Positano, Italy
My absolute favorite place to stay on the Almalfi coast is Positano. If you want to experience picture perfect views and are fascinated by this colorful vertical village, definitely stay in Positano (at least for a night or 2). But be prepared however, for a gazillion stairs up and down for lunch and dinner.
It is also most expensive of all the places to stay on the Amalfi Coast….staying five miles down the coast in Praiano is about half or even a third of the price, and you can take a daily bus to Positano, which we have also done and LOVED. Stay at the https://www.tramontodoro.it/en/ You will not regret it. The family who owns it are the nicest people. The grandmother was constantly giving Jack the sweetest gifts, including a little wooden Pinocchio he hangs on our Christmas tree each year, and you just feel like you are so at home there. We actually didn’t even leave to explore Praiano much, because the views and people were so delightful and the food was so delicious at the hotel, we just stayed and ate there every night!
Another important tip: make sure you read the reviews to know how far your hotel/airbnb is from the beach because the stairs soon add up! Google maps is super useful for this. You can pinpoint the location on a map and see exactly how high up on the cliff you are! I forgot to do this and we hiked about a mile up to our hotel (lugging our heavy suitcases, our 3 year old, and my slow pregnant self. It was rough. The romance of Amalfi Coast soon wanes offs and you will face the reality of life that is stairmaster. There is a courier service you can use and these boys will take your bags up for a hefty price, but we were cheap and opted to just go for it ourselves. Many day trips are available by ferry or private charter from Positano.
If you want to enjoy a peaceful day and be surrounded with terraced views of hills and sea, choose Ravello. It is more secluded and peaceful and is less crowded.
If you want to be centrally located, choose Amalfi. It is lively with markets, marina and more things to do in general.
Another option is visiting on the island of Capri. Capri is a 45min boat ride from Amalfi coast. It may be worth it to stay in Capri for a few days if you have over a week to spend in Amalfi Coast.
Positano, Italy
Visiting Main St.
Viale Pasitea is the main street in Positano, Italy. Along this winding road, you’ll walk all through the town and find everything from hotels and villas to boutiques, shops and restaurants. Clothing stores like Theodora and The Coast Capri some of the cutest bathing suits. I got a beautiful white coverup. Also we forgot Jack’s entire suitcase (like got to the airport in Chicago before we realized we left it sitting in the kitchen and never loaded it into the car 🤦🏼♀️) so we had to buy him a swimsuit as well. If you forgot to bring your favorite one (or you just know that you can never have enough) definitely pick some items.
One of the best activities to do in Positano is a boat tour of the area. We decided to charter a private boat for the day instead of doing any group tours just so we could relax and make our own schedule. We used https://www.lucibello.it/en It was the most wonderful day. Jack still talks about it to this day, 5 years later. What 3 year old boats around Capri swimming in the Mediterranean and listening to baby shark? He was in heaven. We truly had the best experience and our captain Mariano was so knowledgable and friendly. He went to the blue grotto, and he took us to lunch at Il Cantucci Nerano where we had the most amazing seafood pasta. The vibes were unmatched. I could do this same trip every summer and never get bored of it. We walked around Capri a bit and the. Hopped back aboard to return to Positano. We had dinner at Chez Black and played on the beach at sunset.
There are actually 2 beaches to choose from but the lesser known beach in Positano is Fornillo Beach. It is located a bit down the coast from the more popular Spiaggia Grande (the Large Beach) and to get there you’ll have to walk down quite a few sets of stairs, but the views along the way make it all worth it! The trip isn’t too long, and before you know it you’ll find yourself at another absolutely beautiful beach.
We took the train from Rome to Salerno. We booked everything online through Trenitalia. The train station is only about a 1 block walk to the ferry that takes you to Positano. The train ride was an adventure in itself for our train-loving toddler and we had such a nice time relaxing on the 2.5 hour ride. Make sure you get your train ticket validated at the station and don’t let anyone who offers help you. It is a scam and they will demand payment after. Be aware of your belongings and make sure you have a few Euros on you if you need to use the bathrooms.
If you are looking for a good cocktail, look no further than Franco’s Bar. It is located right next to Le Sirenuse Hotel. It’s honestly my favorite place in Positano to relax and watch the sunset. It’s so stylish, beautiful and also quite affordable. The views from this bar are absolutely insane! You can make reservations, but try to be there before they open the bar to find the best spot to sit. It’s magical.
For our next visit I would love to take the kids hiking on the Path of the Gods, but we haven’t had enough space to pack hiking stuff on the last few visits. But really…..no matter what you decide to do on the Amalfi Coast, whether you jam your days full of boating, shopping, and activities, or just lie on the beach, eating pizza and downing spritzes, you really can’t go wrong! Happy Travels ✌🏻
Join Mailing List
Sign up and get all the latest, ad-free reviews, recipes and news sent to your inbox.