A trip to Positano Italy should give most travelers the feelings of warm unease that go with visiting a place of exquisite natural beauty, which also happens to be part of the cradle of Western Civilization. By vacationing in Positano, you may walk in the footsteps of great artists, such as Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, or world-famous pianist Wilhelm Kempff, who chose to make Positano their summer retreat.
Positano within Italy
As the adjoining map displays, Positano is in the southwest of the peninsula, in the historical region of Campania, with Naples being the nearest city. There are about 40 miles between the airport in Naples and Positano. Depending on the budget, the bus is your cheapest choice of transportation at $14, while a taxi may be north of $75. In addition, car rentals start at $90 per day in almost every town of the area.
Weather in Positano is typical of the Mediterranean climate, with warm and rather humid winters coupled with hot and dry summers. Therefore, folk wisdom dictates that the best time to visit this part of paradise is the spring and the fall. In those months rain seldom occurs, with the average high temperatures in the low 80’s and the average low in the 60’s.
Like all of Italy, the area around Positano has had a tumultuous history, thus it is now benefiting from a multitude of cultural influences that, in addition to the classical Mediterranean landscape, make it the touristic haven it is today. Colonized by the ancient Greeks about 2500 years ago, southern Italy has been ruled by Germanic tribes, the Habsburgs, the French, the Spanish alongside the numerous former city-states of what today has become Italy.
Accommodation in Positano Italy
From your most basic Bed Breakfast to villas that satisfy even the most distinct aristocratic taste, hotels in Positano are aplenty. The west coast of Italy has traditionally been the summer refuge for the affluent classes, with the never-ending rows of white marble mansions becoming the cliché of postcards.
The low-end spectrum of lodgings starts around the $50 mark for a single room at a 3-star establishment. Families looking for more comfortable, 4-star services should expect to pay around $300-$350. On the other hand, if you fancy yourself living like a movie star at least for a day, a minimum of $1500 will book luxury villas on the Amalfi Coast.
Dining in Positano
Campania’s cuisine revolves around the same ingredients that have made Italian cooking as a whole renowned across the globe. Endless variations on tomatoes, garlic, olives, cheeses and seafood are the building blocks of the Mediterranean diet, inherited from the ancients.
Even though it may exist in the shadow of the famed Neapolitan pizza, lesser-known dishes deliver a watery mouth just at the sound of them: “Risotto alla Pescatora” may be preceded by a Caprese Salad and followed-up with “Spaghetti con le vongole”, to name just a few traditional meals which every tourist ought to try.
The Coast boasts a plethora of restaurants, which means options for every category of belly or wallet. The simplest of cafes may charge as low as $10 for a basic breakfast while for those with finely adorned taste buds, however, satisfaction doesn’t come cheap, with well over $100 as the benchmark for fine dining on the banks of the Tyrrhenian.
Sights & Surroundings
Positano lies at the center of the Amalfi Coast, 40 miles of shoreline confined by Sorrento to the west and Salerno in the east. Idlers have the possibility of choosing one in more than 100 beaches; hikers can enjoy the rough terrain that expands inland, with hundreds of trekking routes; and explorers can discover the mysteries of the sea by boat.
The main attraction of Positano itself is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, an 18th-century restoration of a small 10th-century church, with its unusually colored dome, built in the Neo-Classical style. One of the church’s other attractions is a mystical icon of Byzantine origin, property of the municipality since the 12th century.
Public, private, remote or VIP beaches represent the other side of the town, which means that a diversification of activities is possible and warranted throughout the whole day.
For those who prefer the nightlife, Positano has about a dozen nightclubs, including the distinguished Africana, known for its association with celebrity couple Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy in the late 60’s.
The famous island of Capri stretches at about an hour’s ferry ride from Positano. There are boats scheduled every hour, with the cost at $20 to $25. Capri has been a popular vacation spot since the times of the Caesars, holding remnants of Roman villas overlooking the sea and the coast. A staple of tourism, the island holds about a dozen festivals annually, with themes ranging from religious to visual arts.
Another major interest point in the Campania region are the notorious ruins of the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, located just south of Naples. A must-see for all history buffs, full day tours complete with English-speaking guides, audio-documentaries at the site of the ruins, begin at about $90. The ancient cities, frozen in time by the eruption of the Vesuvius, form one of the most important archeological sites in the whole of Europe.
With a history of habitation approaching 3 millennia, Naples is Italy’s third-largest city and capital of the Campania region. For hundreds of years in the Middle Ages, the city has been part of an individual principality, hence it has examples of architecture covering almost every artistic style. Palaces, castles, squares and churches transfigure Naples in a feast for the eyes of culture-hungry individuals.
Whether you have inclinations towards activity or inactivity when it comes to travelling, Positano Italy has the potential of satisfying a wide range of tastes and proclivities. It is a place where nature and history intertwine, making it a destination which proudly represents Italian scenery and lifestyle.
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