Picturesque Positano, the gem of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, is more than just a pretty facade.
Italy’s Amalfi Coast — a fairly isolated and dramatically scenic stretch of shoreline south of Naples — is blessed with beaches, sunshine, and picturesque towns spilling down precipitous slopes. Among these towns, I have a clear favorite: Positano, easily the most scenic, chic, and romantic stop along the coast’s winding clifftop road.
Until the late 1800s, the only access to the town was by sea or donkey path. Even now, only one street in Positano allows motorized traffic; the rest are narrow pedestrian lanes. Endless staircases are still a way of life for the hardy locals. While Positano has 4,000 residents, an average of 12,000 tourists visit daily between Easter and October. But because tour-bus access is so difficult, Positano has been spared the worst ravages of big-bus tourism.
Astute strollers will notice an abundance of shops selling ceramics and linen — both have been made here since the 1950s, when the town was a haven for artists and writers escaping Communist Russia and Nazi Germany. To this day, numerous galleries feature the work of local artists.
Though known since antiquity for its hearty fleet, Positano was weakened by a 1343 tsunami, and in the mid-1400s the entire lower town — including the monastery — was abandoned to escape pirate raids. But in the 1700s, when the coast was clear of pirate rule, Positano flourished again as a favorite under the Bourbon royal family.
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