After sailing through the Ionian Islands for a week (check out the recap here), we took a quick flight to Naples to explore Positano for four nights.
As John Steinbeck wrote, Positano “is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” The cliffside town on Italy’s Amalfi Coast was definitely a dream. Here’s a guide for how make the most of it.
stay
alcione residences
le sirenuse
hotel poseidon
eat & drink
da vincenzo
il tridente
il pirate
bar buca di bacco
ristorante bruno
chez black
eudoteca cuomo
da adolfo
la tagliata
do
beach clubs
bagni d’arienzo
la scogliera
marina di praia
one fire beach club
spiagga del fornillo
other activities
hike the path of the gods
rent a boat
shop
la bottega di brunella
palo barracho
idillio
emporio sirenuse
safari
how to get there
In the planning phase of this trip, I read a lot of travel blogs with the different ways to get to Positano. You can take a ferry, then a bus, then a car, or a train, then a ferry, etc. Since we were arriving in the evening, we set up a private car transfer through our hotel for €120. It was the best decision we could have made and was definitely worth the splurge. The drive takes about 90 minutes and I can’t imagine how long it would have taken on a bus, as the roads are thin and winding. We also used this service on our way back to the airport.
stay
Hotels in Positano fill up months in advance, especially during the busy summer months. Travel blogs are also frustrating because they’re all staying at the most expensive resorts in town, some topping €2,500 a night. We managed to find an absolute gem, Alcione Residences.
alcione residences
Alcione is located on Via Cristoforo Colombo, which is the main street when traveling west to east in Positano. The views advertised on their website seemed too good to be true, but we splurged on the superior suite to ensure we had some kind of a sea view.
Fortunately, we were given the suite on their top floor on the end, with the best views of Positano. Le Sirenuse (considered one of the best luxury hotels in Positano) was across the street, so we had the exact same views for a fraction of the price.
Our room had a balcony, living room with a small dining table, a mini kitchen and a large bathroom with two sinks (something we were overly excited about after sharing a tiny bathroom on a catamaran for a week). The kitchen came in handy as we’d often buy wine, cheese and crackers to eat on the balcony.
Breakfast was also included and we’d enjoy a full spread every morning from our balcony. Croissants, ham, cheese, yogurt, coffees, fresh orange juice and more.
The customer service at Alcione was incredible as well. Margarita was usually at the front desk and helped us with pricing on boat rentals, transfers to/from the airport and Praiano, reservations, etc. I couldn’t recommend this place more – it truly was our little paradise.
others
Le Sirenuse – as I mentioned, this is one of the best hotels in the area. Outside of busy season (the summer months), I’ve heard the pricing can be somewhat reasonable (if you’re looking to splurge). We’ve had multiple friends honeymoon here and they all told us we HAD to stay here, but they weren’t willing to foot the bill for us, so we had to pass…
Le Sirenuse is also home to Franco’s Bar, a very popular spot that our balcony overlooked. We had read it was a must-do, so we went down on a cooler evening, watching for open tables. I’ll be honest, we absolutely hated it. The cocktails were overpriced and the vibe felt very forced. We enjoyed Il Tridente (later in this post) so much more.
Hotel Poseidon – This was another highly recommended spot and we went for drinks one night and absolutely fell in love. Albeit a bit pricey, Poseidon has a pool and beautiful views from the other side of the town.
Hotel Poseidon is home to Il Tridente, our favorite patio bar we visited on our trip. Full review in the eat/drink section. This one is a can’t miss.
Airbnb/VRBO – If you’re planning well in advance, try a rental as they’re priced fairly and much cheaper than any of the major hotels.
eat & drink
da vincenzo
This place kept popping up in my research, so we made a reservation a couple months in advance. A family-run spot located on the main road, the views and location were spectacular.
Despite making a reservation well in advance, there weren’t any open tables outside, so they gave us a couple glasses of champagne and we waiting along the road, enjoying the beautiful views as the sun set. (If you plan to eat here, make sure to note that you’d like a table outside.)
While in Positano, Kevin was in charge of ordering the wine (usually rosé) and I was in charge of ordering the food. We shared two bottles of wine and the Fusillo con ragù napoletano, along with a shishito peppers and octopus dish and prawns with potatoes. (Reminder to put the wine down and take more photos of the food and menu next time…)
Despite being a Michelin-rated restaurant, Da Vincenzo was still decently priced and the same meal in Chicago would have been twice the price. It was by far, our favorite meal of the trip.
il tridente
Prior to our reservation at Da Vincenzo, we stopped at Il Tridente, a patio bar located in the Hotel Poseidon. Upon entrance to the hotel, just tell them you’re heading to Il Tridente for a drink; you can also make reservations for dinner.
Despite it being the busy summer months, we walked out onto the patio and noticed it was almost completely empty. We were given a table with incredible views and immediately served salmon club sandwiches, arancini, olives and chips, without ordering a single thing. Kevin opted for wine (a big theme of this trip) and I had a peach margarita (old habits die hard). We could’ve stayed here for hours, but had to get to our dinner reservation. The two other tables near us were heading to Da Vincenzo for dinner as well, so we knew we had planned well!
il pirata
On our third day, we opted for a day trip to Praiano, a town just east of Positano, located along the main winding road. I was dying to try Il Pirata, so we spent time at the beach next to it until it opened for lunch.
Again, we shared two bottles of wine – rosé was the perfect combination with the heat and views from the cliffside restaurant – and a few dishes. Eating pasta or risotto in a swimsuit is definitely something you have to get used to when vacationing on the Amalfi coast, but we were up for the challenge. Desperate for something green, we shared “nana’s tempura vegetables” and then shared the seafood risotto, filled with clams, mussels, shrimp and massive prawns.
We ended up spending a couple hours here, finishing off with an affogato, before catching a water taxi back to the main beach in Positano. This ended up being one of our highlights of the trip as our “captain” took us in a few caves and managed to take one of our favorite pics of the trip. We had decided against renting a boat, because $$$, and this short ride made up for it!
ristorante bruno
Positano is filled with beautiful, Michelin star, fancy restaurants, but we were dying for a casual, authentic Italian restaurant we could relax in for a couple hours. After stumbling upon Ristorante Bruno, just a few doors down from our hotel, we knew it was the spot.
Bruno has outdoor seating with some of the best views in town, but I’ll be honest, once you’ve been there for a couple days, you’re not dying for a view at every single meal (as beautiful as it is). We settled inside in a corner and had more wine, along with calamari, an arrabbiata pasta with fresh basil and veal alla sorrentina.
others
La Pergola at Buca di Bacco: On our last night, we were dying for a simple pizza and opted for La Pergola at Buca di Bacco. You can also take it to go from here and they sell by the slice if you’re on the go.
Chez Black: When we first arrived in Positano, we were tired, starving and wanted to sit outside so we made our way down to the beach and settled on Chez Black, a popular restaurant with open air seating, perfect for the heat. This is another great spot if you want pizza and pasta. Just a heads up, the service we had here was terrible and it took over an hour after we finished eating to settle the check.
Eudoteca Cuomo: This is a small market located at the base of the staircase that takes you from the main road down to the beach. We stopped here daily for bottled water, along with wine and cheese to enjoy back in our room. It’s a family-run spot, so we were always happy to spend money here instead of some of the fancier markets around it.
Da Adolfo: High up on our list, but we didn’t manage to fit it in, Da Adolfo is a Positano classic. It’s located on a beach outside of Positano, so you have to make a reservation and take a small boat there.
La Tagliata: Another spot we didn’t manage to fit in, La Tagliata is located high on the mountain and offers a unique experience with zero menu and local, homemade food.
do
beach clubs
This was our favorite thing to do during the day as the temps hit the high 90s. We managed to hit three, very different beach clubs and there are a lot of options in the area.
bagni d’arienzo
This was our favorite part of our trip and we raved about it the entire stay. Bagni D’Arienzo is a reservation-only beach club a short distance from Positano. You’ll need to make a reservation in advance and find the Arienzo boat at the main pier. When you make your reservation, you also add your preference on when you’d like to be seated for lunch in their restaurant.
We made sure to grab the first boat (at 10 am) and were extremely lucky to be given two chairs in the front row. It was extremely relaxing and we enjoyed cocktails, a few swims and the mini shades attached to the chairs (a common occurrence at the beach clubs here in Italy).
Eating spaghetti at the beach takes some getting used to, but we transitioned easily, splitting a bottle of rose, prosciutto and mozzarella di bufala and the spaghetti alla pomodoro for lunch.
Cost: €20 per chair / €8 cocktails
La Scogliera
After going a little overboard on the cocktails and wine on the first day, the heat was bearing down on us as planned to finagle a boat for the day. I remembered hearing about La Scogliera, a hidden beach club to the left of the main Spiaggia Grande, so we headed in that direction instead.
La Scogliera is hidden, but still boasts the incredible views of the cliffs of Positano. We were hot and hungover and didn’t bat an eye when he told us the exorbitant price for chairs. The place was spotless, nearly empty and had plenty of areas to take a dip in the ocean if you wanted to. They also had really nice bathrooms (for a beach club) and an outdoor shower, which I repeatedly used to cool down from the heat.
I’d recommend La Scogliera if you want to splurge on a day of relaxation and treat yourself. The food and drink menu was also $$$ so we opted to share a chicken club sandwich, just to spend as long as we could in our expensive chairs.
We also noticed a staircase that went up the mountain (as part of Hotel Marincanto), so we took that back to our hotel and had the most incredible views of Spiaggia Grande.
Cost: €60-100 per chair / €20 cocktails
Marina Di Praia
On our last day, we took a day trip to Praiano, paying for a taxi to drive us along the cliffside and down to Marina Di Praia, one of the beaches in the small town.
This was definitely a no-frills beach, but you still pay for access to chairs and umbrellas. Luckily the beach is hidden between two jutting cliffs, so the sun didn’t peek out until mid-day.
It’s a great spot to spend a few hours at before heading to Il Pirata for lunch. Il Pirata also has beach chairs that you can pay for and access before they open – something we didn’t know until we arrived for lunch.
Cost: €10 per chair / no drink service
Others
One Fire Beach Club: Located on the other side of Praiano, One Fire is known for it’s bright orange umbrellas and more of a party atmosphere. While the other beach clubs either played light music (La Scogliera) or no music at all (Bagni D’Arienzo), One Fire brings in DJs and the music can be heard from boats nearby.
Spiagga Del Fornillo: Fornillo Beach is on the opposite side of Spiaggia Grande from La Scogliera and has a few options for chair rentals and drink service. Like most of the beach clubs, there are areas for public and private access. I’ve heard this one can get pretty busy, but it’s an easy walk from the main area of Positano.
Path of the Gods: This hiking path is extremely popular for some of the best views of Positano. It was just extremely too hot to complete this during our trip. Had we come during a cooler time, we definitely would have done this hike from Nocelle to Bomerano.
Rent a Boat: After spending all of our money on food and beach chairs, we didn’t have the heart to splurge $500 on a boat for a few hours. I wish we had booked in advance (the rates are much more friendly if you do so) because our short boat taxi experiences were incredible. Seeing Positano from the water is an absolute must, so if you don’t want to splurge for a private boat, make a reservation at Da Adolfo or Bagni D’Arienzo and get on the water for free.
shop
We didn’t do a lot of shopping in Positano as the crowds were pretty crazy in the middle of the day. These were a few shops I had on our list before our visit and all of them were beautiful:
La Bottega Di Brunella: Gorgeous linen shop with clothes hanging from the trees. You won’t miss this one if you pass it.
Palo Barracho: Hidden under a beautiful trellis, this shop had a lot of lemon-printed linen items.
Idillio: This shop, owned by the same people as Alcione Residences, also had beautiful linen pieces, with fun prints. We wanted to buy lemon-printed linen dresses for our nieces, but the prices at all of these shops were pretty high (compared to the small islands we were on in Greece).
Emporio Sirenuse: I didn’t allow myself to go in here, but it’s a popular spot if you’ve got some money to blow.
Safari: Casual custom-made sandal shop. I wanted to get a pair, but there were a lot of people milling around and didn’t feel like it made for a memorable experience.