Amalfi Coast Travel Guide: 15 Things to do in Positano

Posted on 10/08/2019

If you are searching for a nice place to enjoy your vacation as you travel Italy, Positano is one of the most stunning and positively rated towns you can visit.

Positano is a beautiful, little beach town in Italy, famous for its colourful buildings, excellent restaurants, and ideal location on the Amalfi Coast.

The town of Positano is a popular destination for couples looking for a romantic getaway, as well as families and tour groups stopping through on day tours. Positano offers luxurious bars, beaches, and the perfect view of the coastline. The town covers an area of nearly nine square kilometres.

Home to less than 5,000 permanent residents, Positano attracts thousands of tourists every year to enjoy it’s pristine beaches, breath-taking views and enjoy delicious Italian cooking.

It has great beauty and history, but it can be a bit expensive for those that wish to spend a couple of days in the town. The town of Positano has treasures hidden in every corner of the street. It has so many fashionable boutiques and ceramics, it’s a town worth spending your hard-earned cash.

Positano is a popular destination for couples looking for a romantic getaway as well as families and groups stopping through on day tours.

If you would like to spend a few days in this gorgeous hillside town, here are 15 things to do in Positano.

When to go to Positano

If you are wondering when to visit this magnificent town, the season begins at Easter through September. May and June are generally the best months for you to visit due to the lower prices, perfect temperatures, and little traffic.

The tourist season begins at Easter and runs through the summer until end of September. If you want to go in the summer try and head out to Positano during May and June as prices are generally lower than during July and August.

May is by far the best month to visit the Amalfi Coast, with perfect temperatures, lush blooms, and very few tourists – I visited in September and there was still the summer crowds hanging around making it hard to relax and enjoy the region.

If you are here for a week consider this 7 day itinerary from Naples to Amalfi coast.

How to get to Positano

Positano has no trains and navigating your way to the Amalfi Coast is a bit challenging. Most travellers find themselves Googling “How to get to the Amalfi Coast,” or “How to get to Positano.”

Travellers will have to take one of the following forms of transportation to reach Positano. Naples airport would be the closest international airport and is about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Naples to Sorrento, Positano, Praiano, Amalfi, Maiori. The best ways to get there are:

Driving from Naples to Positano
Using the Positano shuttle
Getting a train to Amalfi coast then connect with a bus to Positano

Where to stay in Positano

Are you wondering where to stay in Positano? As with many places in Europe, with great beauty comes great costs – and Positano can is incredibly expensive. No need to worry though, affordable accommodations like Hostel Brikette and Villa Rosa Hotel offer large rooms, delicious foods, and stunning sea views.

Where to stay in Positano on a budget – Hostel Brikette
Where to stay in Positano on a mid-range budget – Villa Rosa
Where to stay in Positano if you’ve got £££ – Palazzo Murat
Where to stay in you’re a millionaire – Il San Pietro di Positano

Hostel Brikette is one of the best affordable accommodation options in Positano and offers guests breaktaking views of the town from their large terrace.

Villa Rosa is a brightly coloured hotel offers tourists wonderful accommodation for their stay in Positano with equally as beautiful terraces in most bedrooms and views across the wonderful town. Palazzo Murat is located just off the main streets in Positano and offers tourists a prime location to all the best cafes and and restaurants and is located close to the beach.

And lastly but not least, Il San Pietro di Positano. This hotel is unreal!! It is often included in ‘World’s Best’ hotel lists, and is sometimes how to the rich and famous. This hotel is luxurious, friendly, but is also family-run and owned so the hotel offers a certain edge of family warmth too.

Top 15 Things to do in Positano

1. Visit Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii

There are so many things to do in Positano, but the most popular place to visit is Pompeii, one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world. Buried in ash from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, the ruins reveal what life was like during ancient Rome. A visit to this site is amusing and worth a visit. As you explore the ruins and visit the forum, you’ll get to see some of the beautiful objects that were recovered from excavation. Not far from the area is Mt Vesuvius, you can take a tour into the slopes of the mountain as well as a hike to the crater. They offer daily trips that help you get to both of these locations with lunch provided for tourists.

2. Take a Wine Tour Through the Amalfi Countryside

Ever heard of a wine tour? They do exist in this town. The hills around this town have the best vineyards in Italy and with a wide variety of refreshing aromatic flowers. A wine tour is the best way to check out the local amusements. You are assured of having fan through the trip as you taste the different flavors as you develop your palette. As you check out the beautiful places in Amalfi coast, you’ll be guided by a local expert who will take you through a selection of vineyards as you learn how wine is produced in the area.

3. Take a scooter ride around the Amalfi Coast

Make sure you explore further out of the town of Positano too and then best way to do this is by scooter. Make sure you also visit the Amalfi Coast, and spend some time exploring the other towns in the local area – its such a beautiful region and there are other towns just as pretty as Positano! The absolute best way to do so is via scooter, of course. It’s an exhilarating way to explore the coastal roads.

4. Discover the Wonders of Capri

Well known as the legendary island of paradise, Capri is located in the southern corner of the Bay of Naples. The place is known to be a favorite spot for the rich and famous. Its rugged beauty has attracted so many people, from the Roman emperors to Hollywood superstars. With the Italian cuisine, designer boutiques and the Roman ruins, you will not miss a reason to take a trip to the spellbinding resort. There is so much to keep you entertained in this small island as well as an unspoiled countryside to discover. The main tourist attraction in this place is a special cave that was discovered in the 19th century.

5. Take amazing photographs

You’ll have seen the hundreds of photos on Instagram and google before you even stepped foot in Positano, and that’s because Positano is every photographer and instagrammer’s dream, with the incredible views, colourful buildings, clifftop cafes and beachside umbrellas. Around every corner, there is another amazing views and its the perfect place to grab some photos for your holiday album or your instagram. I am told that the best place to get a photo of the town and clean is from La Sirenuse or Hotel Marincanto, which are the only two hotels that have this view.

6. Relax on One of the Positano’s Famous Beaches

Known for its glamorous beaches, it’s almost impossible to visit Positano and leave without spending a day or two on the beach. The colourful umbrellas provide shade for you to lie under while relaxing after a swim in the sea. The Spiaggia Grande beach is one of the most famous beaches in town and is a great place to relax and sip a cocktail, especially with your loved ones. With some of the best restaurants around, music and nightclubs, Spiaggia Grande is the place to go for a lovely evening.

7. Visit Santa Maria Church

The Church of Santa Maria is a stunning catholic church located located just around the corner from the beach in the centre of town. It’s free to enter and it worth a visit to have a look at the amazing architecture, and to take a break from the sunshine. Santa Maria Church is open from 8am to 12pm and from 4pm to 8pm daily.

8. Hike the Paths of the Gods

This place is magical, and whether you are a fan of hiking or not, you will enjoy the walk. The path itself is quite impressive has because it has been curved on this landscape for centuries. Farmers still use the paths to this date, along with anyone who wants to navigate the landscape. It’s the best way to check out the incredible and breath-taking beauty of the Amalfi coast. In recent years, tourists have flocked to this location for the great view of the coast.

10. Explore the Amalfi Coast by Boat

Positano might be the greatest town to lay low on the Amalfi coast. The actual size of the Amalfi coast is about 31 miles and the best way to explore it is by boat. While touring through the coastline, you will encounter untouched beaches, bays and beautiful sceneries that are inaccessible by land. The coast is also one of the best places to go scuba diving. You can try the beach as you travel Italy.

11. Dance at Positano’s Legendary Cave Club

This is probably the craziest things to do in Positano. You will be amazed to know that the town is not known for its nightlife and partying, but the club attracts quite a huge number of tourists. The club is located in a small village and it is not only famous because of its amazing location but also the fact that you can hear waves crashing below as you enjoy your drinks.

12. Skydiving

Are you wondering what other things to do in Positano apart from parting and riding the waves out in the sea? Well, you can also get the best view of the coastline while sky diving. As a first-timer, you’ll be given a tandem master that will be strapped to you from the moment you jump off the plane to the moment you safely land. It’s quite an enjoyable treat of the day for those that don’t fear heights.

13. Stay at Hotel Marincanto

If you are thinking of where to stay in Positano, the hotel is a gem itself. The rooms are quite large, clean, and nicely decorated. The services offered are outstanding and perfect for everyone. While you stay here, you’ll experience a variety of delicacies specially made as per your request as well as enjoy the view of the ocean and city.

14. Walk the Famous Positano Streets

The only way you get to know the town s by walking down the streets on foot. It’s also a great way to find things to do in Positano at your leisure time during the vacation. During your stay, you can walk your way to the colorful church of Santa Maria; it’s the most famous site and features a dome made of majolica tiles.

15. Find pizza!

Food food food, is best served as pizza. If you are coming to Positano then you’ve got to find some of the best pizza in Italy. When we visited we headed to lots of restaurants and they were all amazing, offering both the western toppings and some of Italy’s more traditional pizza. Try some of the pizzerias located back from the beach for the more rustic and Italian flavours.

Positano is full of incredible views around every turn. Enjoy!

Are you on a road trip through Italy? Head north towards the also famous Cinque Terre for even more adventure!

Cinque Terre not a town itself, like most assume, but is in fact is a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. In each of the 5 towns, colorful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces, harbors are filled with fishing boats and trattorias turn out seafood specialties along with the Liguria region famous sauce, pesto.

Cinque Terre consists of five beautiful hillside towns Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We took a tour of the region, and stopped off at both Manarola and Monterosso al Mare.

Amalfi Coast Travel Guide: 15 Things to do in Positano

When to go to Positano

How to get to Positano

Where to stay in Positano