IS POSITANO WORTH THE HYPE?
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This post is about Positano in Italy and I will try to answer the question - is Positano worth visiting?
Is Positano really worth visiting? It’s the dream of Italian ‘dolce vita’ that travellers around the world are searching for. It is the picture perfect postcard child of the Amalfi Coast.
In this article I want to shed some light, based on my experiences of Positano how it might not live up to your expectations as well as things you should know before visiting Positano, Italy.
The images of Positano are all too familiar - the colourful houses cascading down into the azure Mediterranean sea. It looks like the place of dreams and makes you think that Positano is the ultimate beach destination in Italy.
This article will be your handy guide in helping you decide for yourself if Positano is worth visiting for youas well as discovering some practical Positano travel tips if you do decide to visit.
Planning your trip? Use my favourite resources!
🏨 Accommodation : I recommend Booking.com
✈️ Flights : for the cheapest flights, I use Skyscanner
🚗 Rental Car : I recommend Rental Cars
🛡️ Travel Insurance : for the best deals I rely on HeyMondo
Is Positano worth visiting?
It really depends on your point of view. I’d say, yes Positano is worth visiting if you really have a goal to tick it off your bucketlist or you’re in the area anyway and have some spare time you can spend on the Amalfi Coast. Otherwise I’d say no, Positano is not really worth the hype or worth visiting. I’ll share more on my opinions later on in the post but after travelling extensively around the Amalfi Coast there are better places to visit on the Amalfi Coast which are less crowded, much, much more affordable and just as beautiful, if not more so.
Positano seems to have become the well known jewel in the crown of the Amalfi Coast but to be honest the whole area is beautiful and there’s no real need to travel to Positano inparticular.
Saying that, I will probably visit Positano again as I would love to walk the Path of the Gods (a 5 mile hike around Positano area) which I haven’t done yet as it’s just been too hot when I’ve visited.
Travelling is subjective and a place that one person thinks is wonderful, another will really not like so keep reading to discover if Positano is a place worth visiting for you.
Things to know about Positano before you visit
Positano has incredibly steep terrain
Ok, this may be obvious after looking at the pictures of Positano but I think it’s important to mention this. Positano is built into the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, meaning that navigating its streets involves a lot (and I mean alot!) of stairs and steep pathways. Be prepared for uphill walks and numerous steps, which can be challenging if you have mobility issues or heavy luggage.
I have only visited Positano for day trips so I tried to put a positive spin on it and took the steep terrain and all the steps as a good way to get my daily exercise in, then indulge in a delicious fire roasted pizza later that evening. If I’d have been in Positano any longer than a day I could imagine having to walk up and down so much to get anywhere would get pretty tiresome pretty quick, especially in the height of summer when it’s hot.
Positano is overwhelmingly overcrowded
Perhaps the biggest reason why Positano is such a turn off is the sheer volume of people. Positano is heavily overrun with tourists.
It wasn’t always this way though. Positano was once a laid-back fishing village but in the 1950s it landed on the tourist map and has been gaining in popularity ever since. Thanks to many reasons such as the Under the Tuscan Sun movie and now the endless social media posts we see Positano’s popularity has grown so much in the past decade.
The times I have visited Positano it was just outside the height of the season and it was pretty unbearable in terms of crowds so I’d hate to imagine what it’s like in the middle of August. We often had to queue on the narrow streets to allow for foot traffic and walking what should take only 5 minutes often took us 20 minutes or more.
There are 3 times more tourists than locals in Positano
There are almost 4000 residents who live in the area of Positano yet this small town receives around 12000 visitors during its high season every single day. That’s a pretty crazy number for such a small place. Three times more people visit every day than there are locals.
The sea is not crystal clear in Positano beach
The main Positano beach is named Spiaggia di Marina Grande and maybe you’ve seen pictures of it looking cystal clear but let me tell you, in person, it is not!
So many people visit Positano including all the boats that dock at the port close to the beach which makes for a rather cloudy, murky body of water.
The sea at Sorrento is much clearer and I’d recommend visiting there for some beautiful clear water, especially the hidden away Bagni Regina Giovanna.
You’re travelling in Italy? These articles will help you
ITALY TRAVEL GUIDE The place to go for all your Italy travel information. This comprehensive guide will help you plan your trip to Italy wherever you are planning on visiting. If you’re visiting Italy as a solo traveller you’ll want to read the solo womens guide to travelling in Italy.
ROME : If you’re wondering on what the best things are to do in Rome you should check out how to spend your time in Rome.
CAMPANIA : Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii is an interesting day trip you can do from Rome to learn the history of the huge eruption and the consequences. Are you wondering if you should visit Naples? This 24 hours in Naples will help you decide. If you’re visiting Naples and Mount Vesuvius you’ll want to know how to get to Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii from Naples.
AMALFI COAST : Is Positano worth the hype? Amalfi is a great little town on the Amalfi Coast but is Amalfi Town worth visiting? Visiting the Blue Grotto is a great thing to do when in Capri so you can read about our experience for more information. Hidden treasures in Sorrento takes a look at one of the most beautiful areas in Italy. You can also read about my first impressions of Sorrento.
Read all of my articles about Italy in my Italy Travel Guide.
ITALY ESSENTIALS
Planning a trip to Italy? Here are some of the resources and tools I personally use to organise my travel plans to anywhere in the UK.
FLIGHTS : Find the best deals on flights to Italy using Skyscanner.
VISAS : Use iVisa to check if you need a tourist visa for Italyand apply for an expedited visa online. Use OneWayFly to obtain proof of onward travel/hotel reservation for your visa application if needed.
TRAVEL INSURANCE : Insure your trip with my preferred insurance for single trip and annual cover HeyMondo
AIRPORT TRANSFER : Pre-book your hotel transfer from Rome Airport, Milan Airport or a water taxi from Venice Airport
ACCOMMODATION : Find the best hotel deals in Italy on Booking.com.
BUS TICKETS : It is easy to book your transport once you’re in Italy but if you’d like to book in advance you can buy private transfers online through Bookaway .
DAY TRIPS : Find the best city tours and day excursions in Italy on Viator or Get Your Guide.
