positano - highlights, tips and recommendations

(Positano, Italy).  It's hard to imagine how this glamorous and beautiful village was built - literally hanging from a steep wall of rock.  Positano is now viewed as another playground for the rich but it actually has very modest origins - beginning as a fishing village, then rising as a rival to Venice, then falling into hard times, only to be reinvigorated as an exclusive seaside resort.  

I didn't really know much about Positano before I visited. I only knew the pictures I had seen of the picturesque and charming village were amazing.  And I was not disappointed.


Unlike Rome and Florence, there aren't that many tourist sites in Positano.  It really is a place to relax, rest and enjoy the leisurely passage of time while you bask in the warm rays of the sun.  Below are the things we enjoyed the most in our memorable stay in Positano.

I would never get tired of this view of Positano....

1.  Savoring the Beauty of Positano on foot.  Positano is pretty small, but steep.  You can burn off lots of calories climbing the many stairs that take you up and down the village.  There really are only 2 main streets (and one of them only goes one-way).  It's quite pleasurable to explore the village on foot while marveling at the views of the bay, the quaint homes and buildings hugging the cliffside.  If you enjoy taking photographs, this place is a treasure trove!

Getting my morning work-out.

In one of the narrow streets in Positano.

2.  Boat/Beach/Amalfi Coast Tour.  Like Sorrento, there are a few beach clubs in Positano where you can rent chairs and umbrellas and enjoy the clear blue waters and the sun.  There are also many boat tours that you can take to explore the Amalfi Coast, head to Capri, etc.

I would highly recommend a boat tour of the Amalfi Coast.  There are several group tours available or you can hire a private boat tour.  Most of them will stop somewhere for lunch and/or allow you to take a swim in the ocean.  Our hotel offered a complimentary boat tour and it was definitely one of the highlights of our stay in Positano.

You can also join a land tour of the Amalfi Coast which gives you a different perspective of the same coastline.  We actually did the boat tour the day after we did the land tour - so it was nice to compare the views by land and by sea.

The "Virgin Mary" - seen from the car on our Amalfi Coast drive.

3.  Eating.  The food in Positano was fabulous!  There were great seafood, pastas, pizzas, and desserts.  As expected, the seafood was super fresh.  We particularly enjoyed the following restaurants:

The arch above La Tagliata.

• La Tagliata - A delightful family-run establishment offering a prix fixe dinner and live music show.  It's located high above Positano (near the arch) and provides even more spectacular views than can be imagined.  They offer a complimentary shuttle service to and from the hotels in Positano.  The staff, the food, the ambiance - everything - was fabulously fun!  Be prepared to eat lots of food and drink lots of wine, for only about 35 euros per person.  I would definitely come back the next time I'm in Positano.

  

  A platter of grilled meats at La Tagliata.

  

  Post-dinner festivities at La Tagliata.

• max - This lovely seafood restaurant is located in the village and shares the space with a working art gallery.  The food and service are top-notch.  I think the lobster pasta here is the best I've ever tasted - and I've had plenty of lobster pasta in my life.
  

  

  Best lobster pasta ever!

• La Sponda - This Michelin-starred restaurant is located in Le Sirenuse hotel.  Fabulous and artfully created food served in a gorgeous patio overlooking the bay of Positano. 

  

  A medley of seafood at La Sponda.

Fancy meringue dessert at La Sponda.

• La Pergola - This is a touristy spot located at the beachy area of Positano, but the food was surprisingly fresh and tasty.  We enjoyed some delicious seafood pizza, appetizers and rose here.  Oh, and they offer wonderful desserts!  We shared a gorgeous wild strawberry tart.  Mmmmmm.....

  

  Refreshing seafood pizza at Le Pergola.

Our last dessert in Italy!

• Vini & Panini - We stopped in for some mozzarella and tomato sandwiches to eat in our room.  They don't speak much english but the sandwiches were huge, tasty and quite affordable.  For travelers who don't want to spend a lot of money on food, making your own picnic is a great way to try the local cuisine and save money.
  
• La Zagara - During one of our strolls through the village, there was an impromptu rain shower which forced us to seek sanctuary in this cafe.  We decided to just grab a snack and have espresso at the counter (again, much cheaper than sitting down).  We had the most delightful hazelnut cake - obviously homemade.  I think for the cake and 2 espressos we paid about 6 euros.  It's always lovely to discover a new place spontaneously.
  

We weren't able to go to these following places, but I understand they are definitely worth checking out:

• Da Adolfo - We had planned to go here but we opted to hang out by our hotel pool instead because it was super hot.  But essentially you make reservations for the restaurant and they have routine boat rides that take you from the Positano beach to the restaurant via water.  You can make an entire day of it because the restaurant also has a "beach area" where you can rent chairs, etc., and swim.  I hear the food is good and affordable.
• Da Tommaso allo Scoglio - I had read somewhere that this is one of the best seafood restaurants in the world.  However, it's quite a long boat ride to get to the restaurant.  We didn't have enough time to go here, but it'll definitely be on my list for future trips.

4.  Shopping - This was our last stop in our Italy vacation and our luggage was already stuffed full.  Thus, we were very cognizant of our limited space.

There were lots of wonderful boutiques and art galleries in the village.  A lot of people seemed interested in buying the summer fashions, sandals, and jewelry.  My husband and I were interested in looking at the art and ceramics.  

I would say I definitely enjoyed the ceramics in Southern Italy more than in Florence because they seemed more vibrant and colorful.  Obviously that's a personal preference.  There were also many antique stores and art galleries that displayed local artists.  We were fortunate to pick up a few pieces that we really loved - and which are already hanging in our home now.

For me, buying art on vacation is really a wonderful way to capture the memory of the trip, and having an original painting is definitely more worthwhile than getting endless souvenirs that end up forgotten in drawers or boxes in the garage.

Positano was truly a magical place for us and it now has a permanent place in my heart.  I will definitely want to go back in the future.

Please let me know what your favorite things to do in Positano are!