Positano - small guide
What can I do in Positano? How to get to Positano? Where to eat? Where to sleep? In the following blog post we will try to answer all these questions ;)
But from the beginning. Positano is located on the Amalfi Coast, near the Sorrento peninsula and Naples. This picturesquely situated former fishing village is now a rather luxurious holiday resort. The place became very popular already in the 1950s, when Hollywood celebrities started to come to the town. Contrary to appearances, despite several luxurious hotels and shops, the place hasn’t lost its charm and is not snobbish in our opinion.
Would you like to learn more about Positano?
Check our practical guide to the Amalfi Coast and its surroundings (e-book).
History of Positano
According to legend, in the 13th century, the painting of Virgin Mary was stolen from Byzantium and transported on a ship. When the pirates passed today's Positano, a great storm broke out, the thieves were terrified and then the captain heard the painting whisper "Posa posa", which means "set me down". The captain ordered the painting to be dropped into the water and brought to the shore. A church was built here, in which there is an icon of the Mother of God. Anyway, the name Positano comes from words "posa posa" ;)
Why is Positano worth visiting and what to do in this fairy-tale place?
First of all, this town offers many possibilities: you can rent a boat or buy a ferry ticket and go to other nearby towns of the Amalfi Coast, for example: Amalfi, Atrani, Salerno, Ravello etc. Or go to the beautiful island of Capri. We took the ferry for a day trip to Amalfi (the price for 1 person one way is 9-10 euro, the duration of the cruise is about 20 minutes); and together with a group of friends we met at the hotel, we rented a private boat for the sunset (the price for 2 hours is around 150-250 euro). This is a must do in Positano. The view from the sea is the best and it’s breathtaking.
And if you love hiking - we recommend the famous "path of the gods", or "Sentiero degli dei": a 7 km long, extremely panoramic route that leads through the mountains, from Agerolla to Nocello. And if you get tired, be sure to relax on one of the beaches - for example Fornillo or Arienzo, or on the main beach Spiaggia Grande - the cost of sunbeds ranges from 10 to even 50 euros per person. There is also a small free public beach. And above all - walk around Positano and the surrounding area, there are wonderful views at every turn. When it comes to food, you have to try the famous dessert delizia al limone (lemon cake with topping) and a special lemon liqueur: limoncello ;)
How to get to Positano?
If you are going by plane - it is best to fly to Naples or Rome. From Naples you can take a bus or a taxi that will take you to the town, while from Rome it is best to take a train or a bus and change to Positano. You can also rent a car at the airport (as small as possible due to the very limited parking spaces and narrow streets) and drive yourself. There are few parking options, but very expensive (8-20 euro per hour, you must leave the keys with the car, the closest to the center is Parking Centrale Di Gennaro and Parcheggio Mandara). We opted for accommodation that offered a private parking space (for an additional EUR 25) and we consider it the best option if you come to Positano by car.
Where to sleep in Positano?
There are no campsites in Positano, but there are quite a lot of them around Sorrento. The nearest is approx. 30 min drive from the town. The best option is to rent an apartment or stay in a hotel. Hotels are quite expensive, but in our opinion Positano is so beautiful that everything is worth the money here ;) We stayed at Casa Cinque and we highly recommend it! It is a small boutique hotel with rooms with balconies from which we have one of the best views in all of Positano! And it takes about 10-15 minutes to get to the center and the beach.
***In our guide you’ll find 168 carefully selected and recommended hotels (divided into budget, moderate and luxury options)
Where to eat in Positano?
There are tons of great restaurants in Positano that serve very good food.
We personally can recommend you the Le Tre Sorelle restaurant, where we ate delicious paccheri pasta with zucchini and pizza with chanterelle mushrooms. The price for both dishes is quite decent for the place (around 25 euros). Many people also recommend the hotel restaurant Buca di Bacco, Chez Black and Rada (the latter is quite expensive, so you need to prepare more cash ;))
The famous lemon ice cream in Collina Positano Bakery is worth recommending, and you can get it served… in a lemon skin! And also the obligatory lemon granita (lemon is a trademark of the Campania region, where Positano is located ;))
Finally, if you have a little bit more money to spend, we recommend going to the famous hotel Le Sirenuse for a drink. The hotel also houses a restaurant (and had beautifully decorated terraces with an amazing view of Positano). The price of drinks starts at 25 euros, but for these views and the place itself - it's worth it ;) Highly recommended.
***In our guide you’ll find 215 carefully selected and recommended restaurants on the Amalfi Coast.
To sum it up, Positano and its surroundings are, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful places in Italy, a paradise destination that you simply must see. Comparing Positano with Santorini and Cinque Terre, we definitely choose Positano. Its advantage is the beautiful, easily accessible beaches, the wonderful atmosphere in the town (it is inhabited by only 4,000 people and everyone knows each other here. Positano has not lost its charm - this is the merit of the inhabitants who can be seen here, and thanks to this, it has not become only a funfair for tourists (which happened to Oia on Santorini and slowly starts in Cinque Terre). Therefore, in our opinion - yes, it is worth coming to Positano and visiting the entire Amalfi Coast. We already know that we will come back for sure (just remember to take a little bit more money with you ;))
