After spending a hectic week exploring Herculaneum, Vesuvius, Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri, we arrived into Positano by ferry on a scorching hot morning in May, ready to spend a few relaxing days slowly exploring the most popular town along Italy’s dreamy Amalfi Coast.
Hotels close to Positano’s main beach had eye-watering prices, so we opted for a more affordable but less convenient option way up the town’s steep streets. After dropping off our bags, we immediately grabbed a mid-morning Aperol Spritz with a view, opened our list of unmissable things to do in Positano and crafted a loose itinerary to make sure we didn’t miss anything.
This is us with views over Sorrento behind
Hi, we’re Mark and Kristen Morgan. We left our scientific careers in 2018 to become travel writers and photographers, and since then our expert guides have helped millions of travel planners take better trips. Read more about us.
Why trust us with your Positano plans? We spent 2 full days ticking off all the popular spots around town, and we found a few hidden gems that are well worth adding to your itinerary. As always, every photo in this guide is ours.
Here’s our honest take – what Positano lacked in traditional attractions and things to do, it more than made up for with stunning views and a genuinely lovely atmosphere. This was a place we went to unwind, eat, drink, enjoy the finer things in life and escape the real world for a few days.
Based on the experiences we had, we’re going to show you the most unmissable things to do on a first visit to Positano, Italy. Okay, let’s begin!
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Relaxing On Beaches
Let’s start with the bad news. We didn’t love that Positano’s beaches were made of small gray pebbles (we much prefer a sandy beach), the water wasn’t especially clean because of the boats, and big portions of each beach were covered in sun loungers that could only be accessed through overpriced beach clubs. Personally, we thought €30-50 per person for sun loungers was outrageous.
But it wasn’t all negative. There were small sections on each beach for free public use, the atmosphere was vibrant and energetic, and the views were amazing. We found the beaches to be perfectly safe for everyone including families, there were water activities available, and there were plenty of places to eat and drink.
Spiaggia Grande
The first day we did Spiaggia Grande, which is the main beach next to Marina Grande (where the ferry drops off and picks up).
It’s the biggest and busiest beach in Positano, and it’s backed by restaurants and bars on Via del Brigantino. Half the beach was covered in paid sun loungers when we visited, but we mostly stuck to the free public section.
We took this photo of Spiaggia Grande right as we arrived into Positano by ferry
We paid €25 to rent a two-seater kayak for an hour but you can also hire boats (either with or without a skipper). The prices were surprisingly affordable if divided up among multiple couples or a bigger family, but it was just the two of us so we stuck to the kayak.
We rented a kayak but you can also rent these yellow pedal boats
Look on Google Maps and you’ll see all the restaurants along Spiaggia Grande have poor reviews and comments because they’re overpriced and the food isn’t as good as other parts of Positano.
But we did manage to find one awesome spot that you absolutely must try for drinks during the day called Ocean Bar. It had a real Amalfi Coast aesthetic and vibe, the drinks were fantastic and we didn’t have to pay for the beach club entry with sun loungers.
Fornillo Spiaggia
On our second day we went to the much smaller and more secluded Fornillo Beach. It was even more pebbly, rocky and uncomfortable, and around three-quarters of the total area was covered in beach club sun loungers.
We spent an hour or so relaxing on the tiny postcard-sized free public area close to one of the two old defensive towers at the end of the beach (which can be rented), and the water quality felt better to us.
We flew our drone a short way out to sea so we could capture this photo of Fornillo Beach
The restaurants and bars on Fornillo Beach were way more low-key, we thought it felt more like a chilled out beach-bum vibe compared with a ritzy, photo-shoots galore feel on Spiaggia Grande.
We grabbed snacks and drinks inside Da Ferdinando restaurant without paying for their beach club part, and it honestly felt so much more down to earth, affordable and calm. The food and drinks were great.
This was the free public section on Fornillo Beach
Tip: One thing we would consider doing for a splurge on a honeymoon to Positano is skip the two main beaches and instead go to the exclusive and private Arienzo Beach Club. It costs a lot more money (hundreds of euros) but it looks like a real premium experience.
Dining With Views
Forget the beaches, for us the essence of Positano was all about gorging ourselves on delicious food and drinks.
We just couldn’t stop eating fresh and incredibly tasty food, drinking refreshing cocktails and treating ourselves to an unreasonable amount of gelato.
We couldn’t resist this super Amalfi Coast looking photo
And it gets even better. Not only was the food excellent, but so many restaurants and bars had wide-open views over the photogenic town, the endless sky and the deep blue Tyrrhenian Sea.
They could have served us peanut butter on toast and we’d still have been happy with views like those!
We love (like, really love) Neapolitan pizza, and we always try to find places with authentic ingredients when we travel to new cities around the world, a bit like a collectors item. So when were this close to Naples how could we not eat pizza for either lunch or dinner every day?
We walked past this stunning terrace and view on Viale Pasitea
Other than the obvious pizza, pasta and lemon-focused food, we have to say it was seafood that undoubtably dominated Positano’s dining scene.
A dish called “scialatielli ai frutti di mare” which is essentially pasta with mussels and trimmings was extremely popular, clam spaghetti and sea urchin was on most menus, and we noticed octopus feature regularly too.
Where To Eat
We knew full well that every place on the seafront was overpriced and didn’t have great reviews, but the atmosphere was super lively and energetic, so we still gave it go. And we got exactly what we expected at La Pergola, a fun vibe but the pizzas weren’t as good and they cost more.
A lot of fancier places we tried were either reservation-only or too dressy and ritzy for what we wanted at the time. We’re happy to splurge every now and then, but sometimes a low-key spot is all you need.
This was the attractive inside of Ohima Restaurant (we sat outside)
So in a bid to escape the crowds, one evening we decided to go back down Via Cristoforo Colombo to Ohima Restaurant – and it turned out to be excellent. We had pizzas, amaretto sours, and a table outside for prime-time people watching.
The other night we decided to eat at Saraceno d’Oro half way up Viale Pasitea because it had great reviews and it wasn’t far from our hotel called Casa Pietro. And again, it turned out to be fantastic. The place had a low-key, homely, authentic feeling with a calm but buzzy atmosphere.
These were our delicious pizzas and amaretto sours at Ohima
We didn’t eat at the ultra-popular Ristorante Adamo ed Eva or at Ristorante Don Giovanni (both located at the top of Via Cristoforo Colombo) but they have exceptional ratings with fabulous views over Positano. Book in advance for both places.
Il Tridente on the rooftop of Hotel Poseidon looks like a wonderful aperitivo and dinner spot with amazing views, top ratings and surprisingly reasonable prices. We did actually try this one but it was fully booked, so make sure you book well in advance.
If you really want to push the boat out, La Sponda in Le Sirenuse Hotel has a Michelin star, excellent reviews and a stunning view. We had a look and it’s not cheap, but it’s where you get down on one knee and ask the big question.
Taking Cooking Classes
In our opinion, cooking classes and food tours are the best way to really get to know a region’s cuisine. Learning how to make food under the instruction of a local chef is such a cool way to expand your repertoire in the kitchen at home.
We’ve done a ton of cooking classes around the world, but there were two reasons we didn’t do any in Positano. First we didn’t have enough time and second the only options we could find required taking a bus or taxi to either Montepertuso or Pianillo.
Some foodie tours in the area include Limoncello tasting
Now, Montepertuso is a nice and easy 15 minutes drive by bus or taxi from Positano. But Pianillo is a longer trip – 1 hour by car or 1 hour 30 minutes by bus because you have to change in Amalfi.
We know that sounds like a lot of effort, but you could double up an early food tour in Pianillo with hiking the Path of the Gods in the afternoon (which we cover later) because it begins in nearby Bomerano.
Here are the top rated food tours and cooking classes near Positano that we’d actually love to do ourselves:
Tip: The two tours in Montepertuso work well if you don’t want to go far from Positano, but we actually think Sorrento is the best place for foodie tours on the Amalfi Coast. So if you don’t end up doing any of these tours in Positano, have a look at Sorrento food tours instead.
We found Positano’s shopping scene to be very one-dimensional, but in a good way. It was essentially lots of lovely boutique stores featuring sandals, limoncello, ceramics and linen clothing – all made expertly by locals.
We loved this terrace on Via Cristoforo Colombo filled with ceramic items for sale
Italian craftsmanship is well-known as being premium quality, so don’t expect to find any bargains. Handmade leather shoes were being sold for €75 when we were there if that’s anything to go by.
We could tell these leather shoes were excellent quality
If you have room in your suitcase and a healthy travel budget, we recommend walking the full length of Via dei Mulini near the main beach. We spent hours simply browsing through countless independent stores and admiring the high-quality items for sale.
We loved the lovely Via dei Mulini shopping street 
This was another photogenic shopping street near Spiaggia Grande
Limoncello liqueur is a popular souvenir to take home from the region and we found a few places selling it by the bottle along Via dei Mulini. Local foods like lemons, cheeses, olive oil and pasta are also great to take home.
We really enjoyed browsing linen clothes stores like this one
If Kristen didn’t already have enough beach clothes, she would definitely have picked up some elegant and flowing dresses from one of the lovely linen clothing shops.
On the whole, we’d say things in Positano were slightly more expensive than in other parts of Italy we’ve been. So if you’re planning a longer trip through Italy, maybe save your money for other markets and shops.
Visiting Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta is one of Positano’s most recognizable buildings, with its stunning tiled dome a standout part of the town’s skyline.
You’ll see it in most postcards of Positano, and we tried to capture it in as many photos as we could.
We took this photo of the church from Spiaggia Grande
We thought it was well worth stepping inside the church for 20 minutes to escape the crowds and heat, soak up a bit of local history and culture, and gaze upon a 13th century Byzantine icon of the Black Madonna and child.
And we took this close up photo from right outside the entrance
The interior was white-washed with a beautiful gold trim, along with columns, a nave, aisles, arches, chapels and religious objects from the 1700’s. We weren’t expecting much, so it was a pleasant surprise.
This was the bell tower located to the side of the church
From immediately outside the entrance in Piazza Flavio Gioia, we captured more photos of the church and its separate cuboid-shaped bell tower which was built in 1707. And at night the whole church would light up, which made for yet more excellent photo ops.
Exploring The Roman Archaeological Museum Of Positano
We almost missed this and we honestly think it’s one of the best hidden gem attractions in Positano. Beneath the Church of Santa Maria Assunta lies the ruins of an old Roman villa that was buried by the Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD.
The only reason we found it was because we were intrigued by a tiny red ticket kiosk outside the church, from which we learned about the archaeological site and immediately booked tickets for €15 each.
We were blown away by how well preserved the wall art was after excavation
We were given a time slot, and shown the entrance behind the bell tower. So later that day we came back and descended 11 meters into a well-preserved 2,000 year old villa adorned with frescoes and crypts.
Each time slot was limited to 10 people, so it was an intimate experience and we thought the guided tour was excellent. It’s open 9:00am-9:00pm and you can book online in advance to ensure you get a time slot.
This was the burial chamber which was a later use for the villa
Everyone will go to the beaches, browse the shops and eat great food – but not many people know this museum exists so it’s our top recommendation for getting off the beaten path in Positano.
Hiking Path Of The Gods
We travel, hike and take photos for a living, so the legendary Path of the Gods Trail was near the top of our bucket list when planning our 10 day Amalfi Coast itinerary – and it did not disappoint.
If you love hiking and great views, we can’t encourage you enough to fit this amazing hike into your Positano itinerary.
Here’s Kristen hiking Path of the Gods
There are several different ways you can hike the trail but the most popular is to take a bus from Positano to Amalfi and change onto another bus from Amalfi to Bomerano, before walking 5.5km (3.4 miles) to Nocelle.
This route is the easiest because it’s mostly downhill, and from Nocelle you can either take a 20-minute bus or walk down 1,700 steps to Positano.
We took this photo of Positano from Path of the Gods
Alternatively, you can take a bus (or walk up the 1,700 steps) from Positano to Nocelle, walk to Bomerano, walk back to Nocelle and descend into Positano.
And finally, you could do what we did, which was take a bus to Praiano and climb up a steep trail past a convent to join the main path back to Nocelle. We did the most challenging route because it had the most diverse trail and views.
We took the 1,700 steps down to Positano 
Here’s Kristen not far from the bottom of the steps
We know the logistics are a bit confusing but the hike is immense so don’t miss it. One thing to consider is that it will eat up a good half a day of your time in Positano no matter how you decide to do it.
Here’s our full guide to hiking Path of the Gods, in which we break down all the route options and walk you through the whole trail with a map.
Watching Sunset
Who doesn’t love a good sunset? We certainly do! On the Amalfi Coast we were blown away by a colorful sunset more than once, and in Positano our favorite place to watch sunset was Spiaggia Grande.
We got lucky with these lovely pink clouds at sunset
It’s cliche and obvious but the beach made for a better sunset photo spot than high up on Via Cristoforo Colombo because it had a more visually stunning foreground and it was closer to the town’s buildings angled on the cliffside.
We went down to the beach both nights we were in Positano and on the second night we got some nice bright colors in the clouds to contrast against a deep blue twilight sky.
And we took this wide-angle photo with more of the town in frame at sunset
But honestly, if you’re not bothered about taking home a print-worth photo, just book into a restaurant with a view and stay there for sunset.
You’ll have an elevated viewpoint overlooking the whole town and beach, so all you need is nature to play ball and give you a great sunset spectacle.
We walked to the far side of the beach for this twilight photo
Tip: One mistake we made was missing a viewpoint called Fotopoint Positano which is located on V. G. Marconi a few minutes walk west of town. It’s an elevated observation deck with an east facing view over Positano that would be amazing at sunrise and sunset.
Dancing At Music On The Rocks
Okay, here’s one thing you might want to do in Positano that we know divides opinion – and quite strongly based on these recent Google Maps reviews – go dancing at a nightclub called Music on the Rocks.
If you’re visiting the Amalfi Coast with a group of friends or a younger crowd and want a lively or boozy night, this place could be perfect for you.
This was Rada restaurant which turned into Music on the Rocks later
We stumbled into it one evening when we were taking sunset photos on the far east side of Spiaggia Grande (furthest point from the church). It was only around 8:00pm and there was nobody else inside because it doesn’t get busy until much later.
What did we find? Well, a weird and eccentric cave-like room with bright purple lights and some serious speaker power. It actually looked pretty fun and with the right crowd under the right circumstances we’d consider giving it a try.
We took this photo inside before it opened properly for the night
But based on the reviews we read, it seems like they have some real problems to address regarding inclusivity and even discrimination which of course is something none of us should find acceptable.
The other thing that stands out is how expensive it is, not just to get in, but also for any drinks after entry. We’ll leave this one up to you to decide if it’s worth trying based on what you read.
Taking Day Trips
With just one or two days in Positano you obviously won’t need to take a day trip. But if you’ll be visiting for 3+ days we highly recommend considering at least one day trip because there’s so many fantastic places right on the doorstep, and there’s not a huge amount to do in Positano itself.
Based on all the things we’ve done around the Gulf of Naples and Amalfi Coast, we would say Pompeii, Amalfi, Ravello, Capri and Sorrento are the best day trips to take from Positano.
Here we are on the Terrace of Infinity in Ravello
Doing It Yourself
Pompeii: If you rent a car, the drive is 50 minutes. Without a car, the easiest way to get to Pompeii from Positano is to take a bus to Sorrento and then board the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii Scavi station. But the full journey will take between 1.5-2 hours each way so it’s not especially convenient. Make sure you book tickets in advance to avoid any lines once you arrive at the ruins.
Amalfi & Ravello: Taking the SITA bus from Positano to Amalfi is super easy. We did it after leaving Positano and paid €2 for the 45-minute bus ride. From Amalfi to Ravello, the SITA bus takes around 25 minutes and costs €1.50. It was easy going up but we had to wait in a massive line going back down to Amalfi so factor that in.
Capri: Take this ferry to Capri. We did it in reverse from Capri to Positano and it took 30 minutes at a cost of around €33 each. Once you arrive, head up to Capri town, explore the Gardens of Augustus and walk down Via Krupp to Marina Piccola beach.
Sorrento: With a car you can drive to Sorrento in around 30-40 minutes from Positano so it’s super convenient. Even without a car, the bus only takes 50 minutes and costs less than €3 each way. Once you arrive, slowly walk along Via S. Cesario and Corso Italia to see the best of Sorrento.
This is us in the main square at Pompeii ruins with Vesuvius behind
Booking A Guided Tour
Pompeii: If you don’t mind taking a bus and train to reach the ruins by yourself, we highly recommend this top rated guided tour of Pompeii with Walks of Italy. We’ve done tours with them all over Italy and they’re always fantastic. Or if you’d like a driver to pick you up and drop you off in Positano along with a guided tour of the ruins, take a look at this highly rated guided tour with transport included.
Amalfi & Ravello: This top rated 7 hour boat tour from Positano includes swimming, caves, snacks, drinks and a stop in Amalfi. If you’re visiting Positano in a larger group, this private 7 hour boat tour with a stop in Amalfi is perfect because it includes up to 12 people (more people makes it cheaper for each person). Finally, this 7 hour private minibus tour takes you to both Amalfi and Ravello.
Capri: This boat tour of Capri gives you 4 hours free time on the island, or this deluxe tour to Capri by both sea and land includes full transportation to major attractions by boat and minibus. Personally, we’d pay a bit extra for the second tour.
Positano Attractions Map
Map key:
- Red – Attractions
- Blue – Restaurants
How to use this map: Click the map above to activate, then tap any icon to see more information. See a list of all attractions by clicking the arrow icon in the top left, or see a full version of the map by clicking the “view larger map” icon in the top right.
How to save this map: Click the small star next to the map title – this will add the map to your Google account. Open your Google Maps app, tap “saved”, then tap “maps” and open this map.
Next Steps
We hope our guide explaining the top things to do in Positano helps with planning your trip, but please let us know if you have any other questions in the comments box a little further below.
Still figuring out your plans for Italy?
Finally, if you’ll be visiting more places on the same trip, we recommend reading our Italy travel guide for helpful tips and advice.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.
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