Celebrity Travel
7 Things to Do in Positano Beyond the Postcard Shot
The cliffside photo is real, but Positano's coastal hikes, quieter beaches, and Capri day trips are what actually fill three days here.
Jul 23, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Positano's postcard shot, cascading pastel houses down a cliff to the sea, is real and worth getting, but the town rewards more than a single viewpoint photo. Here are seven things to do once you've taken it, each with a direct map link.
1. Spiaggia Grande
Positano's main beach, directly below the town centre, is the obvious first stop and the best place to watch the cliffside houses catch the evening light from sea level rather than above.
2. Path of the Gods hike
A roughly two-hour coastal trail from nearby Bomerano down toward Positano, with uninterrupted Amalfi Coast views the road-level towns simply cannot match. Start early to avoid both the midday heat and the trail's narrower, exposed sections in full sun.
3. Church of Santa Maria Assunta
The majolica-tiled dome visible from almost every photo of Positano belongs to this church, and the interior, including a Byzantine Black Madonna icon, is free to visit and rarely crowded.
4. Boat trip to Fornillo Beach
A smaller, quieter beach just around the headland from Spiaggia Grande, reachable by a short coastal path or water taxi, consistently rated calmer and less crowded than the main beach in peak season.
5. Day trip to Capri by ferry
Direct ferries run from Positano's harbour to Capri in under an hour, making the Blue Grotto and Capri's town centre a realistic day trip without needing to base there overnight.
6. Shopping for Positano-style linen
The town's loose, breezy linen clothing has its own name, the Positano style, and the boutiques along Via dei Mulini sell the genuine version rather than the mass-produced copies found elsewhere on the coast.
7. Sunset aperitivo at a cliffside terrace bar
Several hotel bars open their terraces to non-guests for evening drinks, and booking one specifically for sunset, rather than dinner, is the cheaper, less crowded way to get the same view a restaurant table charges triple for.
Traveller tips
- Skip driving into Positano entirely if possible; parking is scarce and expensive, and the coastal road from Sorrento gets genuinely gridlocked in summer.
- Book Path of the Gods for a morning start, both for cooler temperatures and because afternoon clouds regularly roll in and cut the views short.
- Reserve Capri ferry tickets a day ahead in July and August; same-day sailings sell out by mid-morning.
- Wear proper shoes for Positano's steps; the town is built almost entirely on staircases, and sandals are a genuinely poor choice for a full day here.
Where this is
Positano, Amalfi Coast