Travel Eye on Positano (Italy)

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Overview:

Positano is a small town near Salerno with a population of 3.700 inhabitants, but this is not easy either. It is over-run by busloads of tour groups in the summer, but it's delightful at other times of the year.

The atmosphere in Positano is cosmopolitan and international, while still feeling safe and restful. A kind of very exclusive village. Restaurants and shops (even general stores) tend to be expensive; it's difficult to forget this is a resort aimed at the top end of the market. For many, of course, this adds to the appeal, and people-watching can be entertaining.

Postiano is a health and seaside resort laid out at different levels at the top of a cliff on the Amalfi coast, at the end if the Mulini valley. It was founded by the Romans, was a trading centre in the sixth century, and in 839 AD, became the first Italian maritime republic.

It waged war with Genoa and Pisa for centuries for mastery of the Tyrrhenian Sea and was at the peak of its splendour around 1000. Iit was sacked and destroyed by the Pisans in 1135 and this marked the beginning of its decline. It passed thereafter into the power of various feudal lordships and eventually became part of the kingdom of Naples whose fate it followed. You can visit the Cathedral which was built in the eleventh century, rebuilt in the Arab-Norman style in the twelfth and further altered in the eighteenth.

Locality:

About a third of the way up the front of the boot of Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, (it is 26 mls SW of Salerno; 11 mls E of Sorrento; 36 mls SE of Naples and 40 mls from its international airport. 166 mls SE of Rome). It clings tenaciously to the steep terraces of a natural amphitheatre, the town rises up behind a sand/shingle beach and is surrounded by plunging, partially wooded mountain ridges. Just offshore are 3 uninhabited islets.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Grotta dello Smeraldo - This is one of the top natural attractions in Positano. There is a lift that takes you down to the grotto and from there, guided boat tours take you through the interior of the grotto, which includes a sub-aquatic nativity scene.

Chiesa S.M. Assunta - Piazza Flavio Gioia. This is one of the top attractions in Positano and is a sight not to be missed. The church dates back to the 10th century and houses many religious artifacts. The church is open to visitors everyday and there is no admission charge.

Watersports - Positano is another of the excellent beach resort towns on the Amalfi coast, and offers a wide range of watersports including windsurfing; snorkeling; and diving. There are also a wide range of beach activities on offer, such as beach volley ball.

During the daytime there is organised water sports and boat trips. You can spend time admiring the views for which this resort is famous. There is the cathedral. Some works of art and holy relics in the 13th-century church of Santa Maria Assunta.

The nightlife has nothing lively. There are cultural activities including the International Chamber Music Festival during the summer.