Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Positano is a unique town located in a unique place in Italy, close to Sorrento, Naples and the island of Capri. Due to its unique location and wonderful climate, it attracts crowds of tourists from all over the world. The winters here are very warm and the summers last a long time. The weather is warm and sunny, but the heat is often softened by the sea breeze.
Positano is often considered one of the most picturesque towns on the Amalfi Coast. This is easy to understand by admiring the beautiful, colorful buildings that are situated on the mountainside. If you see pictures of the Amalfi Coast on the internet, it's almost sure it will be pictures of Positano.
Parking in Positano
As the village is situated on a steep slope, there are not many parking lots. During the tourist season, everything is often occupied to the last place. Parking prices are also high (8€ per hour in 2022 - but sometimes there is a bargain!). Another problem is that when you return to parking lot you pick up the car that is scratched (many tourists complain about such a problem). The point is, cars are stuffed like sardines in parking lots and the keys are handed over to service. If someone wants to leave and there are several rows of other cars in front of it, the staff first takes the blocking ones and sometimes they just scratch the paint somewhere. The machines that allow you to pay by card don't always work - take cash with you!
So if you want to take a chance and come to Positano by car, you can try to park in the Di Gennaro parking lot (1; GPS: 40.6302356, 14.4856252), which has a pretty good location - it's located on a street that goes straight to the sea. A little further there is the Mandara parking lot (2; GPS: 40.6310850, 14.4843841). The third parking lot is Carpineto (3; GPS: 40.6285189, 14.4806113), quite distant, because it is located on the western outskirts of the town (the road to the center takes about 30 minutes).
However, the best method that we recommend is simply to get to Positano by ferry. Additional advantage is that from the sea you will be able to admire the best panorama of the town. These ferries depart from Capri, Naples, Salerno and Sorrento. Another way is to come by bus (eg from Sorrento).
Sightseeing in Positano
If you come to Positano by ferry, another advantage of such traveling is that you are immediately in the center of the town. If you parked in a parking lot, it takes some time to get to the seashore (not to mention the fact that you will have to go back uphill...).
There are lots of nice little shops in the village selling lemon-and-olive-themed pottery - all products made by local artisans, so it's not counterfeit. Of course, the prices are also correspondingly higher. Every now and then you will see restaurants where you can try fresh seafood. As Positano is situated on a mountain slope, be prepared to walk around the village in more "vertical" than "horizontal" fashion. We have already dealt with something like this in the Provencal village of Simiane-la-Rotonde. If someone has significant problems with legs, we advise against walking around Positano, especially as it is often crowded. In this case, you can just go to the beach and synthesize the vitamin D3 - fortunately, it is not difficult, because the number of sunny days a year is really large.
In fact, Positano has one main beach - Positano Spiaggia (A; GPS: 40.6276050, 14.4882301). It's not sandy, but rocky, but don't be afraid - it's not like Croatia. Here the pebbles are small and you can easily walk on them barefoot. The second, slightly smaller beach (Fornillo Spiaggia) (B; GPS: 40.6263742, 14.4818874) is located at the western end of the town. Here, too, we are dealing with pebbles, not sand.
Il Sentiero Degli Dei - the Path of the Gods
Those who prefer a more active vacation and don't like to lie idly on the beach waiting for the sun to gracefully brush their skin with its rays, can take the challenge (yes, in 35 degrees Celsius it is a challenge) and follow the Path of the Gods - about a 6 km long trail from Bomerano to Nocelle. It is the most beautiful, picturesque and therefore the most visited path on the Amalfi Coast. Remember, however, that the route is rocky, narrow and often leads on the edge of a precipices. If someone is afraid of heights, we advise against it! In fact, it is something like a mountain trail, which we deal with, for example, in the Alps. You should be careful about every step you take and, of course, prepare yourself in advance in terms of appropriate clothing (comfortable shoes are very important!). You will need to bring drinking water. Not everyone expects such a difficult trail and later we see people with dogs and young children on the path. Some elders just drop out after walking a short distance. So let's be reasonable and think about whether we are in the right condition - it's not a walk down the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
To get started, it's best to get to Bomerano by bus (eg Transferelax). The route starts at Piazza Paolo Capasso square (C; GPS: 40.6301595, 14.5401177). It requires about 3 hours to go in one direction. The views are beautiful - but often you have to climb or descend. There are actually a lot of stairs, apparently over 1500. Extremely interesting views appear when the path branches out, one of which leads to Positano and the other to Praiano (D; GPS: 40.6207205, 14.5280038). The path ends in Nocelle at the Church of Chiesa di Santa Croce (E; GPS: 40.6284963, 14.5031103).
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