Positano is the most-photographed town on the Amalfi Coast — pastel buildings stacked up an almost vertical cliff face, a small beach wedged between rocks at the bottom, and the sea below it all. The images are accurate. It is genuinely beautiful and genuinely crowded in July and August, when the narrow streets become difficult to navigate and the beach fills entirely.
The town divides roughly into upper and lower sections, connected by steep steps and a road that loops around. The main beach (Spiaggia Grande) is shingle rather than sand and charges entry to most of it. The smaller Spiaggia del Fornillo, 10 minutes' walk west, is quieter and free.
The church of Santa Maria Assunta, with its distinctive majolica-tiled dome, is the town's main landmark. The Byzantine icon inside has been the object of veneration for centuries and the building is free to enter.
For walking, the local bus climbs above the town to the ridge road, from where you can hike to Nocelle, a small village carved into the cliff above the town. The views from up there are extraordinary and the path is not difficult. This is a section of the famous Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods).
Boat trips from the beach can reach sea caves, hidden beaches, and the Li Galli islands, where Rudolf Nureyev once lived. Getting out on the water gives you the full drama of the coast from a perspective not possible from land.
Getting here: SITA buses run the Amalfi Coast road from Sorrento (about 1 hour) and from Amalfi (about 40 minutes). Ferries connect to Amalfi, Sorrento, Naples, and Capri. There is no train. Positano itself has no through road for cars — you park above and walk down.