Positano
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. - John Steinbeck at Le Sirenuse (1953)
pack.
Swimsuit
Days in Positano are best spent on the beach relaxing!
Flat sandals
Climbing 300+ stairs a day in heels just doesn’t work. Confession: I wore heels to dinner the first night in Positano and I honestly felt foolish. Everyone wears flats. Be sure to save room in your luggage for purchasing a custom handmade pair of sandals from the local shops!
Beach tunics / coverups / sundresses
You will live in these morning, noon and night! Looking for inspiration? Head over to Miguelina or Zimmermann! There are also tons of shops lining the streets of Positano that sell this same type of beach attire.
Sun hat
Besides preventing skin damage, a sun hat will keep you looking super chic on the beach or boat. Consider also packing some silk scarves for your hair. You’re in Italy…you might as well look the part!
Handbags
Crossbody - This will be your go to bag for exploring Positano and venturing out for lunch and dinner.
Tote bag - If you like heading to the beach fully prepared with reading material, sunscreen, snacks and h20, you may want to consider packing a tote bag. This Saint Laurent tote bag worked perfectly for the trip. It was easily packable in my carryon and I was able to use it for the beach and exploring!
Clutch - If your crossbody is more on the casual side, you may want to consider packing a clutch (nothing too formal) for a slightly dressier option for dinner and drinks.
jet.
Flights
We flew into Rome - Fiumicino International Airport (FCO). We spent time in Rome before driving to Tuscany and then Positano. If you plan on going straight to Positano, Naples International Airport is the closest option.
Driving
We drove a rental car from Tuscany to Positano. Although stunningly beautiful, this is not a drive for the faint of heart and was stressful at times. Think super small roads and large tour busses! If your budget can swing it, I strongly recommend hiring a driver to take you from Naples to Positano for a stress free ultra scenic trip.
eat.
La Sponda at Le Sirenuse
La Sponda
This is a must! La Sponda is located in the Le Sirenuse hotel. Every evening, the restaurant is illuminated with over 400 candles creating a dreamlike ambience. The restaurant is long and narrow ensuring each table can see the glowing view of Positano overlooking the sea. The food was nothing short of amazing and at one point we were even serenaded table side. I highly suggest making reservations well in advance of your trip. I was told months out they had no availability during our stay. They did however add us to a wait list and asked which hotel we would be staying at. Lucky for us, we received a phone call from our concierge our first night in Positano letting us know a reservation had opened up that night. This restaurant is honestly just magical!
Chez Black
You can find this gem right on the beach. It immediately caught my eye, as it is covered in beautiful wood details and tiffany blue upholstery. Lunch or dinner, this is a spot you will want to hit up at some point during your stay. Did I mention Denzel Washington loves this place? His photo is plastered all over the walls of the restaurant along with other celebrity visitors!
Breakfast (in general)
Most hotels offer free room service for breakfast in Positano. We ate breakfast on our terrace overlooking the sea almost every morning. Positano sunrise + Italian coffee + pjs = major win. Each morning we received an array of fruit, yogurt, cheese, meats, pastries and juices delivered straight to our terrace along with our coffee order.
Chez Black
Hotel Marincanto restaurant. We ate breakfast here the morning we decided not to eat on our terrace. Guests are also treated to a complimentary glass of prosecco here upon arrival and check in.
Typical room service breakfast
Casual pizza dinner
drink.
Limoncello
The Amalfi Coast is known for its lemons and limoncello. You will find this sunshine colored Italian liqueur lining the streets of most Positano shops. If staying at Le Sirenuse, they offer scheduled visits to local limoncello factory, Il Gusto della Costa. There the owner personally introduces visitors to the world of Amalfi lemons and limoncello!
Aperol Spritz
This refreshing beautiful orange cocktail combines prosecco with Aperol and soda water. It is an absolute must when in Italy during the warmer months!
Prosecco
Because it’s always a good idea to drink bubbles!
Italian Wine
After all, you are in Italy! If you’re like us, you may have already acquired quite a few bottles of wine from your time in Tuscany. Do purchase wine in Tuscany and bring it to the coast with you. We opened a bottle on our terrace every night while we watched the amazing Positano sunsets.
Limoncello is a must while in Positano!
Prosecco cocktails at Franco’s.
play.
Franco’s Bar at Le Sirenuse
Boat Charter
I can’t recommend this enough! We booked our private charter through Blue Star Positano. They were great to work with and our captain, Angelo, was amazing! The charter included endless prosecco, italian beer and snacks. We made stops at the Blue Grotto, Green Grotto and the island of Capri. At the end of an already amazing charter, captain Angelo even served up some homemade Limoncello! Check out B & T’s Capri travel guide (coming soon) for more photos of our charter.
Beach Clubs
This is a great way to spend the day lounging and sipping drinks in the Positano sun. I recommend checking out Treville Beach Club and La Scogliera.
This charming outdoor cocktail bar is located outisde Le Sirenuse Hotel. I highly recommend drinks at sunset. The bar is adorned with lemon trees and has an unbeatable view. We stopped at Franco’s for a cocktail on our way to dinner at La Sponda and could have easily stayed all night.
Music on the Rocks
This is the nightclub in Positano. The club is literally built into the cliffside! Be prepared to climb some stairs to get to the party. Don’t worry…it’s worth it!
Fly Lounge Bar
Located above Music on the Rocks, the Fly Lounge Bar has a completely different vibe. The lounge is adorned in candlelight, white lounge sofas, pops of greenery and bossanova music. This is the perfect spot to enjoy post dinner cocktails.
Terrace sunsets
Do take advantage of watching the sunset from your hotel terrace! Open a bottle of wine and enjoy some of the most beautiful sunsets you will probably ever see! We made a point of doing this every single night before heading out for dinner.
Day trip to Pompeii
Do take a day trip to Pompeii. The ruins are fascinating. We spent the day exploring the ruins and still made it back to Positano in time for sunset! I suggest buying your tickets online ahead of time to avoid lines.
Path of the Gods
This hike is also known as Il Sentiero degli Dei. The hike starts in nearby Bomerano and ultimately leads to Positano. Although we didn’t have time to do this on our trip, I hope to in the future. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the views and experience.
La Scogliera Beach Club
Beachside Positano
The sweetest local pup!
Stunning views in every direction as we walked through the streets of Positano
Pour a glass of wine and prepare yourself for some of the most beautiful sunsets you’ve ever seen.
sleep.
Another stunning view from our hotel, Hotel Marincanto
This hotel is stunning. It also happens to house Franco’s and La Sponda. The view from this hotel is iconic, as it overlooks all of Positano and one of Positano’s most infamous domes. The rooms are gorgeous and the amenities are unbeatable. Staying at Le Sirenuse also gives you access to their vintage wooden speedboat. Guests can take 2 hour excursions with unlimited prosecco during the months of June - September.
I recommend booking one of the two Junior Suite Special rooms. These rooms have large jacuzzi soaking tubs overlooking the sea. The view from the room was breathtaking. Like most locations in Positano, be prepared to walk up and down hundreds of stairs daily to get to the beach on foot. The pool at Hotel Marincanto seemed to be strategically positioned cliffside halfway between the hotel and the beach. We often stopped for a dip and cocktail when making our way back to our room from a day at the beach.
The view from our bathroom at Hotel Marincanto. The glass windows opened up directly to the terrace
One of the many stunning views walking from the hotel to the beach
A closer beach view as we made our way from our hotel down to the beach