Pastel Houses Tumbling Down to the Sea
Positano is a village on the Amalfi Coast in the Campania region of southern Italy, known for pastel-coloured houses stacked vertically down a steep hillside to a pebble beach. Its look is so distinctive that it appears in countless images of the Italian coast. The writer John Steinbeck, visiting in the early 1950s, described it as a dream place that is not quite real while you are there, and the line still captures the village's spell.
At the centre is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, whose majolica-tiled dome catches the light above the main beach, Spiaggia Grande. Narrow lanes and stairways, lined with boutiques, ceramics and linen, climb steeply inland, and Positano's handmade sandals and light summer fashion have been part of the village's identity for decades. The wider coastline of Amalfi is a short ferry or road journey along the shore.
Beaches, Boats and Hillside Terraces
Spiaggia Grande is the main beach, lined with colourful boats and beach clubs, while quieter Fornillo, a short walk west, offers a more relaxed pace. Boat trips run to the Li Galli islets, the legendary home of the Sirens, to hidden coves along the coast, and to Capri. In the evenings, terraces above the sea serve spaghetti with clams, grilled fish and lemon desserts as the village lights come on.
Above the sea, the hamlet of Nocelle and the Path of the Gods give walkers views down the coast, and the mountain villages around Montepertuso offer a calmer view of local life. Landmark hotels such as Le Sirenuse have long been part of Positano's story, and many smaller family houses sit on the terraces. A airline can use Positano as an emblem of Mediterranean glamour, with Campania and Naples as the gateway.
Read the full Positano guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitPositano.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.