First Things First.
If you’re just here for details such how to get to Positano and where to stay in Positano, keep scrolling all the way to the bottom and you'll find everything you're looking for.
Okay - now for the goods.
I'm just going to get straight to the point. Positano is by far one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. This is important for you to know, because everything I'm about to share is solely to convince you that you must go.
Planning an Italian itinerary can be overwhelming, especially when every. single. city. is drop dead gorgeous and abundant in its offerings. That being so, it gets pretty easy to mark off the smaller cities from your agenda, in order to fit in enough time for the big ones. But let me be clear: if you are reading this article to decide whether or not to add Positano (or the Amalfi Coast) to your itinerary, the answer is YES. Add an extra day, skip out on Pisa, spend one less day in Rome, whatever it takes. Make your way to the Amalfi Coast. See the INCREDIBLE views. Smell the ABUNDANT flowers. Meet the KIND people. Experience the below for yourself.
1) THE FOOD
Just going to get this one out of the way, because it's Italy, so duh, the food is amazing. Each of our mornings in Postiano, we had breakfast of pastries, meats and fruit. Every morning there were freshly squeezed juices, with our favorite being a combination of carrot, lemon and apple. We ate pizza (twice), seafood at Caffe Positano, eggplant ravioli, and limoncello.
2) THE BEACH
If a small plot of land with approximately 150 chairs featuring black sand and the Mediterranean sea sounds like your idea of vacation, Positano is for you. The beach is located at the foot of Positano, and you can book one of the loungers on the beach for around 30 euros/day (this is what we chose and highly recommend). There are also plenty of restaurants around to grab lunch or drinks at, or you can order them at your chair.
3) THE PLANTS
When I'm not traveling, I'm taking care of/growing plants. But regardless of whether you're a professional green thumb or have killed the last 10 succulents you own, Positano's flourishing plants will catch your eye. Everywhere you turn are buildings crawling with lantana, bougainvillea and even cactus.
4) THE ARCHITECTURE
If you've seen any previews of Positano, you'll know off the bat how breathtaking the architecture of the city - hundreds of buildings built into rock cliffs, overlooking the Mediterranean. You could spend days wandering the narrow streets, climbing the endless stairs (which we did), soaking in the faded colors or trying to figure out how to redesign your bathroom with inspiration from the vibrant hand-painted tiles. At the center lies the beautiful cathedral, Church of Santa Maria Assunta, where we witnessed a couple getting hitched (dream wedding, anyone?).
5) THE PEOPLE
This is not specific to the Amalfi Coast, however, I felt a connection with the people of Positano more strongly than any other Italian city we visited. Italians, from my experience, are genuinely happy for you to be visiting their country. Every taxi we took, hotel we stayed in, or restaurant we visited in the entire country featured at least one person who wanted to talk to us for more than five minutes.
In Positano, we had the opportunity to interact with many of the locals, including the family who owned our hotel and two sets of local artisans. One evening we decided to take a stroll in the drizzling rain, and came across both a linen store and a hand-painted tile store. As we spent our time thumbing through the intricate garments at the linen shop, the shop assistant began to explain to us just how special these pieces were. The family owned the entire manufacturing process, from growing the linen to weaving the fabric, to designing the pieces and sewing them together. After finding this out, I was introduced to Vito (pictured below) who was one of the family designers. He did not speak English, but saw my camera and encouraged me to continue my art with passion. If I was forced to pick my top five memories from Italy, meeting Veto would be one of them.
6) THE VIEWS
Still need convincing? Just look below. The views in Positano are extraordinary. Each night, Ryan and I sat on our balcony and looked at the vast sea, rocking boats, and endless stars, and I became filled with a wonder for this life and my place in it. As I soaked up that wonder, I was flooded with peace. I can't remember what exactly Ryan and I talked about, but I know we sat there, no phones, no distractions, just fully being present with one another and with this breathtaking planet we are blessed to live on.
Booking your flights now? Seriously, - everywhere in Italy is out of this world, so for me to say this is the most beautiful place I've ever been is a big deal. Trust me. And if you need a tour guide, I know a girl ;)
THE NITTY GRITTY
Logistics
Getting to Positano: One of the main reasons the Amalfi Coast is amazing is because it's remote, in that it isn't easily accessible by train or plane, but honestly the adventure of getting there is part of what makes it so magical. From Rome, we hopped on a train from Rome -> Salerno. Upon arrival in Salerno, a quick 10 minute walk will lead you to the ferry landing dock (directions to the dock are unnecessary as you can follow all the crowds headed that way). We'd ordered our ferry tickets online in advance, but arrived in enough time to catch an earlier ferry.
Once on the ferry, it was ~40 minutes from Salerno to Positano. You can kick off your Amalfi coast vacay by heading to the roof of the ferry and soaking in the sun and salty air (*recommended as you'll pass other coastal cities, such as Amalfi along the way).
Lodging
Hotel: Positano was the most expensive place we stayed in Italy. However, the expense was worth it for the views and I'd HIGHLY recommend staying somewhere with a balcony. We chose to stay at the charming Palazzo Talamo, a family run hotel with amazing views of the sea.
Things to do in positano
Spend a day at the beach: I mentioned this above, but Positano has both a public and private beach. The public beach was mostly local teenagers running around, so if you're looking for something a bit more relaxing, I'd recommend paying for the private beach. I can't remember the exact cost, but it was ~30 euros to rent two chairs for the day. You can leave your chairs whenever you need to and you can also order food or drinks. And don't forget to take a dip in the ocean.
Take a day trip to Capri: If you want to check out the Blue Grotto (doesn't everyone?) you can quickly head to Capri from Positano. There's no need to book a boat tour in advance, as you can book them at the various kiosks upon arrival. We had plans to take a private boat to see the lagoons, but the water was too rough so our boat got cancelled (quick note - if the waters are too rough, you cannot take the small boats into the cave in order to see the Blue Grotto. You won't be able to control this, just be prepared). Even if your boat tour gets cancelled due to rough waters, there is a ferry that runs along the Amalfi Coast which you can hop on to catch a ride to Capri. Once in Capri, we were able to find a new boat tour to take around the island. It was worth it, but the waters were ROUGH (at one point I thought we would tip into to the ocean and that was how it all would end). From this tour, we saw the Green Grotto, but could not see the Blue Grotto due to the waters. Still worth it!
Explore the Amalfi Coast: The Amalfi Coast is made up of a handful of cities (Sorrento, Amalfi, Praiano) and they are all easily accessible by the ferry that runs daily.
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If you’re visiting Positano as part of a larger trip to Italy, be sure to check out our guides to other Italian cities such as Rome, Florence and Venice. You can also find our favorite Airbnbs in Florence, and the best hotels and Airbnbs in Puglia.
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