Positano

Positano is the postcard image of the Amalfi Coast: pastel-colored houses cascade down a steep cliff to the sea, bougainvillea overgrows the stairs, and the dome of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta shines in majolica tiles. John Steinbeck wrote in 1953: "Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone."

The town is small, steep, and expensive. There is one main street (Via Pasitea) and hundreds of stairs. The Spiaggia Grande is the main beach (deck chair + umbrella from 20–30 €), the Spiaggia di Fornillo (10 min walk) is quieter and cheaper. Most hotels charge 200–500 € per night in high season.

Positano's true magic reveals itself in the off-hours: at 7 am, when fishermen push their boats into the water, or at 9 pm, when streetlights bathe the facades in warm light and the day tourists have disappeared in their buses.