Two Days in Amalfi & Positano | Visiting the Amalfi Coast Part II
*POST UPDATED MARCH 2024.
Hello friends! Welcome to part ii of my Amalfi Coast travel series: Two Days in Amalfi and Positano! In case you missed it, part i was all about the lovely hilltop town of Ravello and you can read that here. Part iii will hopefully be coming to the blog in the next month, and that will cover our time in Naples! Now though, I’m here to ramble on about our time in both Amalfi and Positano. Boyfriend and I spent two days there this past September when we visited for a wedding, and I’ve gathered all of our recommendations for you below! Shall we?
For the duration of our stay, we based ourselves in Amalfi, and we took the ferry to Positano for a short visit on our second day. Our ‘two days in Amalfi and Positano’ were realistically more 90% Amalfi and 10% Positano – but that didn’t seem like a good post title. Heaps of recommendations below: where to stay, eat, drink, what to do, and where to go for that view of Positano. Enjoy!
two days in amalfi & positano
two days in amalfi & positano
two days in amalfi & positano
where to stay: amalfi
Residenza Del Duca // great location in Amalfi! Literally a one minute walk to the centre of town/Duomo area. Our room was basic but quiet, which was really all we needed for our two nights in town. The only downside was that it was on the fourth floor. Normally this wouldn’t be a biggie, but if you hike down from Ravello to Amalfi like we did, it’s torture on the legs – trust us! Address: Via Duca Mastalo II, 3, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy
two days in amalfi & positano
two days in amalfi & positano
where to eat lunch & dinner
amalfi
Taverna Buonvicino // a lovely lovely restaurant. We stopped in here for lunch after our hike into town, covered in sweat and lugging our bags with us, and the waiters didn’t blink an eye! We were for sure the most disheveled customers, but I’m so glad we stopped here – the food was delicious! The menu is mostly fish-oriented, so we both went veggie. A linguine with veg sauce for me, and a parmesan fondue tomato spaghetti for Boyfriend – both were good, but Boyfriend’s was better. Would recommend. Address: Largo Santa Maria Maggiore, 1, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy
Pizzeria Donna Stella // apparently the best pizzeria in Amalfi. A lovely romantic setting, literally sitting out under fruit-bearing lemon trees. I devoured the white ‘Chiara’ pizza with lardo and onions, while Boyfriend enjoyed their ‘Diavola’. We also shared the arancini, which were perfectly crunchy and cheesy. The house red was also good, as was the espresso at the end of the night – all in all, a good meal! Would recommend. Address: Via, Salita d’Ancora, 4, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy
Da Gemma // fancy. This was our one big splurge meal in Amalfi, and while the food was very good, the service was very slow. It took an age to get the wine brought to the table, but when it finally arrived it was nice. To eat, we both went for Nonna’s ‘pasta alla genovese’ to start – similar to beef stew – which was delicious. For mains we shared the two meat options: fillet of beef with herb crust gratin, and lamb cutlets with mash. The lamb was delicious, but the beef was SPECTACULAR. Pro tip: The portions are quite generous, so we could have shared one of the mains. A real pity about the service. Address: Via Fra Gerardo Sasso, 11, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy
two days in amalfi & positano
positano
La Zagara // a lovely garden bar with a nice view. We stumbled across this restaurant by accident, but our lunch here was pretty good! We both opted for ciabatta sandwiches rather than a pizza etc. Boyfriend had broccoli and sausage, I went for porchetta and smoked provelone; they were huge, and they came with a side of chips. They also had bottles of Menabrea blonde on the menu, our fave Italian beer, so were were happy! Address: Piazza dei Mulini, 10, 84017 Positano SA, Italy
two days in amalfi & positano
two days in amalfi & positano
where to eat snacks: amalfi
Cioccolato Andrea Pansa // for gelato and chocolates. So so good, and such a classy joint. I went for my usual hazelnut & pistachio and they were both superb! A must visit. Address: Piazza Municipio, 12, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy
Pasticceria Andrea Pansa // for pastries. THE place for pastries in Amalfi – and you better get there early because they run out fast! We can vouch for the plain/crema/pistachio croissants and also a doughnut thing of sorts – but honestly everything looked amazing. Very cute interior too! A must visit. Address: Piazza Duomo, 40, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy
two days in amalfi & positano
two days in amalfi & positano
where to drink: amalfi
Bar Savoia // lovely place down by the waterfront. We went back two nights in a row and were able to have prime seats for the sun setting each night. The spritzes were great, the staff were nice, and you get free crisps/nuts with your drink! Address: Piazza Flavio Gioia, 1, 84011 Amalfi SA, Italy
two days in amalfi & positano
two days in amalfi & positano
what to see & do
Amalfi Duomo // gotta visit the local duomo! Like basically every duomo in Italy, this one is beautiful. We also splurged and spent €3 to visit the crypt and relics of St. Andrew – big spenders! I must confess: when we visited we were suffering from sun-stroke and just wanted to lie down, so we probably weren’t as enthused as we could have been. #paleirishpeople
Hike! // I know I mentioned this in my Ravello guide, but hiking is a big activity along the Amalfi coast. The hike from Ravello to Amalfi (with luggage) took less than an hour, and it was all downhill. Friends of ours braved the hike from Amalfi to Positano – the ‘Path of the Gods’ – which is apparently amazing but a lot more arduous. If you’re interested, the people at the tourist office seemed more than happy to help!
Take a ferry ride! // like I said above, Amalfi is the transport hub of the coastline, and there are ferries jetting off every which way all the time. When we arrived in town our accommodation host informed us that travelling by ferry is actually the fastest way to get around the coast and urged us to take advantage of this. We heeded his advice & took the ferry to Positano; it took less than 30-minutes – the drive is at least 45-minutes – and only cost €9! Pity we didn’t take the ferry to Naples too; we got stuck in a huge traffic jam up in the mountains with our singing taxi-man for well over an hour.
Taste the lemons // the Amalfi coast is home to some of the most delicious lemons out there! They’re huge, full of flavour, and a must-taste when in the area. In Positano we had the most amazing lemon granita from a non-descript vendor on a slope going up to the sky and it was the most delicious thing ever. It was just so refreshing and so lemony – yum!
Take in the view! // for me, standing on the beach in Positano looking up at the town was such a sight – second only to the view from the ferry as we left town. To get the classic view of ocean + staggering hillside town, we walked up to the viewpoint of sorts beside Le Sirenuse hotel.
two days in amalfi & positano
two days in amalfi & positano
my overall impression of amalfi & positano
In the interest of full disclosure: personally, I didn’t love either Amalfi or Positano. Don’t get me wrong, both towns were lovely, but they just aren’t places I’d find myself gushing about or longing to return to. That said, visiting any of the towns along the UNESCO listed Amalfi Coast is never not going to be special.
I thought that Amalfi was nice, but touristy and super busy. The town functions as the transport hub for the whole coast, so it is a great place to base yourself if you’re looking to explore nearby towns/villages, but not so great if you’re looking for some peace and quiet. One perk was that getting around Amalfi town was so easy – even if it was insanely hilly. One drawback was that pretty much all of the restaurants we came across served mostly fish, with a veggie option or two thrown in. If there was a meat option on the menu – which wasn’t always the case! – there was only one, and it was more expensive.
Positano is a whole different kettle of fish. It is beyond touristy: jam-packed with wannabe celebs and actual famous people, Beyoncé was there while we were. Despite this, I think it’s a must if you’re visiting the Amalfi Coast. I’m glad that I got to see the town with my own two eyes, because photos genuinely don’t do it justice. We were only there for a couple of hours, but took two main points away with us. One: it’s super hilly and super steep. I’d say it’s equal to the hilliness of Amalfi x10. Two: it’s expensive! We only enjoyed one meal there, but definitely noticed the prices on menus and in shops were higher than elsewhere.
two days in amalfi & positano
two days in amalfi & positano
There we have it: Two Days in Amalfi & Positano | Visiting the Amalfi Coast Part II. Phew! That was a heck of a lot longer than I was expecting it to be – but I couldn’t bring myself to leave anything out! Have you been to Amalfi/Positano or visited anywhere in this guide? I’d love to hear your thoughts or any recommendations in the comment section below!
I’ll be back soon with part iii: Naples!
Ciao, xo
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