Positano has a very special place in my heart - so special that I decided I cannot go back until I fall in love.
I just so happened to be on Pinterest one day and saw a picture of a pool on the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast and immediately said "I NEED TO GO THERE!". Flash forward 3 months and I was sitting at a restaurant my first night in Positano drinking a glass of wine looking at the sunsetting over the Mediterranean. You could say it was one of the most blissful moments I have had in my life.
Let me just preface with the fact that I booked this trip a few months after I became single, when I was needing to prove to myself that I could provide my own sense of happiness. So, whether you are wanting to do Positano solo, or with your significant other, or with your family, I can guarantee Positano will NOT disappoint.
Day 1
Getting to Positano is not the easiest trek - but aren't some of the most beautiful places also the hardest to get to?
I flew into Naples and booked a car through Booking.com to drive me to Positano. If you get car sick easily, TAKE MOTION SICKNESS MEDICINE! This drive is about 1.5 hours and it will twist and turn you along the cliffside of the Amalfi Coast.
Once I arrived at Casa Guadagno, I was STUNNED by the view. I have been to some nice places around the world, but nothing compared to the view from our balcony. This hotel is located on the Il Fornillo side of Positano, so it is away from the "hustle and bustle" of Positano center.
Once my friend arrived, we got ready to head to our dinner reservation at Restaurante Bruno - do note that being late is the Italians version of being on time. We sat on the side of the street and immediately ordered a bottle of white wine to sip while we watched the sunset.
I knew that I was in store for some of the best pasta while in Italy, but I was not prepared for it. The first bite of my pasta instantly had my taste buds doing a happy dance - for sure cannot make this in my apartment kitchen.
After dinner, we walked around and found a place to sit down, Caffe Positano, and shared a bottle of Prosecco and Tiramisu. By the time we were done, it was almost midnight and the long day of traveling was hitting me, so we walked back to our hotel to burn off all the food and drinks
Day 2
We woke up early for our day at Arienzo Beach Club, and let me tell you... this place was a DREAM!
They provide water taxis to and from this beach club and it was first come first serve for the package we did, so naturally we wanted to be some of the first ones there. We got our loungers in the second row and started to soak up the sun.
Our package included two drinks each and a 3 course lunch per person. As I was scanning the menu I knew I wanted an Aperol Spritz because DUH - we are in Italy, but then a Limoncello Spritz caught my eye and I knew I needed it. THIS DRINK WAS SO STRONG - but so delicious.
We opted to have our lunch in the restaurant instead of at our loungers to get a little break from the sun. The view from here was even better than from our loungers! We also ordered a separate bottle of rose to share because WHY NOT!
After we were done soaking up the sun, we got a water taxi back to Positano and started getting ready for dinner. This night was the only night we did not have dinner reservations ahead of time, but the night before we walked by a restaurant that was packed and made a reservation, Da Vincenzo. The inside of the restaurant looks like it was created by being carved into the cliffside - it was beautiful! My friend I was with had been living in Italy for almost a year at this point and said for a digestif (after dinner drink) that I should try Amaro. Since it was a dark liquor, I thought it was going to be like a Whiskey - and I HATE whiskey. To my surprise, it was nothing like it, but instead it was more like an herbal liquor that had my taste buds happy.
Day 3
One thing most people recommend in Positano is seeing it by water - and they sure are right. We decided to to a group tour with Blue Star Positano and it was such a great experience with great customer service! They have private tours too, but we opted for the Amalfi Coast Group Tour. Our first stop was at a Grotto - not the Blue Grotto - and we were able to jump in the water and swim into the cave. Now, I have seen some beautiful turquoise water throughout the Caribbean, but the water off the Amalfi Coast is the most clear and beautiful water I have ever seen.
Our next stop was to Amalfi to explore the town. We wandered through the streets and ended up finding an antique store that we spent most of our time in. My friend is really into Operas and found a calendar with different Opera locations, as well as a handmade scrap book to add photos from her different adventure. When we were heading back to the boat, we stopped by a place that served us lemon sorbet in a lemon. We were able to pick our own lemon from their bunch to use as our cup - and these lemons were bigger than my hand! Grab extra napkins because the sun is hot in the summer time and it gets sticky when it melts.
After exploring Amalfi, we cruised over to our lunch spot at Ristorante Da Teresa - you can only get to this place by boat. We had our appetizers, entrée, and a drink included in our tour, and then relaxed on the loungers until it was time to head back to Positano.
Before we got back to Positano, we anchored down on the coast and our tour guide gave us all homemade Limoncello. And to our surprise, he played us a few songs on his accordion - talk about a memorable experience!
Dinner this night was at Next2, a Michelin star restaurant. My friend is also passionate about Michelin star restaurants and trying their tasting menus. I had never been to one before, so I said why not, and let me tell you.... this was a very unique experience. I had never tried octopus before since I am very picky about my food textures, but I LOVED the way they made this - so much so that I continued to order octopus when I visited other Mediterranean cities. Even though you can order off their regular menu - I highly recommend doing their tasting menu and adding on wine pairings.
Day 4
This was our final day in Positano and we spent it by exploring the town. Our first stop was breakfast at Casa e Bottega. The breakfast here was SO fresh - I mean just look at the color of the tomatoes below! After we were done with breakfast, we shopped around their fresh produce and handmade home items. Sadly, my suitcase was already bursting at the seams, so taking something home was not an option for me.
After breakfast, we were fueled up for a day of shopping. We went into many different stores looking at local art, lemon products, and souvenirs. For lunch, we stopped at Chez Black for a quick bite to eat and drinks of course.
Before dinner, we stopped at Franco's Bar for aperitif (before dinner drinks and snacks). We had to wait in line since it is a small area with limited seating. Try to go around sunset since it looks over the cliffs and ocean. Disclaimer: when I went we had to order at least $20 worth of drinks. Disclaimer #2: each drink was $20.
Dinner was at Terrazza Cele and this was probably my favorite dinner of the week! The seating area was STUNNING, the food was mouth watering, and the waiters were amazing. We shared two bottles of wine, and of course we both had Amaro since it was our last night in Positano... safe to say I don't remember how much our dinner was.
Things To Know Before Traveling to Positano
I went at the end of August and beginning of September and it was HOT still. My friend said that August is typically the busiest month for travel in Italy due to the Italian holiday - Ferragosto
STEPS on STEPS! You are going to climb a lot of stairs in Positano - but it helps burn off all the amazing food and drinks you will have
Make reservations about 2 weeks prior to going - especially if you are going in the busy season
You can make your trip to Positano as inexpensive as possible - but Positano is a luxurious destination. So, if you want the most out of it, I would splurge a bit.
MOTION. SICKNESS. MEDICATION. The road is windy and high up at times on the way to Positano, so if you get car sick, bring medicine.
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