How about discovering Campania, in southern Italy? Here’s our rundown of the best places to stay in Positano!
A town in southern Italy’s Campania region, Positano is a seaside resort on the Amalfi Coast, near Naples and the famous archaeological site of Pompeii. Situated at the end of the Lattari Regional Nature Park and on the southern coast of the Sorrento peninsula, Positano has a permanent population of around 4,000. The town is built into the side of a hill on a very jagged relief, whose steep slopes plunge sheer into the deep blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, Positano nestles in the heart of breathtaking mountains, offering visitors a labyrinth of tangled alleyways with medieval buildings set against one another. Accommodation in Positano offers a veritable festival of colors and culinary delights. To visit Positano, you’ll need good shoes to climb the countless irregular, high steps to the top of the village. And if you want to rent accommodation and sleep in Positano, be warned that it will be very expensive.
Between hiking and boat excursions, visits to historic monuments and swimming, you’ll be seduced by Positano’s beauty. Here’s where to stay in Positano.
The city center
Positano has three beaches, from east to west: bagni d’Arienzo, Marina Grande and Fornillo. Along viale Pasitea and via Cristoforo Colombo, you’ll find one hotel after another, but beware of the higher nightly rates. To stay in Positano without breaking the bank, opt for home-stay accommodation, via Airbnb. In town, you can visit the church of Santa Maria Assunta, Positano’s landmark. It’s easy to spot by its bell tower, built in 1707, and its yellow, green and blue tiles. The interior features three naves, five arches and five chapels. It houses priceless paintings and frescoes dating from the 15th and 16th centuries.
First of all: you’ll be climbing a lot of stairs – good for the legs, good for the cardio! – between the hotel and the beach, between the restaurant and the hotel or parking lot (for a fee), as the town is built almost vertically into the rock. Outside, you’ll find more boutiques and souvenir stores for your shopping sprees, alongside a plethora of small cafés with sea views.
Find a hotel in Positano center
Find an Airbnb in Positano
Praiano, just south of Positano
Photo credit: Flickr – Mariano Mantel
Why stay in Praiano if you’re visiting Positano? Mainly because you’re a 3rd dan black belt hiker… Starting out from Positano, hike the Sentiero degli De i (Path of the Gods), a 4-hour itinerary at an altitude of 600 meters. It is so named because, according to Greek legend, it enabled the gods of Olympus – when the Greeks dominated the region – to listen to the song of the mermaids residing on the Li Galli islands off Positano. To rest your feet, book accommodation to sleep in Praiano in the evening.