Positano – A Quick Guide to Italy’s Vertical City
When we found out my cousin was going to have her wedding in Positano, we couldn’t wait to plan our first trip to Italy. We went on a 17-day trip, and spent 3 nights in Positano.
Where is Positano
Positano is a fishing village along Italy’s Amalfi Coast. It’s about 170 miles south of Rome. It’s nicknamed the vertical city and is famous for the colorful buildings stacked high into the steep mountainsides.
How to Get to Positano
Where to Fly Into Positano
If you’re planning a trip to Positano, the Naples airport is the closest one. However, we recommend flying into the Rome airport. There are more flights available and usually at better prices.
Plus, we enjoyed spending a night in Rome first to break up the travel and adjust before taking the train to Positano.
How to Get to Positano from Rome
Take the high-speed train from Rome to Naples. Book a train ticket from Roma Termini station to Napoli Centrale. FrecciaRossa is the fast train from Rome to Naples, and takes about an hour and 10 minutes.
How to Get to Positano from Naples
From Naples, you have three main options to get to Positano.
Rent a car
We wouldn’t recommend this option, as the roads are narrow and winding, and people drive fast. Make sure you’re comfortable driving in these conditions before deciding to rent a car.
If you’re driving that also means you aren’t able to enjoy the views on the way in. It’s a truly spectacular experience so take that into consideration too!
Take Public Transportation
This option would be best if you don’t have too much luggage and aren’t in any time crunches. From Napoli Centrale, buy a ticket for the local Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento. That train takes about an hour.
From there you’ll take the Sita bus that takes about 40 minutes. Make sure you know your stop ahead of time. Getting off on the wrong stop could mean a long hike with your luggage.
Hire a Driver
Hiring a driver from Naples to Positano will be more expensive, but the fastest and most comfortable option. The drive takes around an hour and 20 minutes.
There are a ton of drivers you can find online ahead of time to coordinate pickups and drop-offs from Naples to Positano.
Where to Stay in Positano
For the best views of Positano, we recommend staying higher up on the mountain on the south side. That will also give you the best sunset views.
Villas
We stayed at the villa where the wedding was at, Villa San Giacomo. If you’re traveling with a large group, villas are an excellent option here.
Hotels
For those who didn’t stay at the villa, the recommended hotels were:
- Hotel Palazzo Murat – luxury option
- Hotel Poseidon – more quaint with a terrace overlooking the city
What to Do in Positano
Beach
The beach in Positano is rocky, so don’t expect a traditional sandy beach. But it’s still the perfect place to soak up the sun in summer while marveling at this amazing town. Rent lounge chairs and an umbrella for the day for ultimate relaxation.
Shopping
There are so many cute stores up and down the walkway on the mountain. There is a ton of lemon decorated items. If you like limoncello, this is the place to buy it as it originated in the Amalfi / Capri area. We bought a lemon apron for JR’s mom.
My parents bought a beautiful painting of the vertical city from a local artist on the beach.
Hike the Amalfi Coast
Since our villa was high up on the mountain, hiking down to the beach and back was enough for us.
But for a real hike, check out the popular Path of the Gods. It’s a 7km point to point hike that connects the small towns of Bomerano and Nocelle, the upper part of Positano.
It’s recommended to start in Bomerano as the path will be slightly downhill and have better views along the way. When you finish, you can take a bus back to Positano, or walk down the 1,500 steps to get there.
Enjoy the View
Our favorite activity was enjoying the view from the villa. Every time I looked out I couldn’t believe we were actually there. It was a very surreal place, and the vertical city nickname definitely suits it well.
Explore Capri and Coastal Towns
After we left Positano, we spent a night on the island of Capri. But if you’re only staying in Positano, Capri makes for a very popular day trip. Visit the island on a scenic boat trip and visit the famous Blue Grotto.
You can also take a ferry or the local bus to explore some of the neighboring towns of Praiano, Amalfi, and Sorrento. We didn’t get a chance to visit any of these towns, but we’d definitely make it a priority on our next trip.
While you’re waiting for your ferry, grab a to-go drink from the snack bar.
Best Restaurants in Positano
Another bonus of staying at Villa San Giacomo is that it came with 2 meals per day. So our breakfasts and lunches were always taken care of.
La Tagliata Fattoria
The best restaurant in Positano isLa Tagliata Fattoria. The first thing you should do after booking a trip to Positano is to make a dinner reservation at this restaurant. Maybe two.
There is no menu. Whatever Mamma decides to cook that day is what is served. For 40 euros a person, you will get all you can eat fresh food and wine. They will bring out course after course of vegetables, bread, appetizers, pastas, meats, and desserts.
The restaurant is high up in the mountain and it’s a great spot to watch the sunset. It’s made up of three terraces, indoor/outdoor seating, and gardens on each level. On some nights they’ll have live music. It’s all family-owned and operated, and a great authentic Italian experience.
No need to worry about transportation as they offer a free pick up and drop off shuttle service when you make reservations.
It is currently in our top two restaurants of all time, along with Bloody Mary’s in Bora Bora.
Beachside Restaurants
There are a lot of restaurants to choose from right along the beach. We didn’t eat any of them, but we did stop at one of the bars for some drinks and appetizers.
Gelateria Artigianale
Down by the beach, there is a gelato place right by the Hotel Buca di Bacco restaurant, La Pergola. It’s perfect to enjoy by the beach on a hot day before walking back up through the streets.
When to Visit Positano
Positano is very popular during the summer, so expect it to be more crowded and hotel prices to be more expensive. Avoid July and August if you can.
We went during the middle of October, and the weather was beautiful. Most of the town and businesses shut down for winter, so avoid visiting from November to Easter. Make sure to check the ferry schedules too as they don’t run year-round.
Have you visited Positano or the Amalfi Coast? Let us know your favorites in the comments below!
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