Positano



Positano is a small picturesque town with splendid coastal views, on the famous Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy. The town itself is perched on an enclave on the face of a hill and winds down towards the waters of the Amalfi Coast. Naturally beautiful, Positano attracts thousands of visitors every year. For most of the year, the town is full of people, but if you are planning to visit Positano, it would be best to schedule your trip during late-spring or early-autumn, when the weather is beautifully warm and the crowds more manageable than in the summer months. However, all the months from March to November are still great times to visit, and thanks to its mild mediterranean climate, the winter months aren’t bad either.

By bus
If you're taking the bus from Sorrento, sit next to a window on the right hand side for the best views. From Salerno sit on the left side for the best views and excellent photo opportunities. The bus drops you at the top of the town. You must walk, taxi, or bus to your hotel. During the peak season (starting in late April) this bus can get very crowded. You may have to wait a couple hours and fight your way onto a bus to get back.

By car

 * Take the main road off of the Autostrada from Sorrento but make sure to have a reservation at a car park as it is very difficult to find parking.

By ferry

 * Take a ferry from Naples. Slightly more expensive than the bus but you'll save an hour on the road and get some truly amazing views of the cliffs on the Amalfi coast.
 * Read about the unified public transport ticket Campania Unico.
 * Take a ferry from Naples. Slightly more expensive than the bus but you'll save an hour on the road and get some truly amazing views of the cliffs on the Amalfi coast.
 * Read about the unified public transport ticket Campania Unico.

By bus

 * A local bus goes down and - especially - up the hill following the meandering always congested road. On that bus no Unico Campania tickets are valid! The charge to ride the orange bus around Positano is €1.20 if you purchase your ticket from a local shop, or €1.60 if you purchase directly from the bus driver.

On foot

 * There are loads of little stairs leading from everywhere to everywhere straight. Alternatively there is the one road meandering down to the harbour.

See

 * The place itself.
 * The harbor.
 * The shops near the harbor.
 * The shops near the harbor.

Do

 * Ferry trip to Paestum or Ischia and Capri (including the Blue Grotto) during summer months.
 * Or if you are after luxury, charter a private motor-boat with Charter La Dolce Vita and you can design your own itinerary with the captain. Suggested ideas include departing Positano for a full-day tour to Capri, circling island with the grottos or out to Ischia, or along the Sorrento Coast or just cruising along the Amalfi Coast.
 * Soak up the beauty on either of Positano's two beaches: Fornillo, the smaller, more secluded beach is accessible either by a set of stairs from the grotto above or via a path from Spiaggia Grande. Fornillo has a more laid back atmosphere with four beach bars lining the shore and no ferry traffic.  Spiaggia Grande, the main beach and ferry port, is the hub of activity in Positano.  Don't miss it, but don't forget there is much more to Positano.

Buy

 * Lemons, extra large.
 * All sorts of lemon products.
 * Colorfully painted tiles.
 * Colorful silks.
 * Limoncello (lemon liqueur produced mainly in the region around the Gulf of Naples and the coast of Amalfi and Islands of Ischia and Capri)

Eat


Mediterraneo and Saraceno D'Oro also offer local specialties for the budget conscious. Located next to each other, near the Grotto of Fornillo, Mediterraneo serves seafood and pasta and Saraceno D'Oro specializes in pizza.

Drink

 * Music on the Rocks is the dance club in Positano. Check the schedule for the various DJs and theme nights.  This club is located on the far side of Spiaggia Grande and has fantastic terraces and views of the sea.  The crowd in the club varies from seasoned locals to international celebrities.  Drinks are creative and strong but the price reflects both.
 * Music on the Rocks is the dance club in Positano. Check the schedule for the various DJs and theme nights.  This club is located on the far side of Spiaggia Grande and has fantastic terraces and views of the sea.  The crowd in the club varies from seasoned locals to international celebrities.  Drinks are creative and strong but the price reflects both.

Sleep

 * Posa Posa Hotel, Via Pasitea 165. 4-star historic hotel set in the mountain-side descending to the sea.
 * Villa Nettuno. It is clean and low-budget, with spectacular views of the sea. A brother and sister run the place, and if you're lucky, you'll even meet their mother. The entrance is hard to find, but once you see the little sign, you'll climb up several flights of narrow stairs. If you go in spring, you'll take in the intoxicating aroma of wisteria along with the unforgettable views. The place gets a little spooky late at night, but that only adds to its charm.
 * Posa Posa Hotel, Via Pasitea 165. 4-star historic hotel set in the mountain-side descending to the sea.
 * Villa Nettuno. It is clean and low-budget, with spectacular views of the sea. A brother and sister run the place, and if you're lucky, you'll even meet their mother. The entrance is hard to find, but once you see the little sign, you'll climb up several flights of narrow stairs. If you go in spring, you'll take in the intoxicating aroma of wisteria along with the unforgettable views. The place gets a little spooky late at night, but that only adds to its charm.
 * Posa Posa Hotel, Via Pasitea 165. 4-star historic hotel set in the mountain-side descending to the sea.
 * Villa Nettuno. It is clean and low-budget, with spectacular views of the sea. A brother and sister run the place, and if you're lucky, you'll even meet their mother. The entrance is hard to find, but once you see the little sign, you'll climb up several flights of narrow stairs. If you go in spring, you'll take in the intoxicating aroma of wisteria along with the unforgettable views. The place gets a little spooky late at night, but that only adds to its charm.
 * Posa Posa Hotel, Via Pasitea 165. 4-star historic hotel set in the mountain-side descending to the sea.
 * Villa Nettuno. It is clean and low-budget, with spectacular views of the sea. A brother and sister run the place, and if you're lucky, you'll even meet their mother. The entrance is hard to find, but once you see the little sign, you'll climb up several flights of narrow stairs. If you go in spring, you'll take in the intoxicating aroma of wisteria along with the unforgettable views. The place gets a little spooky late at night, but that only adds to its charm.
 * Posa Posa Hotel, Via Pasitea 165. 4-star historic hotel set in the mountain-side descending to the sea.
 * Villa Nettuno. It is clean and low-budget, with spectacular views of the sea. A brother and sister run the place, and if you're lucky, you'll even meet their mother. The entrance is hard to find, but once you see the little sign, you'll climb up several flights of narrow stairs. If you go in spring, you'll take in the intoxicating aroma of wisteria along with the unforgettable views. The place gets a little spooky late at night, but that only adds to its charm.
 * Villa Nettuno. It is clean and low-budget, with spectacular views of the sea. A brother and sister run the place, and if you're lucky, you'll even meet their mother. The entrance is hard to find, but once you see the little sign, you'll climb up several flights of narrow stairs. If you go in spring, you'll take in the intoxicating aroma of wisteria along with the unforgettable views. The place gets a little spooky late at night, but that only adds to its charm.
 * Villa Nettuno. It is clean and low-budget, with spectacular views of the sea. A brother and sister run the place, and if you're lucky, you'll even meet their mother. The entrance is hard to find, but once you see the little sign, you'll climb up several flights of narrow stairs. If you go in spring, you'll take in the intoxicating aroma of wisteria along with the unforgettable views. The place gets a little spooky late at night, but that only adds to its charm.

Go next

 * Take the local bus to Montepertuso which leaves from the church. From there you need to find a small steep path uphill. The mountains along the Amalfi Coast have a hidden and unknown network of public footpaths and long stairs criss crossing the lemon terraces, from Montepertuso you will be able to walk to Santa Maria, a small church high up, and back down to Positano. This will give you stunning views down the coast featuring Capri, Positano and the sea. In springtime all sorts of rare spices and flowers grow between cypress trees. Make sure you get a map of some kind showing the footpaths since you WILL get lost without.

Julian Tippett has published a nice walking guide book for the area in the "Sunflower Countryside Guides" series.


 * Visit nearby Herculaneum and Pompeii.
 * Climb the Mount Vesuvius
 * Visit Paestum
 * Visit Ravello
 * Visit Naples
 * Visit Capri
 * Visit Ischia an island outside Naples.