“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, 1953

View from Franco’s Bar in Positano, Italy.

The Amalfi Coast was my dream vacation destination for a long time. After seeing pictures of the colorful houses rising up from the Mediterranean Sea in the town of Positano, I knew I had to plan a trip there. Positano is one of the many quaint towns on the Amalfi Coast, and we chose to stay there during the trip. In this post, I share our three day Amalfi Coast Itinerary.

Visiting the Amalfi Coast provides you with pure relaxation and a touch of adventure. We spent our days in the sun at a beach club or on a boat, and ate the most delicious food. There is no shortage of local specialties like limoncello (a local lemon flavored alcohol) or spaghetti with clams. If you’re looking for the perfect beach town on the Amalfi Coast, look no further and book a trip to Positano.

Quick links:
What to Do by Day
Where to Stay
How to Get to Positano
Where to Eat & Drink
TBP Insider Tips

Maiori, a small town on the Amalfi Coast.

What to Do by Day

Day 1: Spend the day at Da Adolfo & watch the sunset at Franco’s Bar

On your first day in Positano, grab a quick breakfast and head straight to the dock to set off on a ~10 minute boat ride to Da Adolfo, an incredibly delicious local restaurant and private beach. You need to make a reservation in advance, and can do so through your hotel or ask your Airbnb or hostel host. I tried calling the number on the website for two weeks before asking our Airbnb host, and he quickly confirmed us a reservation for lunch at 1PM and two beach chairs. On the morning of your reservation, you’ll want to arrive at the dock by 11AM and wait for the Da Adolfo fishing boat to pick you up. It has a big red fish on the mast (see picture below).

You can spend the entire day at Da Adolfo. The beach is shared with only one other small beach club, so you’ll feel like you’re on an exclusive beach. You can order drinks from Da Adolfo all day and then when lunch time approaches, let a waiter know you’re ready and they’ll seat you. I recommend ordering the peach wine (sangria), the grilled mozzarella, mussel soup and spaghetti with clams. When you’re ready to depart, take their courtesy boat back to Positano.

Sunbathing at the beach in front of Da Adolfo Restaurant.

If you have down time when you get back to Positano, change at your accommodation and then explore the town. I recommend getting some fresh lemon sorbet in a lemon and stopping in some of the shops to browse the souvenirs and local fashion.

Before sunset, head to Franco’s Bar at Le Sirenuse Hotel. Franco’s has a gorgeous view of the Positano cliffs and serves delicious drinks. I recommend a martini or the limoncello spritz. They always serve popcorn and other small bites with your order.

If the sun is too bright, you can borrow a funny hat from Franco’s Bar while sipping your limoncello spritz.

For dinner, walk down to the beach and on the right (while facing the beach) is a beautiful hotel called Hotel Covo dei Saraceni. If you pass the main entrance, you’ll see The Brasserie, which is Hotel Covo’s casual pizza restaurant. Sit outside by the beach and order a pizza or two. They also served incredible craft Italian beers.

By this point, you’re most likely ready to go to bed (I know I was), but if you want to stay out late, check out the nightclub, Music on the Rocks. It’s located right off of the beach and you’ll feel like you’re partying in a cave...because you actually are.

Day 2: Explore the Amalfi Coast by boat & land

Admiring the Amalfi Coast from the water.

On day two, book a boat trip! There is nothing like seeing the views of the Amalfi Coast from the water. We chose to book this sailboat adventure on Airbnb Experiences, but you can also book on many other sites including Positano Boats. Make sure to wear your swimsuit and bring a towel, because you’ll be able to jump right off the boat into the warm, blue Mediterranean Sea.

If you can fit it in (we did), book this Italian Ape Dolce Vita Tour for the evening. It was from 5-8 PM and took us from Ravello to Positano, passing through Atrani, Amalfi and one of the most beautiful places we saw in all of Amalfi, Fiordo di Furore (translates to fjord of Furore). A Fjord is a long, narrow inlet of the sea between high cliffs. This is apparently the only fjord in the Mediterranean, and it is framed by a beautiful stone bridge to connect the two cliffs. Even if you don’t take the Ape Dolce Vita Tour, I recommend making a stop in the town of Furore during your trip to see the fjord.

For dinner, make a reservation at Chez Black. It’s located right on the beach and is a Positano establishment that has been open since 1949. We ordered mussel soup (mussels in red sauce), spaghetti with clams and a bottle of wine.

Day 3: Soak up the sun at One Fire Beach

On day three, treat yourself to an afternoon at One Fire Beach. One Fire Beach is a beach club at Casa Angelina, a 5-star hotel in the neighboring town of Praiano. You’ll need to reserve chairs in advance and One Fire will send a boat to pick you up from the dock in Positano. One Fire Beach was the nicest beach club we went to on the Amalfi Coast, and it was perfect for any age. It wasn’t a club like you’d experience in Vegas or Ibiza, but It definitely had a fun vibe. Food and drinks are served all day, and there are inflatable swim floats for you to lounge on in the sea. I recommend ordering an aperol spritz to go with a margherita pizza for lunch. At 4 PM every day, they do a watermelon ritual that is a must see. I won’t give too much away though.

When you’re ready to end your beach day, let a staff member know and they’ll grab you a water taxi back to Positano. I convinced my husband to go back to Franco’s bar for another drink since I loved it so much, but you can also just explore town or find another spot to hang at until dinner.

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Tonight, book yourself dinner at Da Vincenzo, currently the most popular restaurant in Positano. It is hard to get a reservation, so book far in advance. We actually weren’t able to get one ourselves, but a good (and trustworthy) friend who was also visiting said it was the best meal she had while on the Amalfi Coast.

Where to Stay

Positano is a great place to stay during your trip to the Amalfi Coast, but it can be expensive. I recommend exploring Airbnb options in addition to hotels before you book. Here is a complete guide on where to stay in Positano.

How to Get to Positano

Depending on where you are traveling from, there are a few different ways to get to the Amalfi Coast. Here is a detailed guide for how to get to Positano.

Taking the ferry from Salerno to Positano.

Where to Eat & Drink

Da Adolfo

Da Adolfo is a family owned restaurant located on a tiny cove about a 10 minute boat ride from Positano. Book a reservation for lunch in advance through your hotel or Airbnb host and ask to reserve beach chairs as well. I recommend spending an entire day relaxing on the beach here and enjoying the privacy of the tiny but gorgeous rock beach. When it’s time for lunch, order the peach wine, grilled mozzarella, mussel soup and spaghetti with clams.

The Brasserie

The Brasserie is a casual pizza restaurant located below Hotel Covo right on the beach. It has the best pizza we ate on the Amalfi Coast (Naples style) and also carries some delicious Italian craft beers. We didn’t make a reservation and had no problem getting a table outside by the beach. Order the margherita pizza and have the lemon sorbet for dessert.

Da Vincenzo

Da Vincenzo is currently the most popular restaurant in Positano. Make a reservation far in advance so you can guarantee yourself a table. We tried to make a reservation upon arriving to Positano and was told they had no availability until September (it was July).

Chez Black

Chez Black is right on the beach and has the cutest decor. It’s a very old restaurant in Positano, but the food does not disappoint. We were able to get a reservation only a few days in advance but it doesn’t hurt to book before you arrive on the Amalfi Coast. We had a bottle of wine, spaghetti with clams and mussel soup (mussels in red sauce). We ate spaghetti with clams at multiple restaurants on the Amalfi Coast and Da Adolfo and Chez Black were my favorites.

Franco’s Bar

Franco’s Bar is located at the gorgeous Le Sirenuse Hotel. I definitely would have chosen to stay here if it was within our budget. Instead, I spent two nights at Franco’s enjoying the scenery and sipping a delicious martini. Come here for sunset, the views are incredible.

Music on the Rocks

Music on the Rocks is where to find the party in Positano. It’s located right on the beach inside a cliff. It has music, drinks and dancing. I wouldn’t show up before 10 PM, the party starts late at night.

The Amalfi Coast is known for their lemons and this is a view of lemon trees growing on the coast.

TBP Insider Tips

>While we ate out the majority of our time in Positano, I also recommend stopping by the local market to get yogurt and snacks during your stay. We often ate breakfast in our Airbnb.

>Try to pack light for your trip. With the various methods of traveling involved, you don’t want to have to lug a big suitcase around. Here is a post sharing two travel products that changed the way we pack.

>When you arrive to Positano by ferry, there will be luggage porters waiting at the dock to offer to take your luggage to your accommodation. I highly recommend using the service if you have a far walk to where you’re staying. You’ll just need to tell them where to bring the luggage. If you’re staying in a hotel, this is easy. If you’re in an Airbnb, ask the host in advance to recommend a hotel or restaurant that you can mention and wait there for your luggage.

>In Europe, you’ll need euros. You can bring cash and exchange money at the airport or get a no-fee debit card like the one I have from Fidelity. It’s super easy and free to get, and will allow you to take out money from international ATMs with no fees. You just load it up in advance.

>If you’re coming from the USA, you don’t need a visa to enter Italy.

>To get data on your phone in Italy, stop at a TIM store when you arrive at the airport or train station. You can purchase a SIM card that will give you an Italian number and data for the trip. This was really helpful so we could navigate around using google maps.