Positano & Amalfi coast (Italy)

Amalfi coast

2017 was a year of travel but I don't know how and when I decided to take a trip to Italy. We visited Indonesia, India and Italy and a whole lot more back home in the United States. However, what stuck with me through these travels was the amazing town of Positano in southern Italy. After spending about six days exploring Venice and then Rome, we decided the last leg of our trip was going to be a relaxing one. Positano... is a picturesque fishing village a few hours from Naples. It is not just a beautiful place but a town filled with wonderful people.          

Positano

There are three towns stacked on top of each other. Starts with Positano at the base, then Montepertuso in the middle and then Nocelle at the head Our arrival in Montepertuso is a big story in itself. After about an hour-long train ride from Rome, we reached Naples, where we are supposed to take the ferry to Sorrento. The ferry schedules can be a bit sketchy, so if you have some time on your hand, eat the original pizza in its birthplace - Naples; and of course, some coffee. Not that I needed any coffee, because of the beauty of the town kept me awake so my eyes could gorge on every detail of the place; but a new addiction was born in Italy; coffee - anytime, anywhere. Exquisite coffee, which I have never tasted in United States. Coming back to the ferry,  you have to pay for the luggage separately and they will provide you with stickers for the bags. (Tip: Make sure you are vigilant about the number of tickets and stickers you get.)

As we boarded the ferry, the person who was handling our bags, said we just had one tag for the bag and we would have to pay one euro for the other bag. That is when we realized we were tricked though we had paid for all the luggage when buying the tickets. There was no point arguing with him, as it was clearly indicated that he was in a rush and did not understand English. After about an hour of ferry ride, we reached the town of Sorrento. From the ferry itself, the town greets you with its picture perfect colorful buildings heaped on each other. As soon as we got down, was felt this gorgeous looking town with fresh salty air. From thereon I knew, this was going to be the best part of my vacation.             

You can either decide to walk to the car rental place or take a cab, which by the way could be expensive or if you have a ride, then you don't need to worry. We decided to walk as we just had carry-on bags and also wanted to check out the town before heading to our destination. Only if I knew, we would have to climb hundred plus steps to get to our car rental office.          

Road to Montepertuso

Another important point is, the cars here are stick shift, which I am not used to, so my husband drove it. It was a scary ride. He drove safely, mind you, but the narrow serpentine roads with a rocky mountain on one side and the ocean on the other side is not for the weak of the heart. There was not enough room for one car and it was a two-way road!!! Can you believe it???  With cars coming from other direction, we would have to stop, back up and let them pass or vice versa. That was scary and hilarious at the same time. We reached Montepertuso in about half hour with almost my heart in my mouth. 

Welcome bruscetta

Viw

Our pleasant hosts greeted us in Montepertuso and we walked about another fifty steps. Though this time they were carrying our bags which was really awkward for us, but they insisted. The villa stood atop a cliff. We love staying in bed and breakfasts. I believe it gives me a sneak peek into local life and not being just another tourist. I was a bit hesitant since it was located about fifteen minutes of bus ride from the main center of Positano. It turned out to be a great decision. As we settled in the couch overlooking the window, we started admiring the mountains meeting the vast ocean right in front of our eyes, while we sip our coffee. 

Positano Beach

The city center is about fifteen min bus ride from Montepertuso and the buses come every hour or so. Again, they run on a schedule but may be earlier or delayed sometimes. There are steps too to the town, as until a few years ago, that was the only way you could go the town; or so was I told. Once you reach down to Positano, there are small alleyways leading to different boutiques, stores, restaurants, gelaterias. Do check out the ceramics shops in Positano. They are gorgeous with intricate detailing and almost every article has lemons designed on them.  

In the evening

Go get yourself an entire dinner set or some articles as souvenirs from these local boutiques. (Tip: Keep an eye on where all merchandize is made.) Some stores sell items made in China, India, etc. If you are in Italy, I would recommend buying authentic. There are many stores that sell the famous limoncello. It is an original liquor from Sorrento peninsula. Try some for yourself or take home as gifts for friends. Some stores also have small 2-3 oz. bottles in the shape of maps of Italy - the shoe, Positano, lemons etc. They have other articles also such as lemon soaps, candles, bags and what not.

Walk around the town where you will smell the fragrant lemon scent wafting through the air, local artists presenting their artwork, selling jewelry, paintings, postcards. Don't spend time in just one place or don't eat in just one restaurant. Go explore different restaurants. The seafood here is delicious. We tried a lot of different seafood in various restaurants. Each place had great views of the coast and the town. The food was fresh, delectable, tasty and presented on the ceramic dishes made locally. That is what actually drove us to buying the dinnerware at a local boutique. The bright colors... the cheerful designs... I wish I had carried bigger bags.

Delicious seafood

Also, you cannot just go to Positano and not try the lemon gelato. Our taste buds went into a sudden delicious frenzy!!! The chocolate one is also another good one.

Tasty dessert

On our first evening we decided to walk on the beach. There were some people in the water, but we decided not to go in the water but just relax on the beach since it had rained just an hour before. We stepped into an elegant restaurant called the Covo Bar at Covo de Saraceni. With its alluring white washed walls adorned with natural lush green vines, it sure is pleasing to the senses. Enjoy drinks, apertivo while people watching and enjoying the slow peaceful pace of this dreamy town.

We started our second morning with a hearty, heavenly breakfast consisting of garden fresh heirloom tomatoes, caprese salad, fresh juice, toasts, nutella crepes, fruits, coffee...the list is unending. We could probably take a nap after our breakfast, we were so full.

Breakfast in garden

We spent our second day in Capri till the afternoon as we wanted to see the blue grotto. Unfortunately, the grotto was closed due to high tide. So, we took a two hour boat ride around Capri. (Tip: Book the tickets at any of the innumerable counters present on the port. You can also haggle the price with them.) Usually, closer to the boat timing, if there are not many passengers they will reduce the price. 

Emerald Grotto

During the boat ride, they show you some famous celebrity homes, the arch of love and also the emerald grotto. They do show you the blue grotto from outside. However, you cannot really tell because it looks like a small opening and you cannot see beyond it. It was a good ride overall. The tour guide was extremely funny and he made the ride quite enjoyable. 

Arch of Love

You can get some truly great pictures of the arch from the boat. 
The emerald grotto is beautiful and you can also swim in there (not with the boat ride). You may want to spend an entire day or two days in Capri to truly experience it. For me, it felt like an overcrowded touristy town with expensive restaurants. I have seen many such beach towns in United States and it overall did not interest me. But I will not judge the book, by just its cover. I have heard good things about Capri and Anacapri by people who have visited them. I guess it did not suit my interests. 

However, I felt Positano had the old-world charm to it and most importantly it was not as crowded.

After coming back from Capri, we decided to drive along the Amalfi coast - a thrilling experience indeed. With rugged rocks on one side and plunging cliffs on the other, it was a site to behold. Be careful; as tourist buses may tend to be a little rough and you will have to be attentive. Take numerous pit stops, as you will find small hidden beaches with stunning views. Also, along the way you may want to visit some other towns along the Amalfi coast such as Ravello, Praiano and of course Amalfi. Looking at the picturesque scenery, you know why it is on UNESCO's world heritage site list. 

Anyone who is visiting Positano or any of the neighboring towns should definitely drive along the Amalfi coast. 

Our third and the last day in Positano was spent doing a moderately difficult but enchantingly beautiful hike called "Sentiero degli dei" or "Path of Gods". We started our day with a heavy breakfast provided by our hosts using ingredients from the garden growing in front of the villa. Since the villa was very close to the trailhead we must have cut down our hike time to half. 

I have read that it takes about three hours to do the entire hike. Normally, the hike starts in Agerola or Praiano. But for us, we started right at the steps in Montepertuso. It is a vertiginous hike. Offers extraordinarily beautiful views of Amalfi coast, Capri and Anacapri in the distance. Along the path, you will see many terraced farms, uneven trails and lush greenery. Once you reach the top you will see the "Hole in the Rock" which in Italian means "Montepertuso". Our host told us there are only three such rocks in the whole world. 

Heading down from the hike, we were extremely hungry. We visited La Tagliata fattoria which is a family owned restaurant in Nocelle overlooking the Mediterranean coastline. This restaurant is unique, as it serves food using just the ingredients grown in their farms. We also visited their farm and vineyard below the restaurant. (Tip: Most importantly they do not have a menu that is presented to you.)

I was quite skeptical about it at first. But I decided to jump in. 





The food started coming in and after about four dishes, I thought we were done and were ready for desserts; our server came in to ask us if we were ready for our second course. We had the best pumpkin ravioli, followed by third course of meat. Our delicious lunch ended with an even more delicious dessert accompanied by limoncello.

That evening we headed back to Rome and next day took the flight back to California. But I was ready for another visit to Positano. Hopefully soon!!!