Positano and Capri
We ended our Italian honeymoon with a few days on the Amalfi Coast, in the lovely town of Positano. Like much of Italy, Positano is an incredibly picturesque town on the Mediterranean sea, with homes dotting the hillsides. Beautiful and magical, but very expensive. The Amalfi Coast caters to the wealthy, so be prepared to pay more for things here than you would in other parts of Italy.
We stayed at Hotel Pupetto and loved it here. The hotel is right on the water, with its own private beach, just a five-minute walk from the center of town. For active folks, Positano Sea Kayak is located right on the property, where you can rent kayaks to explore the Amalfi Coast. The restaurant was also very good, and we ate most of our meals here.
The Amalfi Coast is remote, and a little hard to get to. There is no direct rail service to the region, so you will either need to take a bus from Sorrento (about an hour on a very narrow and windy road), or take a boat/ferry. This article gives a nice overview of your options. I do NOT recommend driving, as the roads there are very narrow alongside a steep cliff. We took a SITA bus going there, and a ferry from Positano to Naples (via Capri) when leaving.
An excellent excursion from Positano is a day trip to the Isle of Capri. We booked a fabulous tour through L’uomo e il Mare that I would highly recommend. We departed from Positano at 9:30am and cruised across the Mediterranean to Capri. The boat took us around the entire island, before pulling into port at Marina Grande. We then had about four hours to explore the island. After grabbing lunch, we took a chairlift to the top of Mount Solaro. From the summit, we were able to take in breathtaking, panoramic views of the island. It was a great experience. There is also a lovely little cafe at the top of the mountain — grab a glass of wine or a cappuchino to sip on while you’re enjoying the views.
The most promoted attraction in Capri is the Blue Grotto, which we were not able to see due to a lack of time. Because it is such a tourist attraction, our tour guide explained that we would likely have to wait a very long time for a relatively quick trip into the grotto (literally five minutes!), so we decided to pass and do the chairlift to Mount Solaro instead. I’m at peace with our decision, but friends of mine who have visited the Blue Grotto definitely characterize it as a must-see.
On the boat ride back to Positano, we stopped in a little cove for Prosecco, snacks, and a swim. Jumping off the bow of a boat into the warm, turquoise waters of the Mediterranean is an experience I will never forget.
I plan to return to the Amalfi Coast someday, as three days didn’t really feel like long enough to sample all the region has to offer. But it was a delightful taste!
Some video from our excursion to Capri
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