How to spend your day in Positano Italy? Here are my recommendations if you have just one day to enjoy Positano, the legendary jewel of the Amalfi Coast!

Getting there

We stayed on Sorrento Coast and drove to Positano by car. This is one option and as always, it has its pros and cons. The drive to Positano is one of the most picturesque I´ve seen. At the same time it takes a lot of time and mostly because of this I would stay in Positano the next time.
If you consider yourself to be a skillful scooter driver, then this, in my opinion, is the best option – you still get to enjoy the beautiful drive, you move on faster (you can easily drive through the slow traffic), it´s easy to park and you can save money by staying outside Positano. Plus, it´s super stylish to cruise along the coast on your Vespa, right? The only downside is that it´s not a nice option when it rains.
And then there´s the bus. A company called Sita has cheap and frequent buses. They can be crowded during peak season and you cannot buy the tickets on bus. Buy them before from a bar or tobacco shop and validate on bus. Buses don´t run during nights.
There is no Uber or similar on Amalfi coast!

Compulsory stop at Salvatore

Before you start enjoying Positano do make a stop at the gorgeous and fun fruit stall of Salvatore. It´s between Positano town and Il San Pietro hotel on the main road.
Take your time. Salvatore doesn´t enjoy so much selling his delicious fruits as he does getting you the perfect shots. He likes to wait until there´s not too many cars blocking the view and not too many people around and then he starts instructing you on how best to pose with his picturesque fruit stall. Enjoy the show, take too many photos and buy some fruits! The giant green grapes were absolutely delicious in September!

Positano town

If you arrive by car, park it in one of the following parking lots (there´s nowhere to park near the sea):
* closest to beach are Di Gennaro and Mandara Parking (both 8-10 eur/h)
* a picturesque walk further are Parking Ma.cri, Parcchegio Positano, Anna and Milano (around 18 eur for a day)

Positano is situated on a hillside, so leave your heels at home and wear comfortable shoes. The town is so cute and charming, full of little boutiques selling local ceramics and little parlors offering colorful gelatos, that you could spend the whole day walking around, but believe me, your feet will be tired at one moment. This is your sign to head to the beach!

Time to relax

The easiest option would be to enjoy the cosmopolitan vibes of the Marina Grande beach and Spiaggia Grande, which is situated just in front of the town. There´s free wifi, showers and changing rooms. You can rent sunbeds (around 25-30 euros per day and you can even book one ahead online, one option is here) or spread your towel on the dark sand of the free area in the middle (spiaggia libera). It will be very crowded during peak season, so I suggest to take a few photos on the main beach and enjoy your beach day at the Arienzo beach club instead.

“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.”

John Steinbeck

Arienzo beach club is a legendary private beach accessible only by boat (or by hiking down more than 300 steps of the very steep slope from the motorway). Arienzo runs its own water-taxi every 30 minutes between 10 am and 1 pm (back to Positano starting from 3.45 pm) from the main pier of Positano. The boat is free and as a bonus you get a gorgeous boat trip which allows you to marvel Positano from the sea. Book in advance to secure your sunbed. The basic single option is 65 euros and it includes a sunbed in 6th or 7th row (in my opinion there´s no point in paying more for the first rows as its a small beach), towel, umbrella, water, a drink, a starter, a main course, coffee or limoncello and dessert! The fresh seafood is amazing! If you feel like splurging then you can choose one of the more luxurious sets like the 180 euros per person Diamond Elite experience which comes with a glass of Bollinger champagne and an extra fruit platter and additional food options from the luxury menu! In my opinion the basic option was luxurious enough and the price was fair for everything that was included.

Sunset drinks

By the time the sun sets I recommend going back to Positano to get the best places for your sunset cocktails.
You´ll likely to get one of the prime spots if you arrive around 5pm to Franco´s Bar of the bespoke Le Sireneuse hotel. It´s high on the cliff and has amazing views over the sea and Positano.
Also in Le Sireneuse, there´s a posh champagne bar, another perfect spot for sunset drinks.
Another epic place is Il Tridente restaurant and cocktail bar with it´s unbeatable views and magical atmosphere created by all the candles lit around you. There are live music evenings so I bet you´d love to stay for dinner as well.

Where to stay

As mentioned, we stayed on Sorrento coast. First in Hotel Mary in Vico Equense and then in Hotel Bellavista Francischiello in Massa Lubrense (both amazing options if you want to stay away from Amalfi coast), but next time I would stay inside Positano and use the hours we spent in traffic for enjoying Positano.
As hotels in Positano are expensive anyway, then I wouldn´t hold back and would splurge on some luxury as is suitable for a place like that! So my choices would be:
Le Sireneuse *****
Hotel Villa Franca *****
Hotel Palazzo Murat ****
Hotel Poseidon ****

So let me know, have you been to Positano? What are your feelings about it? Or is it in your bucket list?