Visit Positano in Amalfi coast: what to do and to see

Visit the beautiful town of Positano is called “vertical” because is perched on the high cliffs of the Lattari Mountains, its multicolored houses extend downwards to the crystal clear sea.

Positano never stops charming visitors with its narrow up and down streets, therefore becoming Unesco Heritage in 1997.

Coming from Naples, you have to reach Sorrento first, either by the circumvesuviana train or the train from the central station, and then from Sorrento you can proceed to Positano either by hydrofoil or SITA Sud bus.

If you want to reach Positano from Salerno, from April to October you can take either the Travelmar ferry-boats or the SITA Sud buses that stop at Amalfi and from there change and take the one that goes to AMALFI-POSITANO-SORRENTO.

The first thing that will catch your eye as soon as you get to Positano is the Chiesa Santa Maria Teresa dell’Assunta (the Church of Saint Mary Therese of the Assumption) in Piazza Flavio Gioia, with its characteristic cupola studded with green and yellow tiles depicting the sun and the Mediterranean vegetation.

According to the legend, the Virgin Mary in person asked for the church to be built there, it is said that the Black Virgin Mary with the baby painting (today placed on the altar) was on a boat wrecked away by a storm near Positano, and suddenly, on the sailing ship, a voice came out of from the painting saying “lay, lay”, meaning “stop here”… and so, the church was built right there.

Next to the church there is the Roman Villa of Positano housing the MAR – Roman Archeological Museum.

The Roman villa was covered by ash during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, and renovated today. You can visit to the wonderful frescoes in the villa consist and you can also see the underground crypts of the church.

From the Roman villa you can walk upwards through the wonderful narrow streets, full of colors where you can scent  the many citrus fruits, and see small art galleries, in the old town of Positano.

From the Spiaggia Grande of Positano, on the right, walk along a tiny road overlooking the sea leading to the Fornillo Beach. A beautiful walk on a panoramic pathway offering extraordinary panoramic views.

Alternatively, we suggest you to take a vehicle accessible road that from Positano leads up the hill to Montepertuso, the famous mountain with a hole (“pertuso” in local dialect) that, according to the legend, was the battlefield where the Devil and the Virgin Mary clashed.

Instead, if you simply want to relax, the best thing to do is do some shopping through the narrow streets of Positano, famous for its “beach fashion”, especially for its handmade sandals!