Posh Positano

A travel guide to the chic Amalfi Coast town of Positano

Trendy Positano is a fishing village–turned–tony resort whose tumble of white and pastel buildings and fine beaches continue to serve as a Jet Set playground. Everyone from Picasso and Stravinsky to John Steinbeck, Liz Taylor, and Sir Laurence Olivier have vacationed here, and director Franco Zefferelli is among the many notables to keep a summer villa in town. Rudolf Nureyev even bought the Li Galli islets you'll see offshore on your way into town (once thought to be the home of Homer's Sirens). Positano's popularity among trend setters has meant it's seen several fashions introduced to the world, including the bikini (in 1959).

Paul Klee once described Positano as "the only town in the world conceived on a vertical, rather than a horizontal axis." This is a town of steep outdoor staircases rather than roads, its jumble of houses stacked vertiginously up the hillsides. This may be why so many visitors stick to the hotels and restaurants right at the beach level. It's a little-known fact, however, that the Positanesi themselves often complain of leg cramps when they travel to other towns—their muscles aren't used to walking on flat surfaces.

The prices in Positano are as steep as the terrain, with wallet-straining rates on everything from pizza and hotels to the colorful summery clothing sold in the boutiques at Positano's center. But with a bit of creative financing you can still sample of the indulgent good life in Positano on a budget. Here's how.

The Travel Store

 

Hotels on the Amalfi Coast

Destinations Africa Asia Australia / South Pacific Caribbean Europe North America South / Central America Worldwide / General