Ahhhh, Positano…the crown jewel of Italy’s colorful and glamorous Amalfi Coast.

I’ve dreamed of visiting the pastel-hued vertical village of Positano on Italy’s sun-drenched Amalfi Coast for years. What girl hasn’t lost herself in daydreams of what it would be like to wander the steep windy roads full of boutique stores teeming with lemon-themed clothing and china, or prop herself up on a beach chair on Positano’s idyllic beach, pistachio gelato in hand?

Now that I’ve come and gone, I’m already dreaming about the next time I can be swept away by Positano’s charms. This is one destination that absolute lives up to the (rather steep) hype.

“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” – John Steinbeck, Harper’s Bazaar 1953

Read on for my complete travel guide to Positano, Italy – how to get there, best time to visit, where to stay, what to do, what to eat, and of course – where to find the absolute best views!

Disclaimer: TierOne Travel were generous enough to sponsor the travel portion of this getaway. My accommodation was sponsored by La Casa di Peppe, and my private driver was sponsored by Positano Drivers. However, as always, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. I will continue to promote only properties, destinations, products and services that I truly believe in 100%, and would wholeheartedly recommend to others. What a blessing it was to work with the best of the best this trip! I can’t sing the praises of any of these sponsors enough.

What to do in Positano:

Get lost in the picturesque streets and gaze at various beautiful viewpoints

Without a doubt, one of my favorite things to do is to wander Positano, basking in the beautiful weather and exploring the quaint winding, narrow streets.

Bright yellow lemons hang from lemon trees that line the lush, winding walking paths. The main streets of Positano hug the sides of cliffs, providing world-class scenery viewing while you wander chic boutique shops. Adorable Fiat 500s and vespas zoom down the streets, and ample gelaterias offer a rainbow assortment of delicious gelatos by the cone or cup.

For many, just wandering aimlessly through this coastal Italian dreamland is already a type of paradise in itself, even before I mention the next “must do” on my list…

Soak in the sun at Positano’s gorgeous beaches

There’s no doubt you’ve come across photos from Positano’s charming beaches at some point in your life. The soaring mountain views covered in pastel-hued homes rising up over the dazzling Tyrrhenian Sea is an incredibly iconic and unique view.

Marina Grande Beach (Spiaggia) 

This is Positano’s most famous and lively beach. Rows of colorful umbrellas stretch across its 300-meter coastline. Busy restaurants and bars line the walkway, offering incredible views with your favorite pasta dish and prosecco.

Part of the beach is managed by a lido called L’Incanto, which rents (pricey) sun beds and umbrellas and provides change rooms and a shower. (We never rented beach equipment, but I believe it is around 25 Euro for a two-chair setup.)

Not into paying the rental fees? Not to fret! In the middle of the beach, there is an area known as  “spiaggia libera” (free beach), where you will see people tossing down their beach towel without having to pay rental feels.

At the end of the beach is “Scogliera”, a rocky terrace that allows topless sunbathing. The area is also the home to the night club “Music on the Rocks”.

The main beach is very easy to find, as it is Positano’s “hub” that the village is built up and around. Also, this is where boats come to dock, so for many this beach will be their first view of Positano!

Fornillo Beach

Not into the hustle and bustle, but still looking for a beach day? Choose Positano’s Fornillo beach!

This smaller, quieter, lesser-known beach is lovely and positioned away from the crowds. It is accessible via a short walk on a scenic path that climbs its way west, away from the docks at Positano. Most tourists and day-trippers set up shop on the main beach and aren’t even aware of Fornillo! (There are also rental services at this beach)

Tips: Basically all villa and homestay accommodations in Positano are built up high into the hills, so heading back to your villa from the beach will require a walk up plenty of winding stairs. Prepare for this and bring adequate footwear!

Also, the beaches are made of pebbles, not sand, so consider bringing a good pair of water shoes!

Shop Positano’s adorable boutique stores

In the village center, there are plenty of options if you’re looking to browse for cute clothing boutiques, ceramic shops, art galleries, and souvenir stores.

The thing to look for here are really beautiful crochet and linen dresses, tops, skirts and pants, as well as fruit-print clothing in eye-popping colors.

Also popular in Positano is shopping for handmade sandals (completely personalized by you in every way!).

For men’s clothing of gorgeous quality, I highly recommend Rino, a family-run shop where the owners hand-stitch the clothing right in Positano. Glenn purchased some beautiful dress shirts and a gorgeous linen jacket, all at a good price for this level of quality.

Lemon is definitely the flavor of Positano, so stock up on lemon candy, lemon soap, lemon perfume, and (of course) limoncello!

Take iconic photos at this stunning viewpoint

Luxury hotel Le Sirenuse has the best vantage point in Positano to capture a stunning view of the city & sea!

You can visit their popular bar, Franco’s, for a craft cocktail with a stunning photo op. Franco’s is open from 5 pm to 12:30 am, weather-permitting. Make sure to arrive well before sunset in the busy summer months to snag a spot!

Note: Franco’s was closed when we visited in early April, and was set to open on April 16th. This photo was taken from the balcony at La Sirenuse.

Another spot to shoot this gorgeous view is from Hotel Marincanto, which is just up the hill from La Sirenuse and has a very similar view.

Explore the other towns on the Amalfi Coast

During your time in Positano, I highly recommend taking at least a day to explore the other towns on the Amalfi Coast. The winding cliffside roads are absolutely stunning to drive, and each town is beautiful and has a lot to offer!

I recommend visiting Praiano, Amalfi, and Ravello.

Driving on the Amalfi Coast isn’t for everybody. The winding roads hug the sides of cliffs and traffic can be horrendous. For that reason, I highly recommend renting a private driver for a day. It is the best investment, as you will be able to soak in the views instead of worrying about navigating the roads.

Hire a Private Driver

My private driving company of very high recommendation is Positano Drivers. Giuseppe and Francesco are both pleasant, knowledgeable, and a ton of fun! They have a gorgeous fleet of vehicles available, depending on your needs. Our days driving around with Positano Drivers was one of the highlights of our trip!

Driving on the Amalfi Coast isn’t for everybody. The winding roads hug the sides of cliffs and traffic can be horrendous. For that reason, I highly recommend renting a private driver for a day. It is the best investment, as you will be able to soak in the views instead of worrying about navigating the roads.

Tip: Ask them to take you to visit Salvatore and his roadside fruit stand. Seriously! The gentleman who owns this adorable fruit stand with a view is hilarious. He proposed to me with a strawberry, posed me into various cheesy poses in front of his fruit stand and took my photo, and told plenty of jokes in his limited English. He is hilarious, enjoys interacting with tourists so much and taking photos for them, and is one of the best local encounters you could have in Positano! Such a great memory.

Hunt down the best food in Positano

You’re in Italy, so of course the food is going to be amazing! However, there are a few specialties in this town that really shine.

Grilled Mozzarella with Lemon Leaves — fresh buffalo mozzarella pressed between two large lemon leaves and grilled, infusing the cheese with zesty lemon flavor melted into ooey-gooey goodness.

Delizia Limone (lemon cake) — traditional Italian sponge cake bathed in a delicious lemon cream sauce

Seafood pasta and risotto — of course the seafood is fresh and scrumptious here!

Gelato — Gelato is offered pretty much everywhere in Positano, and pretty much all of it is delicious. My favorite flavor has always been pistachio, but in Positano I kept trying different versions of lemon and limoncello gelato flavors, and all were seriously amazing!

Explore the Grottos

There are a number of beautiful grottos near Positano, including: Green Grotto, White Grotto, and Emerald Grotto. Each are beautiful and can easily be reached by private boat or group tour. You will come across options online, or at shops around the main beach.

Take the ferry for a daytrip to Capri

My blog post all about the glamorous island of Capri will be coming soon – check back in a few days, or sign up to my mailing list at the bottom of this post to be notified when it goes live!

Take in a sunset from one of the many beautiful viewpoints

Sunsets in Positano can be incredible! There are plenty of gorgeous bars and restaurants you can sit and enjoy watching the sun set and the sky come alive with color over the sea.

This photo was taken from Li Galli Bar, which is a small outdoor bar with tables lining the pedestrian seat. What a view!

Hike the Path of the Gods

The Path of the Gods (“Sentiero degli Dei”) is an absolutely stunning walking trail on the Amalfi Coast that ends in Nocelle, a village directly above Positano. The entire path is about 5 miles and will set you back about 3 hours to hike the entire thing. It is an easy trail to hike if you walk from Agerola to Nocelle as the hike will be all downhill if you take this route.

More information about the Path of the Gods can be found here.

Where to stay in Positano:

Stay in a gorgeous cliffside villa with a view

There are many beautiful hotels and villas to stay in, but for a true Positano experience, I highly recommend choosing La Casa di Peppe – and here are some of the many reasons why!

As you walk through the gate down the curving stairway to the lobby, you enter a private oasis: a hidden gem set amongst a lush botanical garden surrounded by bougainvillea trees, hibiscus flowers, banana plants and tropical palm trees.

La Casa Di Peppe is one of the few villas in Positano that can be reached from the main street with a short walk (120 meters – reachable only by foot from the driving road) with only 18 steps (a rare find in Positano), yet is secluded enough to offer exclusive privacy, making it the ideal location for a relaxing stay.

Offering a picture-perfect location in front of the sea, La Casa Di Peppe offers some of the most breathtaking panoramic views of the Amalfi Coast. The villa is a family home, remodeled and transformed over time into a luxury guest house with just 7 bedrooms. A maximum of just 14 guests at a time means that your stay will be quiet and exclusive, with focused personal attention!

All 7 bedrooms feature high vaulted ceilings with modern elegant fixtures, private bathrooms, air conditioning, TV (with Sky international channels), free WiFi, hair dryer, safe, and queen sized beds.

A plentiful breakfast buffet spread is included in your room rate (including hand-pressed blood orange juice we loved), and the villa offers a private chef available to cook you delicious dinners (additional fee). We can attest to the quality of the made-to-order dinners here – they were truly something special!

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How to get to Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast

Actually getting to Positano can be a bit of a daunting task, but it is absolutely worth the adventure!

Because travelling to the Amalfi Coast can be time-consuming and confusing with so many options that vary depending on the time of the year that you visit, I have written an entire blog post dedicated to this topic.

Read it here: How to Get to Positano: The Absolute BEST Guide on How to Get to Positano, by Plane, Train, Ferry, Car or Private Driver

The Best Time to visit Positano

The tourist season officially begins at Easter and runs throughout September. This will be the busiest time to visit Positano, with higher prices and many more tourists.

During May and June, prices are generally lower than during July and August. In my opinion, May is by far the best month to visit the Amalfi Coast, with beautiful temperatures, lush blooms, and fewer tourists. Early October is another beautiful time to visit.

Interested in learning more about Italy? Check out this post: 51 Fascinating Facts about Italy

Note: We visited Positano in mid April. While it was still “busy”, it was nowhere near as busy as it can be later in the year. One thing to remember is if you choose to travel during the off-season, not all restaurants and shops may be open, less ferries and buses may be running, etc. We did not encounter an issue in April, but to be safe consider traveling after Easter. A local mentioned to us that during the off-season, Positano turns into a ghost town and everything closes down. Many locals leave during the off-season to find work elsewhere until tourism commences again in early April.

Book your trip to Positano with TierOne Travel

Dreaming of visiting Positano on Italy’s gorgeous Amalfi Coast? Consider booking your travel with TierOne Travel!

With just one call or email, their knowledgeable and friendly travel consultants can provide you with the best prices on airfare, hotel, tours and excursions, a wealth of “been-there” knowledge about the area, and recommendations on the best ways to get to Amalfi Coast (train, car, ferry, etc.)

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Questions or questions about Positano or the rest of the Amalfi Coast? I’d love to hear from you – just leave me a comment below!