Today is the perfect day for me to finally post about our visit to Positano last September as it is unbearably cold and wet in Seattle right now. What I would give to be back in 80 degree weather with a ice cold Aperol Spitz in my hand. Our AirBnb was based in Sorrento so we only had one day trip to Positano. My biggest regret is that we didn’t get to spend more time in Positano, but you can see A LOT in just a few hours because it’s such a small town. Also, I think it’s pretty common for people to stay in Sorrento because of its easy to travel to location and convenience of doing day trips via ferry, bus, or private driver. I did an entire Sorrento guide here, you will definitely want to look into Sorrento if you are planning on an Amalfi Coast trip.
There are a few ways of getting from Sorrento to Positano, depending on the time of year (we went mid-September which is technically on the edge of busy season but it was still CRAZY crowded with tourists) and your budget. We could have taken a ferry, hired a private car, took a public bus, or a private bus and we decided that the best time/cost was the private bus. You definitely do not want to rent your own car. We used the Coast to Coast bus that leaves from the main Sorrento train station. I recommend buying your tickets in advance at the station because they sell out quickly on the day of. The bus ended up being an hour late due to traffic but not out of the norm for Italy transportation. We got going around noon and it took about an hour to get to Positano. If you want to get the best view and you aren’t afraid of heights make sure you snag a seat on the right side of the bus (looking forward) so you can gaze out to the ocean upon the death defying cliffs.
Once we got there things really worked out for us in terms of itinerary – I feel like we really maximized our short time there. There are a few things I would have done differently and I’ll list those at the end of the post.
1.Stop at Le Sirenuse to get the most iconic Positano photo
The bus will drop you off at the top of Positano and as you start to walk towards the town you will see Franco’s bar (more on that later) and Le Sirenuse, one of the most beautiful and expensive hotels in Positano. And for good reason. If you walk straight in and go out the back deck you will have the chance to take a photo of one of the most beautiful views in all of Positano. It has a beautiful view of the famous tiled dome of the Santa Maria Assunta, the town of Positano, and water.
2. Make your way to the bottom of Positano
You will get to see a lot of Positano simply by walking down the winding streets. They are very narrow and don’t allow for cars, but be prepared for it to be congested with tourists. There are lots of quaint restaurants and shops to stop into, but my favorite part is just how beautiful everything is. Pergolas with brightly colored flowers and greenery covering peach toned walls.
3. Walk to Marina Grande
The Marina Grande or Le Spiaggia Grande is the biggest beach in Positano. It has the best view of the town but it was far too busy for us to hang out in. Nice to see and photograph but not to stay long.
4. Walk to the other side of Positano
We then took a very quick and scenic walk over to the other side of Positano towards Fornillo, the next major beach area. It is much quieter and relaxing which amazed me since it’s just a 10 minute walk along Via Positanesi D’America.
Looking back on Marina Grande.
Looking forward to Fornillo.
5. Grab a bite and drink at Da Ferdinado
At this point we were ready for our normal pre-Aperitivo carbs and drink (does anyone else feel like they eat 25 meals a day in Italy?!?!) and we stopped by Da Ferdinado which is just down the stairs from Puppeto which is the popular hotel restaurant. Da Ferdinado is more casual and sits right on the beach so you have an amazing view. ALSO, it was, no joke, the best Bruchetta I’ve ever had in my life. So random.
6. Walk back up and shop for souvenirs at the famous pottery shops
Time to burn off some off our 2nd lunch calories. We found the first staircase we could find and just started walking. We stopped into a few shops on our way up to get souvenirs (and take a break lol). Pottery may be the absolute worst thing to have to travel with but we found some really beautiful spoon rests that were easy to pack and durable.
7. Get in line at Franco’s bar
By the time we made it to the top it was around 4:45 and the last bus comes at 6:30 – where you are pretty screwed if you don’t make it on the bus, so we worried for time. We saw a line at Franco’s bar, which is the bar next to Sirenuse with a panoramic view, so we got in line to try and get in right as it opened at 5. We had heard that the drinks and music were great and it was close enough to where our bus would pick us up we could do a stress free Aperitivo. We got in and got a decent table, but I’d say if you got there 30-45 min before it opened you could get one of the esteemed front tables with the most incredible views. The music was great and so were the drinks and free aperitivo snacks of popcorn and olives.
After a couple of rounds, which are much needed for the nauseating ride back to Sorrento, we had to go wait for our bus. We got to see a lot of Positano, but would have loved to experience more and spend more time there.
My biggest recommendation is just to spend more than a day in Positano. I think I would have been happy with 3 full days there. Just like many of the towns on the Amalfi Coast, a lot of the crowds leave come nightfall, leaving a much less chaotic vibe.
If we had more that one day in Positano:
- Eat at:
- Ristorante Bruno
- La Sponda
- Casa e Botega
- Chez Black
- Ristorante Max
- Lounged at Fornillo Beach
- Had coffee and pastries at Collina Bakery
- Gone on day trips to nearby towns like Amalfi, Ravello, Praiano, and Minori/Maiori
- Danced the night away at Music on the Rocks
- Hiked The Path of Gods
- Purchased more hand painted Spoon Rests because they were a hit! Haha!
Have you been to Positano? Planning to go? You can also see my guide on Sorrento here, my Amalfi Coast packing list, and essentials for long haul flights here.
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xx Kylie