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A beautiful landscape
Positano is a place a little out of the main routes of Italy: for this is not easy to get there by land, a beautiful landscape but quite uncomfortable in terms of connections. For those arriving by plane the nearest airport is Naples Capodichino, from there you can take a taxi to Positano, journey time about an hour and a half, or use a range of public services. A first possibility might be to reach the Central Station of Naples and from there take the train to Salerno. Once arrived in Salerno you can easily reach Amalfi by land by the Sita bus (www.sitabus.it) or by sea, from Piazza Concordia, through shipping services provided by various companies such as lines Marittime Parthenopean (www.consorziolmp.it), the Intercostiera line or the line of Metro del Mare (www.metrodelmare.com). Otherwise from the Central Station of Naples or other places close to it like Via De Pretis and Porto Immacolatella, there are some Sita buses that go directly Positano. From Naples, you can also reach Positano by sea through the links provided by bus Marittime Parthenopean and the Metro del Mare; these leaves at Beverello pier which is easily accessible from the airport via the Alibus (www.alibus.it) or through the service taxi, for which you should ask the flat rate of around 20 euros.
From Sorrento and Castellammare di Stabia
Transport to Positano is also available from Sorrento and Castellammare di Stabia, from Naples you can reach these locations by the train line circumvesuviana (www.vesuviana.it). For those wishing to get to Positano by train, you should get off at Salerno and from there go to Positano by Sita buses, or from Piazza Concordia, by the services provided by shipping companies like the Marittime Parthenopean lines, the Linea Intercostiera and the Metro del Mare Lines. Arriving by car to Positano is much more impressive especially if you take the SS 163 Amalfitana, famous for its wonderful views over the coast but also for the 1,000 curves that characterize the route. The easiest way to reach Positano is to take the A3 motorway and exit at Vietri sul Mare, then follow the signs leading to the state 163 leading to the high area of Positano, where you must find a parking place and then continue on feet, or the local bus to the city center. It should however be noted that at peak times access to the coast by car can be difficult for a number of restrictions on traffic that hit the area, would be therefore advisable, before you travel, to check with the local offices of Tourism (www.comunedipositano.it). It is however not advisable to reach Positano by land because looking for parking spaces takes ages and you´ll end up going on foot. Better to arrive by sea at Marina Grande, a short walk from the center, and enjoy the glance that the city offers from that angle.
A tour of Positano
Positano has no monuments of importance, probably because it is a work of art itself. Arriving by sea it seems, in fact, a drawing of vivid coloured houses disposed on top of each other in search space to overlook the sea. Its main church is dedicated to St. Maria Assunta and stands on Piazza Flavio Gioia, this is a building dating from the thirteenth century with a great majolica dome that dominates the surrounding area. The interior has a precious pipe organ, a Byzantine table depicting the Virgin dating from the thirteenth century, and a reliquary of St. Vitus, preserved in the sacristy. Below the church, near the bell tower, there are the remains of a large Roman villa, which shows that this place was a popular holiday destination already two thousand years ago. But the main attraction of Positano are the narrow lanes that run along and connect the different areas both horizontally and vertically.
Boutiques, bars, restaurants, shops of traditional products
On them you´ll find its boutiques, bars, restaurants, shops of traditional products, which make Positano a renowned place for shopping. So the advice is to dive in these streets, to climb and then descend its ramps, mixing in the human tide that some days seems to stifle these small roads. Another attraction of Positano is the sea, the bay that is formed between Punta Germano to the west and Cape Sottile to the east is home to several beautiful beaches, often awarded the prestigious award of the Blue Flag. Its principal beach is without doubt the one of Marina Grande, near the small port of Positano, continuing eastward on foot through a narrow walk, you reach the beaches of La Porta, Ciumiciello (Fiumicello) and Arienzo, closed by Cape Sottile. Another important beach, perhaps the most popular for its intimacy, is to Fornillo. It can be accessed by sea by taxi boat or by land through the scenic trail that starts from Via Marina and, after passing the lookout tower of Fornillo reaches the small inlet Fornillo with its scenic beaches. From Marina Grande you can see the islands of Li Galli, an archipelago which includes the Gallo Lungo, Rotonda and Castelluccio. According to Greek mythology these were the islands of the sirens who tried to seduce Ulysses. The name Li Galli seem to derive their iconography from the Sirens of ancient Greek figurative art, in which they are imagined half woman half bird: the "Greek" Sirens then should not be confused with the Sirens half woman half fish from the popular imagination. The most appropriate approach that can be done with the feathered- sirens is, therefore, the one with the hen or the rooster: hence the name Li Galli. Regarding more recent events, the Li Galli islands has always exercised a great charm on famous people. In 1924 the Russian dancer and choreographer Leonide Massine bought the archipelago, they build a house that the architect Le Corbusier finished off. The property passed, then, to another famous Russian dancer, Rudolf Nureyev, which bought it in 1989: shortly after his death in 1993, the archipelago passed into the hands of other people. Today, this small archipelago is an integral part of the Protected Marine Reserve of Punta Campanella and access to it is severely limited. From Positano are, however, organized a series of excursions that allow you to closely admire this legendary place.