Last Updated on March 12, 2026 by Lauren Belzer Sanford
There is a version of Positano that exists in your imagination before you arrive — the one made of pastel facades, turquoise water, and the particular quality of light that only the Amalfi Coast seems to produce. And then you actually get there, and it somehow exceeds it.
I spent part of my Italian honeymoon here, staying at Hotel Buca di Bacco with my husband, Max, and the days we spent in Positano were some of the most memorable, most beautiful of the entire trip. We weren’t racing through a checklist. We were eating too much pasta, watching the light change on the water, and making our way up and down far more stairs than we had planned (but sometimes, you have to do it to get to the good stuff).
This isn’t a list of everything you could do in Positano. It’s the list of what I’d actually recommend — the experiences that are worth your time, worth the splurge, and worth building your days around.
Take a Boat to Capri (and Don’t Skimp On This One)
If there is one non-negotiable experience in Positano, it’s getting out on the water. The coastline from the sea is an entirely different thing — all towering cliffs and hidden grottos and the kind of scenery that makes you understand why people come back to this part of Italy over and over.
On our honeymoon, Max and I booked a private half-day boat through Capri Dream Charter, departing right from Positano — which, when you’re already staying there, is wonderfully simple. We spent the morning out on the water, cruising past the dramatic coast before crossing over to Capri. There is something genuinely special about having the boat to yourselves, being able to stop wherever you want, jump in the water when the moment calls for it, and have a conversation that isn’t competing with anyone else’s. For a honeymoon, an anniversary, or any milestone trip, I’d say the private boat is worth every euro.
That said, I’ve also done a semi-private boat tour from Massa Lubrense with my family, and it was just as lovely. We were a group of about 12 people total, a mix of couples and small groups, and there’s something nice about that version too — a little more lively, a little less expensive. Both took us along the coast and over to Capri, and both were magical.
The key thing to know: book early, especially in summer. Private boats in peak season fill up quickly, and the best captains even more so. You can find a great operator directly (ask your hotel for a recommendation — they’ll know who to trust) or browse options through Viator, which has a solid range of both private and small-group boat tours departing from Positano.
Spend a Day at a Beach Club
Positano has beaches — Spiaggia Grande being the most famous — but the beach club experience here is something different. It’s less about the swimming (though the water is beautiful) and more about the ritual of it: the reserved sun loungers, the afternoon Aperol Spritz appearing exactly when you want one, the particular pleasure of being horizontal somewhere beautiful with nothing to do.
Worth noting: the majority of Positano’s beaches are pebble, not sand — do with that information what you will. And all clubs tend to open May through October, with July and August being peak madness, so reservations aren’t optional during those months.
On our last full day in Positano, Max and I booked front-row beach chairs at L’Incanto. The morning had started stormy — thunderstorms rolled in off the coast with very little warning, and this stretch of Italy is no exception, so we couldn’t get down to the beach as early as we’d planned. But by late morning, the skies had cleared, and because the weather had scared off some of the crowds, we practically had the beach to ourselves for a stretch. It was one of those unplanned, perfect moments that you only get when you leave a little room for things to unfold.
Here’s what to know about some of your options as someone who did a lot of research before settling on a less expensive, front-row chair:
- L’Incanto: Where we spent our last full day, front-row chairs in hand. It’s one of the few clubs on Spiaggia Grande that accepts online reservations, which matters in summer. Book ahead. They opened up Zighy Beach, a more exclusive, upscale space at L’Incanto, in the summer of 2025.
- La Scogliera: The VIP option on the main beach, with a more elevated, exclusive feel and higher price point to match (starting around €250 for a pair of sunbeds). For a truly splurge-worthy day.
- Da Ferdinando: A solid Fornillo Beach option, loved by locals and the kind of place that feels unhurried.
- Arienzo Beach Club: Those instantly recognizable orange sun beds. A free shuttle departs from Spiaggia Grande, and Arienzo faces southwest, so it stays light later into the afternoon than anywhere else in Positano. Reserve in advance.
- Da Adolfo: The free boat with the red fish has been taking people out to this family-run restaurant and beach since the 1960s. More rustic than glamorous, said to have some of the best seafood on the coast. A very different experience from the more polished clubs.
- One Fire Beach Club: Nearby Praiano, easily accessible from Positano, and worth knowing about if the main Positano clubs are fully booked or you want something a bit livelier in atmosphere.
- Conca del Sogno: In Nerano, on the Sorrento side of the peninsula rather than the Amalfi Coast side. It sits in a crescent-shaped bay called Recommone, accessible by boat or a narrow road, and has been well-loved since the 1950s. The seafood is legendary (this is Nerano, home of spaghetti alla Nerano), and the setting is genuinely dreamy. Best experienced as a destination lunch, ideally arriving by boat.
- Le Sirenuse Mare: The most anticipated opening on the coast this season, and honestly, the one I’ve been watching most closely. The family behind Le Sirenuse, Positano’s most iconic hotel, is debuting their first beach club in Nerano in 2026, and everything about it sounds exactly right: terraced gardens down to the shore, sun decks, a destination restaurant, a boutique from Emporio Sirenuse, and that unmistakable Sirenuse sense of la dolce vita done with real taste. Open April through October, 10am to sunset. Nerano is a short boat ride from Positano. I’d be booking this one the moment you know you’re headed to the Amalfi Coast…
Don’t let the prices here deter you from having a Positano beach day. If you’re looking for something reasonably priced, L’Incanto is worth booking — the front-row chairs fill up, especially in summer — and it’s a beautiful way to spend your last full day, or any day that deserves to be slow.
And if you’d rather your beach day occur across the sea in Capri, here are some recommendations:
- La Fontelina: The one. Perched on the rocks directly facing the Faraglioni, with blue-striped umbrellas and a seafood lunch that will ruin you for other meals. It’s been drawing a glamorous crowd since 1949 and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. Reach it by boat from Marina Piccola or on foot via the steep descent from the Punta Tragara viewpoint. A €200 minimum spend per person makes this a deliberate splurge, not a casual stop, so plan accordingly. And book well in advance — this one fills up fast, especially in July and August.
- Da Luigi: The slightly more relaxed neighbor to La Fontelina, sitting in a tiny natural cove directly beneath the Faraglioni on the opposite side. Open since 1936, it has been drawing a celebrity crowd for decades. Expect colorful sundecks that seem to merge right into the rocks, fresh seafood, and spaghetti tossed with the catch of the day.
- Le Ondine: The more approachable option at Marina Grande, right near the port where your boat will likely dock. Connected to the longstanding restaurant Da Gemma, it’s a relaxed, traditionally Mediterranean spot with sunbeds, umbrellas, fresh pasta, and seafood at prices that feel almost reasonable by Capri standards. A good choice if you want to spend a couple of hours on the water without the full La Fontelina production.
Take a Cooking Class in the Hills
I’ll be honest with you: this is one we didn’t get around to on our honeymoon, but it’s the thing I most wish I had. We ate well in Positano — pasta, seafood that had been in the water hours before, lemons so fragrant they felt like a different fruit entirely — and it didn’t occur to me until I was home that I wanted to know how to make all of it.
The cooking classes in this area are genuinely special. Many of them take place in private homes or farmhouses in the hills above Positano — places like Montepertuso, just a short drive up from the waterfront — where you’ll spend a few hours learning to make fresh pasta, gnocchi, or tiramisu with a local host, then sit down to eat what you’ve made with local wine and a view that seems impossible. This cooking class at a private home is one of the most-loved options, with a wonderfully intimate feel.
If you want something a little further but even more immersive cooking class in nearby Praiano — a town between Positano and Amalfi — consistently comes up as one of the most authentic experiences on the entire coast. They grow their own ingredients and make their own wine, and the whole thing reportedly feels less like a class and more like being welcomed into someone’s home for Sunday lunch. That’s the Amalfi Coast at its best.
Explore the Campania Wine Country
Here’s something most visitors to the Amalfi Coast completely miss: one of southern Italy’s most compelling wine regions is less than an hour away.
A full-day wine tour from Positano is the perfect contrast to a beach day. You’ll wind through the Campania countryside with a private guide, visit two estates, walk through vineyards, descend into cellars, and taste six wines while local families show you how they’ve been doing this for generations. The Private Irpinia Wine Tour departing from Positano is exactly this — and the reviews are the kind that make you book on the spot.
This is on my list for a return trip. If you love wine and you’re spending more than a few days in the area, I’d genuinely prioritize it.
Get Lost in the Town (Seriously, Just Wander)
Positano is not a town you experience by following a map. It’s a town you experience by giving yourself a few hours with nowhere particular to be and walking wherever the staircases take you.
The streets wind upward through layers of small shops, gelato stands, ceramic studios, and restaurants with terraces so narrow they could seat four people, and four people only. You’ll find lemon-printed linens hanging in doorways, aperitivo spots that look like they’ve been there since the 50’s (some of them have), and viewpoints that stop you mid-step. There’s always a next staircase, always something tucked around the next corner.
A few things worth knowing: wear comfortable shoes with actual grip — the stone steps get slippery and they are relentless — and don’t plan too much for the afternoon. Let it find its own way. The best version of wandering Positano is the one where you stumble onto a perfect gelato at four in the afternoon and end up sitting on a wall watching the boats for an hour because there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.
Hike the Path of the Gods (If You’re an Outdoorsy Type)
I’ll be straightforward with you: I am not a hiker, and I did not do this trail on our honeymoon. But I have outdoorsy friends who have done it and come back raving about it — and everything I know about it suggests it earns that reaction.
The trail runs from the village of Bomerano down toward Nocelle, a short distance above Positano, and the views along the way are simply some of the best on the entire Amalfi Coast. You’re walking above the coastline, with Capri in the distance and the cliffs dropping away below you. It takes about three to four hours, it’s rated moderate — though the descent into Positano involves a significant number of stairs — and it’s best done in spring or early fall when the heat is manageable.
If you’d rather not navigate the trail alone, a guided Path of the Gods hike takes the logistics off your plate and adds context about the landscape along the way. Maybe I’ll be convinced on a return trip someday — but until then, I’m happy to point you toward it and let you report back.
Positano rewards the people who slow down inside it. Stay a little longer than you think you need to. Order the pasta. Book the boat. And let yourself sit on a wall somewhere and watch the light do what it does here — which is, honestly, something you’ll be trying to describe to people for the rest of your life.
Planning a broader trip to the Amalfi Coast, or Italy in general? Check out my Italy guides. For a full breakdown of to where to stay, including more options across the coast, see my roundup: Where to Stay on the Amalfi Coast. And if you’re looking for a place to eat in Positano, I have a few recommendations for that, too: The Best Restaurants in Positano.
A Few Practical Notes Before You Go
Book a boat early. Private boats sell out weeks in advance in July and August. Don’t leave this until you arrive.
Wear flat shoes, not heels. The streets of Positano are stunning and relentless on the legs. A sandal with a flat sole and no grip is asking for trouble.
Expect thunderstorms. The coast gets them, especially in the shoulder seasons. Build a little flexibility into your days — sometimes the stormy morning becomes the best afternoon.
Water taxis are your friend. Getting between Positano and other Amalfi Coast towns by water taxi is far more pleasant than the winding road, and the views are better.