Positano – Italy 2019

Positano – a dream come true!

This place sang a song so dearly to me that I swiftly forgot all of me, my past my present my future. All I could dance to was the serene beauty of this place from any nook and corner of the taxi, bus, ferry, hotel, streets, shops… I loved the quiet aisles of streets and staircases that lead to those beautiful casa and hotels. The multitude of colors that your eyes feast on from the city buildings, to the artistic renditions, to the ceramics, to the food, to nature, to almost everything. It just reignited the charge in my batteries

Positano a city with infinite panoramas sits quietly decked up along the Amalfi coast in the Campania region of Italy. I am glad I visited this place during the best season – October 2019 – when the weather is warm and sunny through the day with cool sea breeze, and with less tourists too.

POSE POSE

The phrase that led to the naming of this city. A few sailors trying to take the Madonna (statue of Virgin Mary) heard it speak to them these verses and they hurried back to shore to let it rest. Pose Pose means to let it down.

Albergo Casa Albertino – was my home for the five days of my stay here. A beautiful hotel, strategically located for comfort and city travel. As you can see the panorama below, I was entertained with a view overlooking the city and the entire coast from my rooms’ balcony. My day used to begin with the sunrise, followed by a breakfast with a breathtaking view, and then off to my day visits. The hotel was 5-15 mins walk away from the city bus stops, right in front of the hotel was the steps to the Spiaggia Beach from where you can also board the ferries.

Here is a comprehensive list of things I did during my stay at Positano…

Positano Spiaggia Beach – best time is in the morning as it is generally empty and not so cold either. I did find it beautiful to do my yoga routine here and enjoyed the waves with not much crowd around.

Santa Maria Assunta Church and the museum. Though tourists are not allowed to sit in the church, the place does comfort you even if you are there for few mins. It has its own aura. The museum is a good visit if you are interested in knowing the history of the place and looking at some art and old relics

Go green – rent an electric scooter to ride around those curvy streets going up and down across the city for a different experience

Shopping – one can shop till your wallets run dry. There are a variety of things you can shop,listed below are a few that excited me and a must buy!!!

Limoncello – one has to try this intensely lemon-flavored liqueur, traditionally drunk after a meal as a digestif. It is made out of lemon peels or zest steeped in rectified spirit. You can find it in almost all stores, would recommend trying a sampler at the store before buying

Idee De Art – for creative jewellery, you will find all gems and stones, corals and fresh water pearls

Ceramic kitchen ware at almost any of the stores. Some of them have basic traditional design. You can walk in to special stores where you have artists giving the tradition a little twist with modern artistic patterns. Go to store – Burma – for beautiful colored Murano glasses for 12€ each

Linen, Cashmere clothing. Prices usually range from 60€. They are very chic in style perfect for the city and the beach!

Leather footwear – this is a delight to watch, as they make your choice of design on the leather soles (Cuoio Di Toscana) right in front of you and ensure the fitting works for you. Being leather the footwear requires extra care. Price range starts from 50€ till 200€, as you can add and style as much as you like even with Swarovski crystals

Souvenirs – you can find small lemon soaps, ceramic magnets or hangings etc.,

Perfumes – check out some of the perfumes available in the region. You will find rich regional floral scents and also pure lemon scents. Also available are diffusers and essential oils.

Agostino Massage – One will have to do a lot of walking when in the city, and also board a flight of stairs to and fro the way to the beach. It does take a toll on your knees and legs. I treated myself to a massage at the end of the trip and it was worth every buck spent to help relax and rejuvenate

Italian fine art gallery – there are quite a few art galleries that are usually open through the day and have free entrance. Do make it a point to visit and enquire about the ensemble. They showcase some really cool local talent and the curators often entertain you with stories and inspirations about the artist and their art in display. I found one such artist’s collection inspirational – Annalù Boeretto’s Dreamcatcher series

Travelling in Positano: One can board the Mobility Amalfi Coast at Fermata /bus stops. You can buy tickets inside the buses and also at Tabacchi/Cigarette shops. They generally cost 1.30 – 2.50€. Taxis are generally a little bit more priced at around 7€ per km, make sure you fix the price before you leave.

Where else can you go from Positano? They places given below are easily accessible and you can go on a day visit to them as well

• Amalfi
• Ravello
• Capri
• Bomerano
• Nocelle
• Sorrento
• Priarno
• Salerno

(do read my other posts to know more about a few of these places I visited)

Travelling out of Positano: There are 2 ways to travel out of Positano to other places. (1) You can use the SITA sud bus. Please note you need to buy the tickets only at Tabacchi/Cigarette shops and not on bus. Check online for timings, these are not so frequent usually running by the hour. Cost is around 2.50-3€ (2) You can take the ferries. Head down to the Spiaggia Beach to buy the tickets then and there. They are priced based on distance, for example – 7€ to Amalfi, 20€ to Capri one way. Note: It would be best to check with your hotel conceirge if the ferries are cancelled due to bad weather.

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