Positano, Italy

The Amalfi Coast was an unexpected experience. It wasn’t the historical sites, though it has plenty; it was everything else. Everything from the endless stairs to the crashing waves and coastal view.

Getting to our hotel in Positano, known for their linen clothes and Limoncello, took more work than we’d planned. To avoid the narrow, windy roads that barely hug the steep cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, we had already bought boat tickets to travel from Salerno to Positano. Unfortunately, the famed “siesta plan,” where businesses close in the afternoon so Italians can nap, threw off our timing. The car rental office didn’t reopen until after the boat was schedule to set sail.

After some worried frustration, we decided our friend Jessica and I would take the boat. Our friend Jeff and Chris stayed behind to deal with the car and would meet us later.

cliff town on amalfi coast italy

break from driving car in italy

When Jessica and I arrived to the dock of lower Positano, a porter told us it was too many steps to lug our luggage, we should let him carry our bags or take a bus for 12 euros each. I told him I was strong (and I thought that was enough money for 2 bottles of wine!). He laughed at me. But 220 stairs later, the view from my balcony was worth lugging my own luggage.

stairs going up in positano italy

stairs to hotel in positano italy

patio outside positano hotel room

view of balcony in hotel room with beach below

view from hotel balcony in positano italy

beach and sea view from hotel in positano italy

One of our most relaxing nights of the trip was sitting on the balcony, eating our “picnic” dinner from a local deli, chatting and enjoying the view once we all met up again.

I loved sleeping with the balcony doors open, listening to the waves of the Mediterranean Sea crash on the pebbly, rock beach below. Italians don’t have screens covering their windows or doors, so leaving the balcony doors wide open was a surreal, freeing experience for me.

dinner from deli in positano italy

flowers and italian town

street door in positano italy

view of sea above italy town

toasting dinner in positano italy

positano italy cliff town above mediterranean

Positano was a beautiful town and more relaxing than I thought it would be!

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2