emissions from its offices and trips wherever possible and which offsets the rest.

Founded by two Australians in 1992, the company has grown its portfolio of countries over the years and now offers a variety of holidays for independently-minded travellers in more than 100 hand-picked spots globally, including sailing trips in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

Having driven the coastal road many years ago with toddler in tow, this is my chance to see Amalfi from a different perspective while brushing up my sailing skills, learning a bit of Italian and of course sitting on the bow of the boat just gazing at the beautiful coastline as we glide past.

Ice cream colours: Back on Procida for the last day Catherine walked down to the picturesque little harbour where Il Postino was filmed, left. On the way to the port for her ferry to Naples, right

Our itinerary looks pleasingly exhaustive: I'm to get a ferry from the port of Naples to the little island of Procida – where Il Postino was filmed – to meet the skipper and rest of the crew, and from there we will sail to Ischia, Sorrento, back to Naples, Amalfi, Capri, then back to Procida again.

So it is I find myself on a boat with a group of total strangers, some of whom have never sailed before, having the time of my life.

Friendly Sydney-ites touring Europe in style, one American and one fellow Brit are my companions for the week, sharing crewing duties, food preparation and day to day sightseeing activities.

Any worries about the prospect of being at such close-quarters with a lot of strangers is swiftly dispelled as it becomes immediately apparent the people I'm sharing my space - and my cabin - with couldn't be a nicer, friendlier, funnier bunch. 

A nicer bunch of crew members you couldn't have wished for: Catherine with her newfound friends and ever-affable Italian skipper Nico (front left)

Then there's Nico, our affable, in fact positively avuncular, Italian skipper whose English (while improving apace throughout the trip) is the source of much good-natured ribbing and laughter.

The air of bonhomie which permeates the week is one I won't forget in a hurry, and strong bonds are quickly forged.

Each day ushers in a new flavour as we zig-zag along the coastline, with people taking it in turns to take the helm, hoist the sails and prepare for mooring in the next little harbour. There is no agenda apart from the suggested itinerary but Nico is equally keen to think outside the box and takes us to a couple of places not on our programme, which feels delightfully freeing.

From our base in Sorrento we take the local train to Pompeii one day, but instead of spending the following day in Naples as suggested on our itinerary we veer off piste as it were and instead head off to climb Vesuvius and peek into its depths. 

Having ticked off the two big tourist draws early on, I feel equally happy a couple of days later, sitting in a café in a square in Amalfi, sipping coffee and watching the crowds.

Wandering through the bustling squares and streets of Sorrento is also a luxury as time seems to stretch out lazily ahead of me. The size of the lemons here have to be seen to be believed and there is literally not room enough in my suitcase to even bring one home, so I treat myself to a small bottle of limoncello instead. 

Tranquility personified: Amalfi harbour was one of the many places where Intrepid's yacht moored for the night

We eat breakfast and lunch on the boat most days and dine out most evenings in eateries which have been recommended by past skippers and crew alike.

The wine and conversation flows freely and as time goes on I can't imagine not having these people around me at the end of the week.

Two of our party are going on to another Intrepid sailing trip in Croatia afterwards, but Nico has been such a star as a skipper: patient, totally in control and without displaying any signs of stress at managing a crew of such mixed sailing abilities, and they can't imagine it will be quite as good.

We all vow to stay in touch and within 24 hours of leaving the boat, photos are being pinged back and forth.

On the last day as I explore Procida for the last time before getting the ferry back to Napoli airport I find a café in a little square and watch fishermen mending their nets in the picturesque little port where Il Postino was filmed.

The streets of these old towns set around traditional fishing harbours, with their ice cream coloured houses and shady squares, surrounded by orange and lemon groves and lush thickly wooded hills are so pretty I really don't want to leave.

I'm still in touch with my fellow crew members after I return home and am pleased to find, a week later, a message from the Croatian sailing contingent along with a photo of them looking very tanned and happy on another Intrepid yacht.

'How's Croatia compare? How's the sailing?' I enquire. 'Lots of good sailing, and the skipper is lovely...Although Nico is a hard act to follow,' comes the reply.

For a moment I am transported back to that gently bobbing yacht, moored just off Capri, and it might be my imagination but I swear I can just pick out the scent of lemons....