Stu's Notes...
Positano is pretty small & you will be able to see almost all of the establishments. In the evening, it is very romantic to take the footpath
that hugs
the cliffs along the waterfront just to the west of the beach (to your right as you face the sea). You can take this path for quite a distance. There
are benches where you can sit, sip some lemoncello, and gaze out to the sea. For dinner, we usually dine at Chez Black at one of the front tables, &
watch the world walk by as you have lobster or one of the many pastas on the menu (I like the pasta with zucchini). The local Ravello wine is quite
nice, and something you will not often find outside this area. Save enough room for the desert cart. Most of the other establishments along the
waterfront serve almost the same menu, but Chez Black seems to be the most popular & the most lively. You can reserve at Chez Black by finding
Mr. Black (not his real name, but his nickname) and telling him you would like a specific waterfront table at 9:00 (they dine late in Italy). It's
fun to watch Black work the crowd - you will know who he is.
It is difficult (impossible) to find street parking near the entrance to town. If you miss the lot, you will have to loop through town again,
which
can take 30 minutes. Plan on taking more time than might be normal to deposit the car, find your hotel, & check in. Some people might advise one to
stay in a place that is not on the main 'downtown' area, but higher up on the cliffs. I actually prefer downtown. You will have many views of the
coast from almost anyplace you stay. I have walked up to some of the hotels that are higher up on the cliffs, and I was exhausted going up & down the
stairs. If you plan to stay in your hotel room most of the time, this might be OK but I prefer to explore the shopping area & the beach.
Try some lemon granita while in Positano or Capri - you will become addicted.
Take an overnight trip to Capri. Hop the first boat of the day & once you get to the Capri harbor, take the Funicular to the main part of town.
Last time we were there, the place was mobbed & we took a short taxi ride instead of waiting 30 minutes for the funicular. During the day, take some
walks around the island (see the green Michelin guide). By staying overnight, you will have the island to yourself after the day trippers leave. In
the early AM or late PM is when you want to stroll through the shops. We stayed at the Brunello hotel, which has killer views and is actually one of
the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in. Ask for the 'upper' rooms, as the hotel actually cascades down the hill & the lower rooms do not have views -
what they do have is long stairway climbs.
In my opinion, both Sorrento & the town of Amalfi are over-rated. Amalfi is OK, but car & bus parking is 'do-able' there, so it gets large
crowds
which choke the streets & shops. My wife always advises people to only go to Amalfi if you get bored in Positano. If you take a day trip to Amalfi,
take the hydrofoil there (great views of the coastline), and take the bus back.
Don't miss the town of Ravello - it is quite dramatic. Stay overnight if you can. Visit the two villas - they have spectacular views down the
Amalfi coast.
My wife can't resist buying Pottery in the Amalfi area. We have 'loads' of dinner plates, serving platters, pitchers, etc at home. Ravello has
a very
good selection of shops which carry the locally made pottery (which is actually made in Vietri), and also some Deruta pottery . The Vietri pottery is
actually affordable. You can also buy the pottery in Vietri at the East end of the Amalfi drive, but there is no reason to visit Vietri other than
pottery shopping.
Don't forget to visit the 400 BC Greek temples at Paestum - just south of the Amalfi coast.
This article was written by client Stu Dudley of San Mateo (San Francisco), Ca. | | |
| | Accommodation
Hotels in Naples
Hotels in Sorrento
Hotels in Positano
Hotels on the Island of Capri
Hotels in Anacapri
Hotels in the
Amalfi Coast Area |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
