Lost In Positano
Have you ever seen photos of people traveling to dream-like destinations, and wonder how they’re able to get there? Thankfully, I have been blessed my soccer journey has lead me to Italy, where many stunning cities are located. Never in my life would I’ve thought I’d be able to see Italy, or even the Amalfi Coast, especially since Covid hit.
On April 24, 2021, my friends Jess, Aqsa, Julia, and I all decided to go see the Amalfi Coast during a soccer-free weekend. Continue reading for traveling tips and our experience during the pandemic.
Our journey starts with us leaving from Rome by car, since it’s much easier to get around the Amalfi Coast than public transportation. Renting a car gave us more freedom to do and go wherever we pleased, instead of waiting for public transportation and planning around train or bus times. We rented a car for 3 days from a company called Noleggiare. Even though we had a discount, with insurance it was around 75 euros. Since there was four of us it was cheaper when we split the cost. The drive down to Positano was around 4 hours, we drove to Naples and after drove through the beautiful coast to get to our destination.
If renting a car is out of the question, you can take public transportation to the Amalfi Coast. Using the trains and buses, the trip can be as short as 3 hours, depending on the time of day you decide to go. Attached below is an example public transportation route from Rome to Positano. Below the map shows transportation going from Rome to Naples to Sorrento by train, then from there to Positano by bus or shuttle.
For more accurate times and information, please look at Trenitalia or another public transportation site.
Once we reached the Sorrento coast, the drive down to Positano was gorgeous. We drove through the mountain and curvy roads admiring the scenery of the ocean views and the cliff side. On the way, there were many stops to enjoy the view and take some photos. As we drove up to Positano, you could tell why many people say it’s one of the most astonishing destination in the world. Just getting to admire the city built into the cliffs was enough for me, I couldn’t put my camera down. Positano and the whole Amalfi Coast are such instagrammable destination with many photos waiting to happen. With such beautiful, colorful houses on the mountain side, it makes sense why they attract thousands of visitors each year.
Important things to know going to Italy/Positano:
Language: Italian/English (Tourist places)
Money/Credit/Debit Card: Euros & Debit Card (Most places take card but always have some euros with you just in case)
Outlets: Type C Plug Adaptor
Phone Service: SIM card (You can get a TIM or Vodafone SIM card at the airport or any local TIM/Vodafone store)
Getting Around: Car/Train/Bus (Car: rent a car or use a taxi or Uber; Train: get the Trenitalia or Trainline app for the train schedules; Bus: find the local bus station to ask questions or look up time schedules online)
Once we reached sea level, the beach has many shops, boutiques, and bars to entertainment people, but unfortunately, since we traveled during Covid basically everything was closed. There was only one grocery store, one bar, and one boutique open throughout the entire town. We were still able to have a good time, despite Covid restrictions.
There are two beaches in Positano: Positano Beach (main/more popular) and Spiaggia del Fornillo (least popular). We were able to visit both beaches, first Positano Beach then Spiaggia del Fornillo. The sand at the beach is soft and the water is very clear and refreshing. It felt good especially with the heat the day of our visit.
Like I mentioned before, Positano is a vertical town and the best way to get around is on foot. Well when we were ready to leave Spiaggia del Fornillo and find. some food, we walked up a very long flight of stairs that lead us in the wrong direction. We got lost trying to find the car and had to climb a million sets of more stairs. Without realizing it, we walked to the wrong side of the town. We ended up walking up the entire Positano mountain and found ourselves on the complete opposite side of where we parked the car.
Watch our first day in Positano!
After our adventure in Positano we drove along the coast to the town Maiori, which is around an hour from Positano but 15 minutes from Amalfi. Using Booking.com, we stayed for two nights (3 days) in an amazing 1 bedroom flat that had a kitchen, a laundry room, and a full bathroom.
Once we got all settled in Maiori we went down to the beach, where many of the locals were. We were able to find a pizza place still open, selling whole pizzas for around 5 euros each! With that concluding our night, we went to sleep to get ready for our next few days in the Amalfi Coast!
Stay tune for the next blog on the rest of our trip in the Amalfi Coast!