Positano, Italy: A Few Hours on the Amalfi Coast

From the moment I arrived in Positano, I was in love.

There are places you visit that are beautiful, and then there are places that seem almost too beautiful to be real. Positano was one of those places for me.

Built into the steep cliffs of Italy's Amalfi Coast, the town seems to tumble down toward the Mediterranean in layers of colorful buildings, balconies, flowers, shops, and restaurants. The streets wind their way downward, and just when you think you have seen the most beautiful view, you turn another corner and find another one.

I had only a few hours to explore Positano, but those few hours left a lasting impression.

Exploring Positano

We made our way through the winding streets toward the water, stopping along the way to look into shops and take in the views.

Positano isn't a place where you simply walk from one attraction to another. The town itself is the attraction.

There are narrow lanes, stairways, little shops, restaurants with outdoor seating, colorful buildings and glimpses of the sea appearing between them. The historic center winds down toward the Church of Santa Maria Assunta and Spiaggia Grande, the main beach.

I remember feeling as though I had stepped onto a movie set.

But it wasn't a movie set. It was simply Positano.

And that somehow made it even more wonderful.

Looking Back from the Beach

When we finally reached the beach, I turned around and looked back toward the town.

The view stopped me.

The buildings seemed to climb straight up the hillside, stacked one above another, with the Mediterranean behind me and the town rising dramatically in front of me.

People were sitting outside enjoying meals. Others were wandering through the streets or relaxing along the beach. An artist was sitting with his canvas, trying to capture the scene around him.

I remember thinking that I understood why people fall in love with this place.

There are some views that a camera can record but never quite reproduce.

Even now, when I look at my photographs, I can remember the salt air, the breeze and the feeling of standing there looking up at Positano.

Santa Maria Assunta

One of the most recognizable sights in Positano is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.

The church sits near the center of town, close to Spiaggia Grande, and its colorful majolica-tiled dome has become one of Positano's most recognizable landmarks. The dome's yellow, green and blue tiles are especially striking against the blue sky and sea.

I found myself looking up at the buildings and the church and wondering how people could possibly have created a town in a place this steep.

Positano is a town of stairs, slopes and unexpected views.

And that's part of its charm.

     

The Man in the Red Sweater

One of my favorite photographs from Italy was taken completely by chance.

After making our way through a maze of shops and restaurants, we came out toward Spiaggia Grande.

As I walked toward the water, I noticed a man wearing a bright red sweater sitting and painting.

The scene caught my attention immediately. I took the photograph and continued toward the beach. 

Looking back, I wish I had stopped. I wish I had sat down for a few minutes and watched him paint. I would have loved to see what he saw when he looked at Positano through the eyes of an artist.

But that is one of the challenges of traveling when you have only a few hours in a port.

There is always something else to see.

You are constantly looking at the clock, knowing that eventually you have to turn around and make your way back. 

Positano Bites Deep

Before visiting Positano, I had read John Steinbeck's famous description of the town.

After visiting, I understood it.

Steinbeck wrote about Positano for Harper's Bazaar in 1953 and described it as a dreamlike place that doesn't seem quite real while you are there, but becomes even more real after you leave.

I think that's exactly what happened to me. While I was there, I was busy trying to see everything I could.

After I left, I found myself thinking about it. And then thinking about it some more.

The photographs brought back the colors and the views, but they also brought back the feeling of being there.

A Place I Would Return To

That short visit to Positano left me wanting more.

If I had to choose one place along our Italian travels to return to, I think the Amalfi Coast would be at the top of my list.

Cinque Terre would be a close second, but Positano captured something different for me.

Maybe it was the way the town seemed to cling to the cliffs. Maybe it was the blue of the Mediterranean. Maybe it was the little streets,the shops and restaurants, or the artist sitting quietly with his canvas.

Or maybe it was simply the feeling of being somewhere so beautiful that, for a few hours, nothing else seemed particularly important. 

Looking Back

I took a lot of photographs in Positano, but none of them completely captures what it felt like to be there.

That's the strange thing about travel.

Sometimes you take hundreds of pictures because you are afraid you'll forget what a place looked like.

But what you really don't want to forget is how it felt.

Positano is one of those places that stayed with me long after I left.

I may have only had a few hours there, but even after all these years, I can look at these photographs and be transported right back to that beach, with the sea breeze on my face and those beautiful houses climbing the cliffs above me.

Maybe that's why Steinbeck's words still seem so fitting.

Positano bites deep.

And it certainly did for me.

A Little Travel Detail

I have to include a few bathroom photos because they fascinated me during our travels through Europe. In the United States, men's and women's restrooms are usually in separate areas, but in Italy I often found them right next to each other, with small signs marking each one.

It may seem like an odd thing to photograph, but these are the little differences you notice when traveling—and years later, they become part of the memories too.