Positano is obviously gorgeous, I mean I think I took approximately 1000 photos in the three days I was there. It is also...a place where every couple in the world is on their honeymoon. So while it's an incredibly safe place to visit (like 100% of their revenues are from tourism, so they can't afford to get a "dangerous" reputation), you definitely need to be very secure in the fact you're there alone lol. So as long as you don't mind getting a side-eye that you're taking up a two-top for dinner as a solo diner (yes this really happened), then I highly recommend staying here to experience the beautiful Amalfi coast.
Spoiler alert: there's a lot of bloggy BS below. If you are like me and you are an impatient lil bug, you can just click here to get to an itinerary list.
Day 1:
First thing's first... getting to Positano is not easy. I think a lot of people rent a car if they have multiple people in their travel group but as a solo traveller it wasn't the most cost-efficient way to get there (and more importantly, I hate driving). I took the Italo train from Firenze to Napoli which left at 8:43am and took three hours for 65 EUR. I had a quick lunch in the Naples train station while I waited for the shuttle service I arranged.
I booked a Shared Shuttle Service through Sorrento Coast Shuttle. They charge just 45 EUR each way to bring you from Naples to Positano. Like the name implies, it's a shared service but it kind of operates like an Uber Pool--sometimes there's other people in the car with you and sometimes there isn't. On the way there, I shared with another solo female traveller who got dropped off in Sorrento (probably added another 20-30 minutes to our total trip) but on the way back I was totally solo. You can pick your drop-off zone in Positano and luckily one of them was right by my AirBnB (Fornillo Cave). You need to pay your driver in cash at the end of each ride, which is the one downside, but for the price I don't think there's a better way to get to Positano solo.
I checked into my AirBnb around 2:30pm and my host was there to greet me and show me the apartment. Accommodations in Positano are soooo expensive. My options for under $300 a night were basically a hostel, a single bed room in a hotel with no windows, or a new AirBnb with barely any ratings. I decided to swing for the fences and book the AirBnB (don't worry, the owner had other apartments that had great ratings, so I wasn't going in completely blind). It was honestly perfect--the apartment was understated and clean with a really comfy bed and a perfect balcony to see the water. The pictures online honestly don't do it justice.
After relaxing for a bit, I decided to take a walk into town. Everything in Positano is technically walking distance but there's a lot of hills, so it's not the easiest walk. The "downtown" area has a lot of little tourist shops that are connected by cute stone pathways and kind of tucked in together.
After a bit of shopping around I decided to stop at a beach club to grab a drink and look at the water. I chose Blu Bar and ordered some sort of delicious Limoncello drink because literally everything in Positano is lemon-themed. In Positano a lot of the beach access is through private clubs. The clubs that are right by the downtown are good for grabbing a drink, but I wouldn't necessarily choose them for my day of lounging at the beach.
I took the long way home along Fornillo Beach and climbed a billion stairs back to my AirBnB. The views are incredible and there's so many little tucked away beaches to explore. For dinner I went to Da Vincenzo which came recommended to me from a few people. The pasta was delicious but this may or may not have been the restaurant I received a little sass at for being by myself (sigh). On the walk home I grabbed some lemon sorbet that they serve inside a hollowed out lemon and it was perfect to sit and eat on my balcony at the end of the night.
Day 2:
The second day was all about relaxing on the beach. After grabbing a quick pastry breakfast at Angelo Pasticceria, I decided to walk to the beach club (I think it was about 1.5 miles but a good portion was uphill). They do have a boat that can pick you up at the main beach and bring you out to their private beach, but it doesn't start running until 11am and I wanted to get a full day on the beach.
I think I got to Arienzo Beach Club when they opened around 10am. For the price of about 90 EUR you get a couple of cocktails, lunch (appetizer and entree), coffee, and a limoncello shot. They also set you up with a chair, umbrella, and towel to sit for the day. You can pay to upgrade your seating to be closer to the beach (I think I did get the upgraded package which was why it was 90 EUR, there's cheaper ones I think?).
The water is so blue, the service was incredible, and some of the guests were brave enough to go jump off the cliffs into the water. When you're done for the day you can take a boat back to the main beach to walk home. I LOVED this beach club and would definitely recommend.
For dinner I made a reservation at La Tagliata. This is definitely an ~experience~ and came recommended from everyone I know who went to Positano. They pick you up outside the Poseidon Hotel and bring you to a house/restaurant up in the hills for one of the seatings. The meals are family style but you sit at individual tables. They bring out courses that "momma" has cooked for the night. I definitely would avoid if you have any dietary restrictions because there's no customization for the night. I personally thought this was some of the more disappointing food on my trip, but I know other people have loved it so maybe Momma was just having an off night.
Day 3:
For my last day in Positano, I decided to do a day trip to Capri through an AirBnb experience. This ended up being probably the story I tell most about the trip but I will say, no matter how disastrous it felt in the beginning of the day the experience was totally worth it by the end.
We were originally supposed to meet our guide at the dock by town in Positano but the day before he rerouted us to meet at a hotel up on the hill (bit of a trek) to meet vans that would bring us to a different location 30 minutes away. The group was (of course) 5 couples and me 🙃. We loaded into two vans that brought us through the windy hills of the Amalfi Coast until we got to a marina about 30-45 minutes away. Everyone was super car sick by the time we got there (which is honestly the usual for any drive through the area). We then found out the reason we had to go to a different marina and it was that the water was so rough that day boats couldn't leave out of Positano. Our tour guide was also not going to accompany us and instead his parents (who were lovely but didn't speak a lick of English) were going to sail the boat instead.
So the 11 of us (already not feeling our best) loaded onto the boat that was rocking from the start. The first person got sick about 5 minutes into the ride. The owner pulled the boat to a popular swim spot not far from the dock and encouraged us to all get in the water but honestly the water was so rough only one guy was brave enough to risk it. At about 30 minutes in, 3 more of us got sick (me include--whoops) and the original sick girlie started to turn green. We had to reroute the boat and instead of doing a lap around Capri and then heading into town, we went straight to the port.
With three hours to explore the island, we literally all went to the nearest cafe and ordered Sprites and french fries. After a bit of recovery, I started to explore the town. Capri is gorgeous and filled with all these very cute luxury stores--you will debate buying a Chanel bag for the first time in your life here even though you only have 30 EUR in your pocket. I grabbed a gelato and walked to the Gardens of Augustus which are basically the botanical gardens of Capri. It costs only 1 EUR to get in but you have to buy tickets on your phone, so make sure you have service to do so.
On the way to the garden entrance you pass the Carthusia perfume store. There's a few stores on the island but this one is home to the laboratory where they develop new scents. They have a history story on their cards about getting the original perfume "recipe" from a colony of monks that was settled nearby (tbh don't know if that's true or not but it's fun). I loved this shop and they have one lemony scent (I think it's the Mediterranean) that I still dream about. I only bought a little bottle and I wish I had gotten a full one shipped back.
The gardens give you a great vantage point of the water and the landscape of the island. I definitely recommend going there to take in the sights. I also grabbed a lemon ice on my way in which was the perfect complement to a day in Capri (again literally everything on the Amalfi Coast is lemon themed).
The boat ride back was SO much better. The waters had calmed down in the time we were on the island and now everyone had some dramamine in their systems to handle the tour around the island. We especially lucked out at the Blue Lagoon where the attendant had left for the day since the waters were too rough in the morning for guests. By the time we got there, we were able to just float on in on pool noodles to explore for free. The Lagoon is AMAZING and the ground really glows a bright blue.
When we got back on the boat everyone was in such a good mood. We popped champagne and had some snacks. By the time we got back to the main land, no one even minded the 30 minute trip back to Positano (honestly I think we all slept). All of this is to say--if you get sea sick easily do nottttt take one of these small boats to Capri. If you still really want to go you can take the ferry which moves at a much slower pace (the green girl from our group ended up taking that back with her boyf instead of risking more time on our boat). The experience greatly depends on the weather conditions that day, but I truly loved taking the trip out to Capri.
After resting up at the hotel, I had my final meal in Capri at Next2. This Michelin star restaurant is incredible and the atmosphere is the icing on the cake. I sat outside where I could make out a bit of the water as the sun set. The staff was so nice to me and made me feel really special as a solo diner (which was really refreshing after my previous two meals). I had these stuffed zucchini flowers that I still dream about and a pasta dish I loved. Would highly recommend making this one of your meals if you're in Positano.
The next morning I had the car service meet me outside Fornillo Cave where it brought me back to Naples for the last leg of the trip in Rome!
Itinerary Time!!
Day 1: Explore Positano
8:43am: Take the train from Firenze SMN to Napoli (3 hours)
12:30pm: Meet shuttle driver to get driven from Naples to Positano with a stop in Sorrento for hte other passengers.
3pm: Check in at the AirBnB and take some time to relax and enjoy the view.
4pm: Walk down to the main part of town and do a little shopping.
5pm: Settle in at a beach bar/club (Blu Bar) to grab a drink and look at the water.
6pm: Take the long way home via Fornillo Beach to watch the sunset.
8pm: Dinner at Da Vincenzo
9:30pm: Grab a lemon sorbet on the walk home to eat on the balcony.
Day 2: A Day at the Beach
9:00am: Grab breakfast at Angelo Pasticceria
10:00am: Take the long walk to the beach club and grab a chair
11:00am: Relax at the beach club, enjoy teh water, and get your money's worth in cocktails and food.
4:00pm: Take the boat back to the main beach to walk home.
6:00pm: Meet at the Poseidon Hotel to shuttle to dinner.
7:00pm: Dinner La Tagliata
Day 3: Capri
8:00am: Breakfast at Angelo Pasticceria
9:00am: Meet up at either the dock or the Poseidon Hotel to take the boat to Capri
12:00pm: Stop in Capri, grab lunch, people watch, window shop, grab some granita limone, and head to the Augustus Gardens for an amazing view. Make sure to stop by Carthusia!
3:00pm: On the boat ride back, stop at the Blue Lagoon and try to go for a swim.
6:00pm: Get back from the boat tour and do a last bit of shopping.
8:00pm: Dinner at Next2.
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