What to see in Positano ?

Positano clings to the cliff face like an architectural miscalculation that became a masterpiece. The village owes its character to this extreme verticality: everything must be earned on foot, via staircases linking the Via dei Mulini to the small harbour, and inhabitants have lived with this constraint for centuries. It's a former Norman maritime stop reinvented as a holiday destination in the twentieth century, when American artists set down their luggage here after the war.

Allow a minimum of two nights to look beyond the postcard version, ideally in May or September to dodge the summer crush. A car is unnecessary, arguably counterproductive: the ferry from Amalfi or Salerno remains the most sensible arrival method. Avoid Spiaggia Grande beach on an August Saturday, rammed to the point of losing all appeal; instead head down to Fornillo in late afternoon, considerably calmer.