Positano and Naples
- pat kelly
- Jul 17
- 4 min read
I debated whether to stay in Positano or Amalfi for this last part of the trip. I'm glad we went with Positano. It was a quick ferry ride from Capri. Positano is one of those postcard perfect towns that bring the crowds. It was great for our few days. There are definitely too many people in the area by the beach but we didn't spend too much time there, so I loved it.
We climbed through this vertical town in a cab to get to our rental apartment.
Once we got up to the apartment, we just soaked up the view (and some vino).
The next day, I got up early and walked around to take some pictures before the town woke up.
We grabbed a bus in Positano for the forty minute ride to Amalfi. The town of Amalfi is small but was once a global power. It was founded by the Romans in the 4th century. After breaking free from Naples, it was a dominant maritime republic between the 9-12th centuries. Its glory days ended with a Norman invasion, followed by a terrible tsunami in 1343.
The Amalfi Cathedral dominates the town. It is pretty striking with its architecture drawing from Byzantine, Arab and Norman influences.
We checked out the cathedral interior. Next to the cathedral is a cloister that looks a lot like southern Spain with Moorish style. There is a cool central courtyard and interesting frescoes along the exterior. We wandered around for a few minutes and then headed out to the main street: Ruga Nova Mercatorum.
We spent a couple of hours between lunch and shopping along this street before heading back towards the port area to catch a bus.
We enjoyed our Amalfi trip but it was a pretty quick visit. Next time we come to the Amalfi Coast, I hope to spend a night or two to explore the town outside of the central core. We caught a bus back and enjoyed watching the daredevils racing vespas around the bus on the coast road back to Positano.
The spot where the bus drops you is on the opposite hill from our apartment so we took in the different view for a couple of minutes before walking back into town.
We wandered around the shops in Positano for a few minutes then had some dinner while some nasty weather blew through town. The rain only diminished the crowds a little. The walk up to our place was always a minor adventure.
For our last day, we were chillin' at the beach.
Aside from the main beach (Spiaggia Grande) we wanted to check out Fornillo Beach. The route there, Via Positanesi d'America, is a fun walking path along the coast from the main pier in Positano, which takes about 10 minutes.
The kids enjoyed a chill last day. They swam at the beach and we just lounged in the sun and did very little. Everyone loved Positano and I think it was key to have a place to stay on one of the hillsides above the crowds around the main beach. Our flight back was out of Naples, so I scheduled one night there. We took another private car as it was not too expensive and very convenient.
We arrived in Naples for our last hurrah. One day was not enough to get a good feel, especially a Sunday when many things were closed. It still was a great way to go out.
Our AirBnB was in a great location next to the huge Piazza del Plebiscito. We arrived in the morning and tried a Naples classic, Gambrinus. This coffee house has hosted the rich and famous (Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Sigmund Freud etc) and has super tasty pastries. It was one of two restaurants on our list and right around the corner from our place.
Our AirBnB had very fancy decor and a great location. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12378560?guests=1&c=.pi129.pkpast_trip_share_virality&s=67&unique_share_id=93acc8ea-acc4-470d-80f2-a2555c24e006
After breakfast and dropping our bags, we were off to the piazza around the corner.
We kept racing through the piazza as it is so huge with minimal people about early on a Sunday. The square is bound by two huge buildings: the Royal Palace of Naples and the church of San Francesco di Paola.
We wandered through the Royal Palace which had original furnishings, tapestries, paintings and statues. It was modestly interesting.
We stopped by a couple of castles: Castel Nuovo and Castel dell'Ovo. Being a Sunday, we did not go inside but both were pretty cool. Castel Nuovo is imposing. It was built in 1279 for King Charles I, when Naples became a capital. The five giant towers dominate the exterior.
The Triumphal Arch between two of these towers is pretty spectacular. It was built in 1443 to commemorate Alphonso V's victory on the battlefield.
We checked out the exterior of the oldest castle in Naples, Castel dell'Ovo, which sits just off the coastline. It is a funny looking castle, also known as the egg castle due to a legend that the poet Virgil hid a magic egg in its dungeon. If the egg were to break, the city of Naples will face ruin.
Dinner time: the second restaurant on our list is the birthplace of the pizza margherita- Brandi PIzzeria. It was understandably crowded given its history but we didn't have to wait too long and the pizza was delicious. Margherita Pizza seems to always be great in Italy but I was convinced it was better than most.
After dinner we walked around Naples, which did have a grittier vibe than Positano, what with the armored vehicles that we were told were to combat the Camorra mafia. In some ways it was great to be in a city filled with Italians and few tourists for our last stop.
The next morning we flew out of Naples and said goodbye to a vacation we have yet to top.
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