Positano is simply one of the most beautiful and stunning regions on Earth, let alone in Italy. If you ever get the chance to visit this region of Italy make sure you go. This is one of those magical places that is just as gorgeous in person as it is in instagram pictures. In fact, it’s one of the few places that actually exceeds your expectations.
That being said, if you are planning a trip to Positano you MUST read this before you book anything. If you are going to read our advice on any place, please, please, please, make it be this section on Positano. Positano is so difficult to get to and get around that if you do not book it correctly you will be cursing yourself for not listening to us the entire time.
First off, Positano and Amalfi (the two main cities along the Amalfi Coast) are tucked along shear cliff walls on the Italian Riviera. They are impossibly difficult to get to without hiring a driver. For starters, there is only one winding road that hugs the cliffs going around one hairpin turn after another with very little to stop you from careening off the side into the ocean a hundred feet below. Italians drive like absolute maniacs taking these turns at 40mph while simply beeping as they go around the blind turns, hardly slowing down. The road appears to any sane human to be only big enough for one car to pass at a time. But, these crazy Italians are some seriously phenomenal drivers. They will pass each other on this road with one cars mirrors a single inch from the rock wall, only an inch away from clipping the passing vehicle’s mirror who is riding along the cliff side with only an inch or so between them and the certain death that would follow if they were an inch further away and fell off the cliff.
DO NOT under any circumstances think that you are going to rent a car and then drive to Positano or Amalfi! You will likely end up paralyzed with fear as crazy Italians zip pass you around tight blind turns at insane speeds all the while vespas beep and try to pass you on both sides simultaneously. If you’re not from this area and used to this, I simply do not see anyway that you will be able to do this safely and enjoy it no matter how good you think you are at driving.
There are no trains into or out of these towns, buses take impossibly long to get anywhere and private taxi services anywhere cost about 100 EUR to go anywhere. When you get to the beginning of each town the roads become one way only so you have to go all the way around if you need to get somewhere on the other side. If you book a restaurant or an experience that’s as little as 3-4 miles away from your hotel, do not be surprised to find out that it is an hour drive to get there and will cost you 100 EUR each way. You might think that 3 miles isn’t so bad and maybe you’ll walk it. No … you most assuredly will not. That 3 miles is on unworkable steep motorways that are filled with cars passing each other without leaving more than an inch on either side of each car and they wind around in endless hairpin turns turning a couple mile drive into a 20 mile excursion.
My best advice for anyone going to Positano or Amalfi is to start your journey in Sorrento. Sorrento is a major city just outside the Amalfi coast on the same peninsula as these two gorgeous cities. Sorrento is beautiful in its own right and is known for its abundance of handmaid artisan crafts and artworks that you can buy. It is well worth worth your time to spend a couple days in and around Sorrento anyways.
You can fly into the nearby airport in Naples (don’t stay in Naples as it is a bit of a dump) and you can easily take trains or a cheap 25 min cab ride to Sorrento. From Sorrento you can enjoy incredible shopping, beaches, restaurants and some fabulous excursions and you also have easy access to visiting Pompei and Mt Vesuvius which is a short train or cab ride away. After a couple days in Sorrento you can take the ferry from Sorrento to Positano or Amalfi for around 15 EUR, enjoy the stunning views of the coast line on this 20-30 min ferry ride instead of the nausea inducing, car sick-fest that is the hour long drive to the same locations. You can either simply use Sorrento has your permanent home base during this trip and simply do day trips to Positano and Amalfi or you can do what I would recommend and actually stay over in either Positano (our preferred choice) or Amalfi while taking a day trip via ferry to the other one.
Just understand that once you are in either Positano or Amalfi…that is it. DO NOT attempt to move around from those towns to other locations. Simply walk out the door of your hotel and walk around those towns and that is it. God help you if you book a cooking class or wine tasting that says it’s only 2.7 miles away. You will spend 200 EUR round trip and about 3 hours total in a car getting car sick.
Anyways, now on to some practical advice on things to do while staying in Positano…
Where to Stay in Positano
Hotel Savoia
Hotel Savoia has the perfect location right in the middle of Positano. It also has fantastic views. Compared to much of the hotels that fit these two categories in the area it is reasonably priced. We booked the suite with the hot tub and absolutely loved our stay here.
Where to Eat
La Sponda at Le Sirenuse
This is a can’t miss experience on your trip to Positano. This restaurant has quite possibly the best view of any restaurant on Earth. It overlooks the most scenic region of the Positano cliff sides and has some of the most stunning decor of any restaurant you’ll ever eat at. The staff is out of this world. They are attentive and professional while being funny, engaging and down to earth as opposed to the stuffiness you often find in fine dining establishments. There’s typically live music serenading patrons at their table to go along with a fantastic coursed out meal. Reservations required.
La Tagliata
This is home cooking done to perfection. Located all the way up on the top of the highest peak around Positano, this down home restaurant features stunning views overlooking the town. They provide a free bus service that runs on a loop so you can get up to the restaurant and then they drop you off afterwards right at your hotel. Bring your appetite as they feed you an obscene amount of food. Everything is family style and they will flood your table with more dishes than you could eat in two lifetimes.
Terrazza Celè
If La Sponda has the best view in town, Terrazza Celè is known for being a close second. They’re view of the cliffs of Positano are from a similar vantage point as La Sponda, however, the views are slightly more obstructed. Really though, there is no comparison. La Sponda is in another universe. But, that shouldn’t be taken as a knock on Terrazza Celè. Their views from their terrace are still stunning and while the food quality is a step down from La Sponda, it is still quite excellent.
Palazzo Murat
The absolute perfect place to sit outside on a stunningly beautiful terrace, surrounded by palm trees and fantastic views of the port of Positano. Perfect for just grabbing drinks or a bite to eat for either lunch or dinner. Make sure you stop in at their terrace Al Palazzo for at least a little while as it is simply stunning.
Da Vincenzo 1958
Upscale Italian dining & wine pairings in a cozy, brick & stone interior or out on their lovely terrace.
Casa Mele
Innovative tasting menus & cooking classes in a contemporary venue with an open kitchen.
Il Tridente
A stunning rooftop terrace provides incredible views from the very center of Positano. The restaurant offers vast buffet breakfasts, informal lunches and elegant dinners. The menu focuses on traditional Neapolitan cuisine.
Casa e Bottega
A charming cafe style eatery serving fresh Italian cuisine for breakfast, lunch and snacks including gourmet salads, sandwiches, homemade cakes, 100% natural ice cream, and smoothies. They are also a design store where you can buy decorated dishes, glasses, ceramic cups, handicrafts and fabrics all strictly “MADE IN ITALY”.
Things to Do
Capri
Capri is a very pretty island off the coast of Italy near Sorrento. It’s a great place to go and spend an afternoon during a boat trip. The majority of Capri is super rich tourists, so it’s a bit over rated. If you can’t get out to Capri, I wouldn’t stress too much. But, if you have an opportunity to spend a day on a boat and can stop for an afternoon it’s a very fun day.
Information on all the boat tours available from Positano to Capri can be found HERE.
Ferry
Use the ferry to get from Sorrento to Positano or Amalfi and to get between the different cities. The ride itself is really enjoyable and the views of the coast are unmatched. Plus its 100 times better than driving through the endless winding, cliff roads. Tickets are extremely reasonable and can be purchased in person at the harbor from multiple kiosks or online HERE.
Cooking Class with Cristiano
Whenever you are in or near Sorrento, you should book an event with Cristiano. His cooking class and engaging personality is unmatched. The views from his house are worth going for on their own. You’ll make multiple dishes from Cristiano’s grandmothers famous book of recipes, laughing and engaging in great conversation and views along the way. Cristiano will do everything to make your experience a pleasure and will even organize transportation for you as well. Click HERE for more info.
Shopping in Sorrento
Shopping in Sorrento is simply unmatched. There are great shops filled with handmade artisanal objects. Some of our favorites were a place called Terrerosse where a man named Alessandro makes gorgeous hand painted plates, cups and pottery.
Some of our favorites were:
- Gargiulo & Jannuzzi: Highend furniture and inlad wood pieces
- Biaggio Barile: A great small local artisan who makes inlaid wooden boxes, frames, trays, etc
- Terrerosse Sorrento: Local artisan Alessandro and his wife make all the pottery here by hand. Alessandro will even show you how he makes and paints the pottery himself
- Borgo dei Fiori: A wonderful shop for handmade artisnal sandals
- Stinga Tarsia: Another excellent place for handmade inlaid wood
Mozzarella & Wine Tasting Experience
If you have enough time (a full afternoon and evening) to dedicate to this experience and the travel time involved in getting there (about an hour drive from Positano), this is an incredible experience. You’ll get to spend time exploring a family farm and cellar, tasting their wine, eating their cheese and then making the Agerola region’s famous mozzarella cheese by hand. Afterwards you will eat mozzarella cheese until your hearts content while enjoying plenty of other homemade food and wine. Be aware though that this experience takes a long time to get to despite what google maps says due to the long winding roads and that it often runs considerably past the time frame that is listed on the experiences website. Plan to dedicate an entire evening there. The experience is a little closer if you are coming from Amalfi.
Visit Pompei
Not much else to say about this other than this is an absolute must stop and it’s essential that you do so with a tour guide and spend a couple hours. This is one of the largest and best preserved sites from the ancient world. It’s one of the coolest places on Earth. To truly appreciate it, you’ll need a tour guide to explain all the cool details that you’d otherwise miss. The site itself is unmissable, but there’s also a museum that is relatively new that you should consider going to as well.
Please Enjoy These Other Photos From Our Trip
