Positano travel guide
Pastel houses, pebble beaches and the Path of the Gods
Positano is a steep Amalfi Coast town of stacked houses above two pebble beaches, reached by SITA bus or ferry. Come for the views, boat trips to Capri and the Path of the Gods walk; May, June and September beat the July and August crush. Two or three nights is about right. Positano is very pricey in summer, and many nationalities need no visa.
Positano drops down a steep ravine to the sea on the Amalfi Coast, a stack of pastel houses between the coast road above and the beach below. It is small, with under 4,000 residents, and nearly everything happens on one winding road and countless stairs. People come for the views, the beaches and boats to Capri or along the coast.
The SITA bus from Sorrento or Amalfi stops on the main road at the top of town, leaving you to walk, take a taxi or ride the small local bus down. Sit on the right from Sorrento for the views. In high season, from late April, the buses are packed. You can wait a long time for one back. The boat is often easier: ferries reach Amalfi in about 15 minutes, while hydrofoils serve Sorrento.
Two beaches frame the town. Spiaggia Grande, below the church, is the busy one, with rows of paid loungers. A cliffside path leads west to Fornillo. It is smaller and calmer, with a handful of beach bars. Both are pebble rather than sand.
Santa Maria Assunta sits just behind Spiaggia Grande under its tiled majolica dome, keeping a Byzantine icon of the Madonna. Beneath it, the MAR museum shows a Roman villa buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD. Found during restoration work in 2003 and opened in 2018, it still has a painted dining room in bright colour.
High above town sit the villages of Montepertuso and Nocelle, at the end of one of Italy's best coastal walks. The Path of the Gods runs along the cliffs from Agerola to Nocelle; from there, steps lead all the way down into Positano. Start early with plenty of water. Avoid midday in summer.
Seafood and lemons dominate menus, as they do along the whole coast. For a view with dinner, Da Costantino sits at the very top of town; Da Vincenzo on Viale Pasitea is a long-standing family place. Prices drop the further you eat from the beachfront.
Explore Positano by theme
Find your kind of trip: 24 travel themes, each with the packages in Positano.
Positano at a glance
The essentials first-time visitors ask about, in one place.
Explore more of Italy
Pick a place by travel style: beaches, nature, cities, heritage, hills, islands.
Nothing in that category yet.
Top things to do in Positano
Two beaches, a Roman villa under the main church, cliff walks and boats along the coast.
No things to do in Positano are listed yet. Browse all things to do
Best time to visit Positano
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Warm sea, full ferry timetables and room to move on the beaches.
Hot, crowded and expensive; buses fill fast, so use the ferries where you can.
Quiet, with many hotels, boats and seasonal buses closed until spring.
From late April the SITA buses towards Sorrento can be so full that you wait a couple of hours, so plan on a ferry where possible.
Packages in Demand
A Journey to Remember
Tours, activities and day trips in and around this destination, with the details you need before booking.
No packages in Positano are listed yet. Browse all packages
Create Your Custom-Made Trip to Positano
Traveling to Positano? Chat with a Local Travel Specialist in Positano Who Can Help Organize Your Trip.
START HEREOur Travel Experts are Recommended by
Plan your trip
Practical answers before you go. Pick a topic.
Getting there
SITA coast road, Travelmar boats or a booked garage
Positano has no station and no airport. From Naples airport most people go first to Sorrento, by bus or by the Circumvesuviana train from central Naples, then take a SITA bus along the coast. Ferries from the port of Naples are the other route and save about an hour over the road.
- SITA bus
- Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi, 2 to 3 an hour
- City Sightseeing bus
- April to October, Sorrento to Positano in about 40 minutes
- Travelmar ferry
- Amalfi to Positano in about 15 minutes
- Hydrofoil
- Sorrento to Positano, several a day in season
- Buy SITA tickets in bars and newsagents before boarding.
- Buses stop up on the main road, while boats land at the beach.
- From Sorrento, sit on the right of the bus for sea views; from Salerno, sit on the left.
- In peak season, return buses can be too full to board, so allow slack or take a boat.
- Drivers should reserve a garage space before arriving.
Where to stay
Spiaggia Grande, Fornillo or up in Nocelle
Every part of Positano involves stairs, so choose by what you want close: the beach and the ferries, or the bus stop on the main road. Rooms near Spiaggia Grande cost the most and hear the evening crowds, while Fornillo is calmer.
- Near Spiaggia Grande
- Steps from the beach and ferries; busiest and priciest
- Fornillo
- Quieter beach side to the west, with family-run guesthouses
- Upper town by Chiesa Nuova
- Near the SITA stop from Sorrento; long walk down to the sea
- Montepertuso and Nocelle
- Village calm high above, on the Path of the Gods
- Higher up, along Viale Pasitea and around Chiesa Nuova, you are nearer the Sorrento buses but face a long climb back from the sea.
- Many places close in winter.
Getting around
Local bus and stairs
One road, Viale Pasitea on one side and Via Cristoforo Colombo on the other, loops down from the coast highway through the town and back up again. Almost everything sits along it or on the stairways in between. A small orange local bus follows the loop and also climbs to Montepertuso and Nocelle.
- Local orange bus
- Loops through town and climbs to Montepertuso and Nocelle
- Stairs
- Shortcuts between every level, often faster than the bus
- Ferries
- From the beach pier to Amalfi, Sorrento and Capri in season
- Buy its tickets in a shop beforehand, as they cost more from the driver, and note that Unico Campania tickets are not valid on it.
- Below the road, the lower town is a maze of pedestrian lanes and steps down to the beach, where the ferry pier is.
- Buy local bus tickets in a shop; they cost more on board.
- Wear shoes with grip, as the old steps are steep and worn smooth.
Know before you go
What makes Positano worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Spiaggia Grande at sunset, looking back up at the town piled against the cliff.
- The Path of the Gods, walked from Agerola and finished on the long stairway down through Nocelle.
- The Roman villa under Santa Maria Assunta, with its frescoed dining room.
- A boat to Capri on a summer morning, close under the cliffs.
- Fornillo beach, smaller and calmer than the main one.
Good to know
- Parking is scarce: reserve a garage space ahead if you drive.
- Expect stairs everywhere; pack light and pick a hotel near your bus stop if mobility is an issue.
- Return buses fill up in season, so allow extra time if you have a train or flight to catch.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Positano, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Positano are being researched.
Spiaggia Grande, Fornillo and the Path of the Gods
Two days in Positano split between the town and the cliffs. Day one covers Santa Maria Assunta, the MAR Roman villa, Spiaggia Grande and a calmer evening at Fornillo. Day two is the Path of the Gods from Agerola to Nocelle, then a late ferry to Amalfi; in summer, swap the hike for Capri.
Day one, morning. Start in the lower town at Santa Maria Assunta, then go below it to the MAR museum and its Roman villa. Spend the rest of the morning on Spiaggia Grande, or take a short boat ride along the coast.
Afternoon and evening. When the main beach gets crowded, follow the cliff path west to Fornillo, which is calmer, and stay for a drink as the light goes. For dinner, head to the top of town, where Da Costantino looks down over the whole bay.
Day two. Catch an early bus to Agerola and walk the Path of the Gods toward Nocelle, along the cliffs high above the sea. From Nocelle, the long stairway takes you down to Montepertuso and Positano, or you can ride the local bus. Rest through the afternoon heat, then take a late ferry to Amalfi, 15 minutes along the coast, for an evening walk around its cathedral square.
Summer swap. Between June and September, consider giving day two to a boat trip to Capri instead, and do the hike on a cooler day.
Scialatielli, delizia al limone and tables on Viale Pasitea
Positano cooks Amalfi Coast food: local fish, tomatoes and lemons. Order scialatielli with seafood, delizia al limone for dessert and limoncello to finish. Tables on Spiaggia Grande charge for the location, so climb to Viale Pasitea or the top of town for better value, and book terrace dinners ahead in July and August.
Positano's menus follow the rest of the Amalfi Coast: fish and shellfish caught locally, tomatoes, and lemons in everything. Look for scialatielli, a short, thick fresh pasta typical of the coast, usually served with seafood. Delizia al limone, a sponge dome soaked and filled with lemon cream, is the classic dessert, and limoncello closes most meals.
Where you eat matters more for price than quality. Tables right on Spiaggia Grande charge for the location. Climb a little and things improve: Da Vincenzo on Viale Pasitea is a family place with homemade desserts, Da Costantino at the very top of town pairs pizza and gnocchi with a view over the whole bay, and Grottino Azzurro by the Chiesa Nuova bus stop serves local dishes away from the crowds.
Book ahead for dinner in July and August, especially anywhere with a terrace. Lunch at a beach bar on Fornillo is a more relaxed alternative to the main beach.
Ferries to Amalfi, Ravello and Capri
Amalfi, 15 minutes by ferry, is the easiest day trip from Positano, with buses on to Ravello. Capri is the classic summer outing by boat from the beach pier, and Ischia and Paestum are longer days. Sorrento is about 40 minutes west by bus, with trains to Naples and Pompeii.
Positano sits midway along the coast, which makes it a good base for boats and buses in both directions.
Amalfi is the easiest outing: 15 minutes by ferry, with a cathedral square and paper-making history. From Amalfi, buses climb to Ravello, a quiet hill town of villas and gardens high above the sea. Buses from Amalfi make the combination simple.
Capri is the classic summer trip. Boats leave from the beach pier in season, and some private trips circle the island and stop at the Blue Grotto. Allow a full day. Ischia is also reached by seasonal boats, and the Greek temples of Paestum make a longer day out by way of Salerno.
Walkers should not miss the Path of the Gods, which starts in Agerola and ends just above Positano in Nocelle. Westwards, Sorrento is about 40 minutes by bus, a larger town with more shops and trains on to Naples and Pompeii.
Travelers are asking
No questions yet about Positano. Ask the community or our travel team, and the answer will show here once it is published.
Our travel desk answers questions about Positano
How we research our Positano travel guide
SITA buses, Travelmar ferries and the local bus in Positano are reviewed each season against the Comune di Positano website and Italia.it, with the Amalfi Coast's UNESCO listing for background.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of PositanoItalia.itUNESCO World Heritage Centre
Before You Go...
Discover Trips & Info
A Travel Network Connection Travelers and locals
Incredible Event & Festival, Don't Miss!
Most Popular Event & Festival of Positano
Festivals and events in this destination, with dates, venues and ticket details where available.
No upcoming festivals or events in Positano are listed right now. Browse all events
Memorable Experiences
Where to Go (& NOT Go) In Positano!
Roaming the World one Adventure at a Time: Travel Tales, Tips, and Inspiration for wanderlusters.
Subscriber
Popular car hire destinations
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Positano.
Getting there
Allow about 40 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. SITA buses run two or three times an hour, and hydrofoils are an alternative in season.
Yes. Travelmar ferries link Amalfi and Positano several times a day in about 15 minutes.
General
Yes. A ferry from Naples saves about an hour compared with the train to Sorrento and the SITA bus along the coast.
Yes. Two or three nights lets you see the town, walk the Path of the Gods and take a boat to Capri or Amalfi.
Spiaggia Grande is the main, busier beach below the church. Fornillo, reached by a cliff path to the west, is smaller and more relaxed.
Very; stairs link every level and save time over the road. The local orange bus runs up and down the one road through town.
A cliff-top hiking trail from Agerola to Nocelle, high above the coast. From Nocelle, stairs lead down to Positano.
A Roman villa buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, now the MAR museum, with frescoed walls in its dining room. It opened to visitors in 2018.
One road, Viale Pasitea on one side and Via Cristoforo Colombo on the other, loops down from the coast highway through the town and back up again. Almost everything sits along it or on the stairways in between. A small orange local bus follows the loop and also climbs to Montepertuso and Nocelle.
Positano is best known for:
- Spiaggia Grande at sunset, looking back up at the town piled against the cliff
- The Path of the Gods, walked from Agerola and finished on the long stairway down through Nocelle
- The Roman villa under Santa Maria Assunta, with its frescoed dining room
- A boat to Capri on a summer morning, close under the cliffs
- Fornillo beach, smaller and calmer than the main one
Every part of Positano involves stairs, so choose by what you want close: the beach and the ferries, or the bus stop on the main road. Rooms near Spiaggia Grande cost the most and hear the evening crowds, while Fornillo is calmer.
Timing & weather
In late April. May, June, September and October are the best months; July and August are the busiest and hottest.
Booking
Yes. Parking is scarce and the coast road is often congested, so reserve a garage space before you arrive.
Visa & documents
Schengen rules apply in Italy. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Violent crime against visitors to Italy is rare. Pickpocketing is the main problem, especially on buses and metros in Rome (bus 64 is notorious), at Roman and Florentine sights, and at Termini and Naples Centrale stations. Wear your bag across your body and zip it, and use only licensed white taxis or official ride apps.
