The Amalfi Coast is one of my favorite places in Italy. It pretty much has it all: hiking, beaches with crystal clear blue water, fresh seafood, and the views are GORGEOUS.
Getting There
If you’re not driving, there are a couple ways to get to Positano depending on where you’re traveling from:
- Ferry– There are several ferry routes from different locations in Italy and it’s pretty inexpensive too. Some ferries go straight to Positano, but most will drop you off in Sorrento. If you take a ferry to Sorrento, than you can take the bus to Positano which is only about a 30 minute drive and you can experience the crazy driving on the small roads cliff side. (The bus drivers have it under control, but to someone who’s never seen this type of driving, it puts you a little on edge.)
- Train– I traveled to Positano by the Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento. I’ll admit, the experience on the train going to Sorrento was not the best one. It was packed full of sketchy “Jersey Shore” looking young adults and the train even “broke down” on the way to Sorrento. It actually didn’t break down. I think the driver just wanted some people off since it was so crowded so said the train was broke down and a new train was on its way. As soon as a crowd of people got off, the doors closed, and the train started down the track again (good thing I stayed on the train because it did clear out a lot of the “Jersey Shore” look a likes. My mistake was probably that I traveled on a Sunday in the summer, so maybe during the week it wouldn’t have been so bad. Another thing- if you take this train, WATCH FOR PICKPOCKETS! My advice is don’t have anything in your pockets and if you do, make sure your hand is there to protect whatever is in it. The only up side to the circumvesuviana train is that its really cheap – (less than €4 one way) so if you’re on a budget the train is probably a good choice. The train stop in Sorrento is right next to the bus ticket office and keep in mind that you cannot buy bus tickets on the bus, so buy what you need during your stay at the ticket office at that time.
Once I was in Positano, I wasn’t even thinking of the train ride anymore and just wanted to change into my bathing suit and head to the beach!
Beaches
There are a ton of beaches along Positano, but several of them are either private or you can only get to them by boat. However there are 3 beaches that I went to while I stayed in Positano.
1. Spiaggia Grande is the main, most popular beach right off of the town. This beach is where you can also take boat rides to Capri and around the Amalfi.
2. Fornillo Beach is smaller, but less crowded and is just a few minute walk from the main beach Spiaggia Grande. There is also a small beach restaurant/ bar if you get hungry!
3. Arienzo Beach is considered a private beach, but the Airbnb I stayed at gave you access to this beach. (I highly recommend this airbnb, I would stay there again!)
Tip: The beaches here are rocky – not sandy, and they get really HOT during the day so bring sandals/ flip flops that can easily slip on and off and are waterproof.
Sentiero Degli Dei
Sentiero degli Dei or the Path of Gods Trail is one of the hiking trails along the Amalfi Coast that offers great views of Positano. To get to the trailhead you take the bus from Positano to the Amalfi stop; then take the bus from Amalfi to Agerola (Bomerano) stop. There are signs throughout Bomerano that lead you to the trailhead so it’s pretty easy to find, but if you get lost or turned around a local will point you in the right direction.
I would consider the trail easy to hike considering most of it is flat with an incline in some areas. It took me about 2.5 hours from start to finish and that included a snack break. I hiked the trail in the morning and there were only a few other people hiking it. I’d recommend hiking in the morning because there aren’t too many trees so once the sun comes out all the way – you’re getting baked.
The end of the trail takes you to the small town Nocelle, but there are steps that lead you down to the main road and drop you off in Arienzo (15 minute walk from the center of Positano). These steps are no joke, but at this point you’re walking down them so it could be worse.
Food
There are plenty of restaurants to eat at while staying in Positano, but my airbnb host recommended Bar Bruno and the food was one of my favorites I had in Italy. For my antipasti, I ordered the mixed seafood plate which had marinated anchovy filets, salmon carpaccio, grilled octopus with tomatoes, and greens with cod and parmesan (I’m not a huge fan of raw fish, but tried the salmon carpaccio and ended up eating it all!). For my meal, I ordered the gnocchi with seafood and eggplant and just thinking about it is making me drool. YUM, I couldn’t stop eating this dish!
Shopping
There are a lot of shopping opportunities walking through Positano. You can buy ceramics, customize your own homemade pair of sandals, buy paintings of the Amalfi Coast, clothes, groceries, the list goes on and on. There are some nice things you can buy that won’t cost you an arm and a leg either, you just have to shop around a few stores. I ended up buying a ceramic bowl with lemons painted on the outside for only €15, while other stores I walked into had something similar for much more – (I love to find deals). There is also a cocktail bar right next to Ristorante La Pergola off of Spiaggia Grande beach and they have great gelato, matter of fact I went back to get seconds!
If you have any favorites or awesome places that weren’t listed feel free to leave a comment!