Positano is the town most visitors picture when they think of the Amalfi Coast. The most popular way to see it is a quick stop: a few hours off a bus, boat, or car while touring the coast. If you’re like us, those few hours may be all it takes to fall in love with the town and start planning a return trip.
That’s exactly what happened to us.
We first visited Positano in 2014. The four of us were traveling on a budget, hopping from town to town on the public bus from Sorrento. Even with just a few hours, the beaches, kayaking, and wandering the narrow streets made Positano the highlight of the day for our whole family. We vowed to come back.
It took us eight years, but in 2022, Tim and I did exactly that. This time we didn’t just pass through, we spent six days in Positano, using it as our home base to explore the Amalfi Coast. That’s long enough to see the town at hours most visitors never do: early morning before the day-trip crowds arrive, and late evening after they’ve cleared out. It’s a different, quieter town at those hours, and a lot of what’s in this guide comes from actually being there that long, on top of what we learned on our first visit eight years earlier.
During that time, we also discovered some gorgeous places to visit along the Amalfi Coast.
In this guide, we share what we’ve learned across both visits, including the best things to do in Positano, whether you have just a few hours or several days.
The Essentials
BEST TIME TO VISIT | Mid-April to May, and mid-September to October
HOW TO GET AROUND | On foot; expect stairs and hills throughout town
TIME NEEDED | Half a day minimum; several days if using it as a home base
TOP EXPERIENCE | A private boat tour of the Amalfi Coast
BEST DAY TRIP | Capri, or the towns of Ravello and Amalfi
WHERE TO STAY | Villa Bohème (splurge) or Hotel Palazzo Murat (near the beach, no stairs)
Understanding Positano’s Layout
Positano is built into two steep hillsides that face each other, with the beach and marina sitting at the bottom. Shops, restaurants, and hotels are spread across both hills, so getting around means walking up and down a lot of stairs. Think of it as a built-in stairclimber workout.
A single one-way road loops through town, connecting to Amalfi Drive (SS163) at both ends: down the west hillside on Viale Pasitea, then back up the east hillside on Via Cristoforo Colombo. It’s lined with hotels, restaurants, and shops, but it doesn’t reach the beach. A pedestrian path handles that last stretch down to the water.
If you arrive by bus, you’ll get dropped at one of two stops on Amalfi Drive, on the west or east side of town, followed by a downhill walk in.
None of this should discourage you. Positano is absolutely worth a bit of stair climbing, but it’s worth knowing before you plan your days here, especially when picking a hotel.
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Best Things to Do in Positano
1. Choose Your Beach (or Skip the Sand Altogether)
Positano has several beaches to choose from, and how much you spend on them is entirely up to you.
Spiaggia Grande
Spiaggia Grande, the main beach next to Marina Grande, is the one we know firsthand. We’ve spent time here on both visits, eight years apart.
The first time, traveling with the kids, we rented two kayaks right from the beach, and it was one of the best parts of the whole trip (more on that below).
The second time, we came back for an afternoon, rather than paying for an expensive beach club. We’re not really beach-lounger people. Given the choice, we’d rather put that money toward a hotel with a great view or a good dinner, and the public beach suited us fine both times.
Spiaggia Grande
The beach club at Spiaggia Grande
Fornillo Beach
Fornillo Beach is a short, scenic walk from Marina Grande along a cliffside path. We haven’t spent time here ourselves, but more than one local we talked to recommended it over Spiaggia Grande. It’s reasonably priced, prettier, and less crowded than the free section of the main beach. If a proper beach day is part of your plan, this is worth considering over the main beach.
Fornillo Beach
Not visible from the heart of Positano, Fornillo Beach is connected to Marina Grande via a cliffside path. To get here, it is a 5 to 10-minute walk from Marina Grande.
Spend the day Pupetto Beach Club, paying roughly €50 to €100 per umbrella, depending on the season. Along the beach there are a few great restaurants, such as Pupetto and Da Ferdinando.
Arienzo Beach Club
Arienzo Beach Club is located a short distance from the heart of Positano. The best way to get here is by boat (they offer a shuttle), but you can walk along Amalfi Drive and then descend down 300 steps to the beach.
This is one of the most exclusive beach clubs in Positano. Prices range from €300 to €650 per person, depending on the location of your lounge chair and included beverages. Make your reservation in advance and learn more here.
Arienzo Beach
PRO TRAVEL TIP: The beaches in Positano are made of small, gray pebbles. Consider bringing a pair of water shoes or wear a pair of flip flops that you don’t mind getting wet.
La Scogliera
La Scogliera is Positano’s VIP beach. This small beach is located on a rocky outcropping that juts into the sea. It is located to the east of Spiaggia Grande.
Prices here range from €800 to €1000 for a sun lounger for the day, depending on season and location of the lounger. This is another beach club where you must make your reservation far in advance.
La Scogliera Beach is located on rocky outcropping on the bottom right side of this photo (photo taken on a boat tour of the Amalfi Coast).
PRO TRAVEL TIP: Beach clubs tend to close by mid-October. Our visit to Positano was in the second half of October and both Arienzo Beach Club and La Scogliera had just closed for the season.
2. Escape the Crowds and Go Kayaking
Our favorite view of Positano isn’t from a restaurant terrace or a viewpoint in town, it’s from the water. Paddling out on a kayak, you get a totally different sense of the town: the way the buildings really do cling to the cliffs, stacked one on top of the next, is something you don’t fully appreciate until you’re looking up at it from the sea.
We only did this once, on our first visit in 2014, the four of us split between two kayaks, and it’s still one of our favorite memories from that trip. We’d just come in on a hot, crowded bus from Sorrento, and getting out on the water was quiet and unhurried in a way the rest of the day wasn’t — the kids could be as goofy as they wanted, and for a little while it was just our family, enjoying the moment, before heading back into the buses and heat along the coast. If you’re traveling with kids, this is the top thing to do in Positano.
Kayaks can be rented by the hour right from Spiaggia Grande, or you can book a longer guided tour along the coast if you want to cover more ground.
3. Take a Boat Tour of the Amalfi Coast
One of the best things to do in Positano is to take a boat tour of the Amalfi Coast. Nothing beats seeing the coastal cliffs, colorful towns, beaches, and sea caves from the water. And there are several different ways to do it.
Ferry
The most budget friendly way to cruise the Amalfi Coast is by ferry. It’s also the best way to get around the Amalfi Coast in the summertime, to avoid the traffic jams along Amalfi Drive. You can learn more about traveling by ferry in our guide to How to Get Around the Amalfi Coast.
Small Group Boat Tour
If you want to cruise along the coast, not spend a fortune, and avoid the ferry, take a small group boat tour. These boat tours can range from full day tours of the Amalfi Coast, where you visit a few towns and sea caves, to shorter tours, such as this tour of the Amalfi Coast.
Boat Tours
Private Boat
There were a few things we were willing to splurge on in Positano, and a private boat tour was one of them. We had a bit of sticker shock when we made the reservation. When Tim and I saw the price tag for a full day on a private boat, we felt a real flash of “are we actually doing this?”
We were, and it turned into one of our favorite things we did on the entire Amalfi Coast.
The real appeal of a private boat isn’t comfort, it’s control. We built the day around a mix of research and relaxation. There were stops we needed for the guides we were writing on Things to Do on the Amalfi Coast and the coast’s best towns, and a private boat got us to places like Fiordo di Furore (worth it) and the Smeraldo Cave (skippable, in our opinion) far more easily than a car or ferry could have.
Our captain ended up being as valuable as the boat itself, pointing out beach clubs and famous hotels as we passed, and in Nerano, steering us straight to the best spot in town for Spaghetti alle Zucchine, a local specialty we wouldn’t have found on our own.
In between all of that, Tim and I did very little: prosecco, pastries, and a long lunch in Nerano, with nothing on the agenda but watching the coastline go by. I came home with some of my favorite photos from the whole trip.
We took our 8-hour cruise with Luxury Boats Positano, visiting the Smeraldo Cave, Fiordo di Furore, Amalfi, Maiori, Minori, Atrani, and Nerano along the way.
And if you want the private boat experience, without spending a crazy out of money, Luxury Boats Positano and other companies have shorter tours. How about a sunset cruise along the Amalfi Coast?
Other companies to consider are Lucibello Positano, Sorrento Dream Charter, and Mar Amar.
4. Have Dinner or Drinks with a View
There are numerous restaurants and bars with beautiful views of Positano, and a few worth visiting even without one.
La Sponda was our favorite meal on the entire Amalfi Coast and arguably one of the best we’ve had anywhere in Italy. This Michelin-starred restaurant inside Le Sirenuse has an outdoor terrace, candlelit indoor dining, and a sweeping view over town. We had seared tuna, autumn vegetables, lamb, veal entrecôte, and a great bottle of 2016 Brunello di Montalcino, plus a Jeff Goldblum sighting a few tables over, if that sort of thing appeals to you.
Da Vincenzo has no view, but it might be our other favorite. This casual spot was packed every time we walked or drove past, for good reason, with very good seafood and pasta, fast and friendly service, and an all-around great choice if you just want a solid meal without paying for the scenery.
Adamo ed Eva is a seafood restaurant with three tiers of seating, from first-come-first-served up to a tasting-menu table with the best view (and the highest price). We sat first-come-first-served. The food was very good, and we still got the sunset view.
Chez Black sits just steps from the beach — busy, casual, great seafood and pasta, and a bit of a celebrity magnet. Denzel Washington dined here twice during our visit.
Panoramic Restaurant at Hotel l’Ancora has a covered outdoor terrace, a long list of creative cocktails, and solid pasta and seafood for lunch or dinner.
Il Tridente has one of the best views in Positano, which is why it shows up on every list of Positano restaurants, including this one. But it was our least favorite meal in town. It’s worth an aperitif for the view, not worth planning dinner around.
A few more come recommended for their views, even though we haven’t eaten at them ourselves: RADA Ristorante Rooftop, Le Galli Bistrot, and Bar Franco.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: Book as far ahead as you can because tables at restaurants with a view fill up fast. We only got ours at La Sponda because our hotel’s concierge had serious contacts around town; she didn’t just get us a table, she got us the one right against the window with a view over Positano. If your hotel has a strong concierge, lean on them.
5. Explore the Amalfi Coast Towns
It may be hard to tear yourself away from Positano, but there are 13 official towns along the Amalfi Coast, and picking a few is part of the fun. For the full rundown, see our guide to the 17 Beautiful Towns on the Amalfi Coast (the 13 official towns, plus a couple of gateway towns and hidden gems worth knowing about). Here are a few of our favorites.
Ravello sits high above the coast, and we hired a private driver to get us there. Parking is a real challenge in town, and we had wine tasting planned for later that day, so it was one less thing to think about. It’s worth every bit of the trip up for the views alone, from Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone.
Amalfi is a must-see, and one of the easiest towns to reach by bus, ferry, or car. It’s small and walkable, and unlike Positano, it actually has a real beach. Our favorite way to spend an afternoon here was simple: tasting limoncello (and buying a few bottles to bring home as gifts), and cooling off with a lemon granita on a hot day.
Tramonti is our pick if you want something off the beaten path. This town sits high in the mountains, and the main draw is the vineyards. We spent a memorable afternoon at Tenuta San Francesco, eating grapes right off the vine, sharing a home-cooked lunch with wine pairings, and having a few glasses of wine with the owners.
6. Go Shopping
We’re not really shoppers, but wandering Positano’s shops is a nice way to fill an hour between the beach and dinner, whether or not you buy anything.
The road through town, and the pedestrian path down to Marina Grande, are lined with boutiques selling clothing, perfume, sandals, and ceramics. The ceramics are the real draw for us. Every shop seems to riff on the same palette, brightly hand-painted pottery in blue, white, and yellow, and it’s worth pausing to look even if none of it ends up in your suitcase.
If something’s going to tempt you into buying, it’ll probably be the limoncello. It did for us.
7. Watch the Sunset
Sunsets are gorgeous in Positano, as the setting sun bathes the town in warm hues of gold, orange, and pink, that complement the colors of the buildings.
We watched most of ours from our hotel terrace at Villa Bohème, and it was hard to imagine a better seat in town. The photo above was taken right from there. If your hotel doesn’t have a view like that, a rooftop bar or restaurant works just as well, or head down to the beach or one of the town’s viewpoints.
One of the best “free” spots in town to get a good sunset view of Positano is on Via Cristoforo Colombo, just down the street from Li Galli Bistrot. For the exact location, here are the GPS coordinates: 40.628102, 14.489243
8. Hike the Path of the Gods
The Path of the Gods is one of our favorite hikes in all of Europe. That’s a high bar (we make it a point to search out the best hikes when we travel), but the coastal views along this trail earn it.
The trail runs point to point, high above the coast, connecting Bomerano and Nocelle. Do it in the direction most people do: starting in Bomerano and walking back toward Positano, and it’s mostly downhill. That, combined with the views, is what makes a genuinely dramatic hike accessible to a lot of people who wouldn’t normally take one on.
The hardest part isn’t the trail, it’s the logistics of getting to and from a point-to-point hike. We cover all of that, step by step, in our full guide to hiking the Path of the Gods.
How to Hike the Path of the Gods
Step-by-step trail guide plus how to arrange your transportation (which is important since this is typically done point-to-point).9. Day Trip to Capri from Positano
One of the best things to do while based in Positano is a day trip to Capri. Like Positano, it’s an island that’s long drawn both everyday travelers and the rich and famous.
We’ve made the trip to Capri twice ourselves, both times from Sorrento rather than Positano. The logistics are essentially the same either way, just with a slightly longer ferry ride from Positano. Once you’re on the island, the day looks the same no matter which town you started from: a boat tour around Capri, a stop at the Blue Grotto, the chairlift up to Monte Solaro for the views, and time to wander Capri town and do a little shopping.
To day trip to Capri from Positano, you can either take the ferry, join a tour, or hire a private boat. Learn how to do this in our guide How to Spend One Perfect Day in Capri.
10. Splurge on a 5-Star Hotel
Positano is a romantic splurge destination, and if there’s one place on the Amalfi Coast worth spending real money on a hotel, this is it.
Our stay at Villa Bohème wasn’t just our favorite experience of the entire Amalfi Coast trip, it’s the best hotel stay we’ve ever had, anywhere, and we’ve stayed in a lot of hotels.
The service was impeccable; we basically had the concierge on speed dial for anything we needed, big or small. The room itself was lovely, with a kitchenette, living area, bedroom, and a genuinely huge bathroom, but the terrace was the real standout. We spent hours out there: breakfast served right at our table each morning, a slow break in the middle of the day, and watching the sunset each evening. That’s where the sunset photo earlier in this guide was taken.
Another fantastic option is Le Sirenuse. This 5-star hotel is centrally located in town, is home to the restaurant La Sponda, is a popular hotel for celebrities.
Il San Pietro di Positano is located outside of town, along Amalfi Drive, but it offers a private beach (Laurito Beach) and the Michelin-starred restaurant Zass.
For more recommendations on where to stay along the Amalfi Coast, including budget, mid-range, and luxury properties, take a look at our Amalfi Coast Hotel Guide ↓
Best Places to Stay on the Amalfi Coast
Where to stay on the Amalfi Coast, organized by location and budget.How to Get Around Positano
Walking
The road through Positano can get congested, especially in the summer season. So, the best way to get around Positano is by walking. Since Positano is spread out over two hillsides that face towards each other, expect to do a lot of walking up and down these hills and stairs.
Taxi/Driver Services
Hiring a driver to take you from one part of Positano to another can cost 30 euros or more. We didn’t see a place where you can just hail a driver, so it is best to call and arrange a pickup. You can have your hotel or restaurant call for a pickup. Or you can contact the company Positano Car Service. Just make sure you are standing at the pickup point ready to go because the driver will be blocking traffic until you get into the vehicle.
Bus
The Sita bus only makes two stops on SS163, at Chiesa Nuova on the west side of town and Sponda, on the east side of town. The orange Positano town bus follows the main road through Positano with various stops along the way.
How to Get Around the Amalfi Coast: With or Without a Car
How to choose the best mode of transportation, based on budget and where you plan to go.
Best Time to Visit Positano
Positano is a wonderful place to visit from mid-April through the end of October.
June, July, August, and September are the busiest months, with peak season being July and August. Expect huge crowds and frequent traffic jams during these months.
The best time to visit the Amalfi Coast is mid-April through May and mid-September through October. Crowds are lower and the weather is fantastic. Just be aware that beach clubs close around mid-October, so if this is something you want to do, plan your visit for early October.
Places start shutting down in late October but that doesn’t mean everything closes. According to a local that we spoke with, you can expect 50% of the hotels and restaurants to close during the winter season. And expect some of the boutique shops to close as well.
If you don’t mind slightly cooler weather, a slightly increased chance of a rainy day, and fewer options for restaurants and hotels, November is also a very nice time to visit Positano and the Amalfi Coast.
Positano at sunset
Where to Stay in Positano
Since Positano is built into the hillsides, location matters when picking a hotel. The higher up you stay, the more stairs and hill climbing you’ll do getting to and from it. If you want to keep that to a minimum, look for something closer to the beach.
For the full breakdown by budget and location, see our complete Amalfi Coast Hotel Guide.
Plan Your Amalfi Coast Trip
- Building your itinerary? → Our Amalfi Coast Itinerary covers how to divide your time, from 2 days to a full week.
- Deciding where to stay? → Our Amalfi Coast Hotel Guide covers the best options across every budget, all along the coast.
- Figuring out transportation? → Our guide to Getting Around the Amalfi Coast covers your options with and without a car.
- Want to see more towns? → Our guide to the 17 Beautiful Towns on the Amalfi Coast covers where else to go beyond Positano.
- Looking for more to do along the coast? → Our guide to the Best Things to Do on the Amalfi Coast covers the wider region.
If you have any questions about the best things to do in Positano, or if you want to share your experience, let us know in the comment section below.
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