Positano Become a Disney Travel Agent Near Me

Overview

Introduction

The small seaside city of Positano on the Amalfi Coast is centrally located for day trips to Capri Island, Sorrento, Naples or Ravello, but it is intriguing enough to be a standalone destination on anyone's Italy itinerary.

Positano's striking scenery is its greatest asset. Pastel-colored shops, restaurants and hotels cling to cliffs that rise steeply from the turquoise waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Steep cobblestoned steps connect the labyrinth of dining and shopping options above with the beachfront and marina below. Visitors to Positano can be as relaxed or as busy as they want to be.

Italian charm and sophistication abound in art galleries and boutiques. The main sight in town is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, which dates from 1200 and houses a stunning Byzantine Black Madonna and Child painting.

The number of year-round residents is relatively small in Positano, and although this number may triple or quadruple in the height of the tourist season, the locals remain friendly, open and very helpful. After all, tourism is what provides for them.

Staying for a little longer than a couple of days, which is what most itineraries generally prescribe, will provide a window into a different side of Positano. The town has its own unique rhythms, particularly in the shoulder-season months of March, April, September and October. Positano is very quiet in the winter.

Must See or Do

Sights—The gardens of Palazzo Murat; the beautiful domed church of Santa Maria Assunta; the hilltop villages of Montepertuso and Nocelle.

Memorable Meals—Grilled calamari and house-cured olives at La Pergola; stuffed branzino on the breathtaking terrace of Lo Guarracino, overlooking the Spiaggia Il Fornillo; a day spent feasting on zuppe de cozze and cold white wine with peaches at the laid back beach spot Da Adolfo in nearby Laurito.

Late Night—Cocktails and music at Music on the Rocks. Enjoying the view from the piano bar at Lo Guarracino. Hopping on the shuttle for a night at Africana Famous Club in Praiano.

Walks—The beautiful seaside path along Via Positanesi d'America; going for a passeggiatta (stroll) along Via dei Mulini and Spiaggia Grande before dinner.

Especially for Kids—Beaches at Spiaggia Grande and Il Fornillo.

Geography

The town is built into Monti Lattari, set in graduated tiers up the mountainside. The bright hues of the block buildings, in shades of rose, ocher, yellow and purple, are said to have originally served to help returning fishermen spot their homes.

Positano is the first major town coming from Sorrento on the famous Amalfi Coast drive. Travelers see furtive glimpses of it while approaching along the Sorrentine Peninsula on one of the world's most scenic roads. Alternatively, a seaside approach (worthwhile if you are able to do it) is possible April-October, when ferries from Sorrento, Amalfi and Capri make Positano one of their destinations on the Amalfi Coast.

History

Positano is one of the oldest places on the Amalfi Coast, with settlements dating from the Upper Paleolithic Age. It started as a mill, where Roman Emperor Tiberius sent his three-oar boat for bread, because he was afraid of being poisoned on nearby Capri Island. In the 1200s, Pisa sacked the entire Positano area, and after a long period of rebuilding, the city of Positano erected an elaborate defense system of watchtowers. The town competed for top position of the Mediterranean Sea Trade with the coastal town of Amalfi, a little farther south along the coast.

Under Neapolitan fiefdom until the end of the 17th century, Positano produced silk and canvas goods. It gained its supremacy in the 18th century under the Bourbons, during the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In the 19th century, it experienced a period of decline, with more than three-quarters of its population emigrating to the U.S. because of relatively poor prospects of making their livelihood on fishing and agriculture. In the 20th century, particularly after World War II, Positano gained immense popularity as a seaside retreat for Italian and foreign artists.

Today, in spite of its immense and sometimes overwrought popularity, Positano retains its breathtaking beauty and its position as the jewel of the Amalfi coast.

Potpourri

Under The Tuscan Sun (2003) with Diane Lane and Only You (1994) with Marisa Tomei are among several films with scenes shot in Positano.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones wrote the song Midnight Rambler in a cafe while on vacation in Positano.

John Steinbeck created interest in Positano as a tourist destination after his essay about the town was published in Harper's Bazaar in May 1953. He wrote "Positano bites deep," describing the town as "a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you are gone."

Legend has it that the small islands of Li Galli, just off the shores of Positano, and referred to as the Sirenuse, were inhabited by mythical Sirens, dangerous and beautiful creatures who tried to lure passing sailors with their song, causing them to wreck their ships.

The ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev was so enchanted by the beauty of Li Galli islands that he purchased them, where he spent the last years of his life.

Many well-known people, including actress Elizabeth Taylor, conductors Arturo Toscanini and Leonard Bernstein, artists M.C. Escher, Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee, and writer John Steinbeck fell in love with the beauty of Positano and spent time there. Today you might spot regular visitors Denzel Washington, Larry Ellison or Steve Job's family on one of the super yachts that stop in the bay of Positano.

Location

Shore Excursions

Pompeii/Herculaneum. The ruins of these two ancient Roman cities that sit in the shadow of Vesuvius are archeological marvels. http://www.pompeiisites.org.

Naples. This bustling, vibrant city on the bay of Naples is a must see for art lovers and pizza aficionados.

Paestum. Once part of the powerful Magna Graecia, the temples found in sleepy Paestum are some of the best preserved archeological relics in the world.