If there is ever a place that words and pictures don’t do it justice, it is here, the Amalfi Coast. Since it is quite mountainous in the region, trains are not available in this area. Intstead, we took the train into Naples (Napoli Centrale) and required a car service into Positano. I used Positano Transfer, and I can’t say enough. http://www.positanotransfer.com. Even with the 6 hour time difference, they were efficient in all their responses to my questions. Annalisa made sure all of the details were in place and even communicated with me while we were in Italy using “WhatsApp”. Gianluca, our personable and funny driver, called me while we waited in the train station to assure me he was close by and just needed to park. My sons felt like celebrities when this same guy was dressed in a suit and had our last name on a white board, waiting to whisk us off to the coast! Gianluca warned us that Naples was like Tijuana, Mexico. I’ve never been there, but from the sites on the streets, I’m going to say he was right. It was chaotic but exciting. A bonus making our way out of the city was driving by Mount Vesuvius. Never thought I would see that out of a car window.
As we made our way south, the road winds hugging the mountains and you slowly climb in elevation and see slivers of the Mediterranean. We were speechless. The four of us just looked outside, then at each other with our mouths wide open in amazement. It is spectacular, and each town gets prettier than the last. Along the way, Gianluca pointed out where he lived and we stopped in Sorrento and bought us lemon granita. It was a warm welcome into this hospitable region.
After several hairpin turns and possible head-on collisions, we were in front of our hotel, Punta Regina. Gianluca gave us a warm Ciao and headed to the next lucky passenger. I can’t remember how I ended up choosing this hotel, because there were dozens of the same class. Just know that Positano is not cheap, but there’s also nothing wrong with splurging once in a while. Case in point, I booked my husband and I a superior room with a balcony overlooking the ocean. How many times will I be here? Maybe only once, so I’m taking advantage of this beautiful place and we were going to treat ourselves. Don’t worry, I saved some money booking my boys a standard room with a street view. They asked why they didn’t get an ocean view room and I told them because I was paying for it! They do offer suites at the Regina but they were unavailable for the dates we were there. The suites do accommodate 4 people, so know this is an option. http://puntaregina.com
Francesca was our first point of contact when we arrived inside the hotel. They immediately showed us to our rooms and where breakfast was served each morning. Breakfast in Italy does not consist of more than a cappuccino and something sweet to eat. However, most of the hotels are used to accommodating tourists, and provide a full-scale breakfast. Giuseppe was a lively and entertaining host to us each morning who served us cappuccino, americano and cioccolato caldo (my son wanted hot chocolate) to accompany the delicious and robust breakfast. As if it couldn’t get any better, we had this view above, with the sun and warm ocean air on our faces. It was surreal.
There are two beaches in Positano, the more popular and larger of the two, by the same name are where you will find shops, restaurants, and the boat tour companies. We decided to go to the quieter beach, Fornillo as it was closer to where our hotel was. Let me tell you, there are many steep staircases that you can take down to the water or you can walk the winding roads. It will take a little longer, but you get to see the shops and homes better along the way. On the way back up from Fornillo Beach, I lost count after 475 steps! Not for the fainthearted. I did see at one point on the road, an elevator that was down the street from our hotel and took patrons down to the bottom.
As if it wasn’t exciting enough to be here and take in all the surroundings, I had booked a 1/2 day boat tour with Positano Boats http://www.positanoboats.info. I did book this ahead of our trip and printed off the confirmation to bring with us the day of our ride. They had a booth on the main beach, we showed them our reservation and met Francesco our tour guide for the day! There was more than enough room on the boat for us and he provided a cooler full of cold drinks. A four hour tour brought us to the town of Amalfi, where we spent about 30 minutes in town. Francesco stopped at one point, where my sons and I took a dip in the Med. It was freezing and nearly took our breath away for a second, but it was a moment I will never forget. The water was a deep blue that I’ve never seen before, it’s not like the Caribbean. And it had a beautiful scent, I wish I could have it as a candle. My son, Kyler said the water even smelled turquoise. I thought that was so poetic. Francesco explained the small towns we passed and pointed out Sophia Loren’s house perched on a hill overlooking the water. To have this memory of coming back into the town of Positano and see the mountains rise above me, is one I hope to never forget. It was spectacular seeing it from the water.
There were 2 nice restaurants down the street from our hotel. Il Fornillo had a little more upscale atmosphere and we had a table looking out with an incredible view. Saraceno d’Oro was a family restaurant that had Gnocchi alla Sorrentina that I had been dying for. The soft dumplings with a delicious tomato sauce did not disappoint. Heavenly. We were able to order a pizza to go for my husband who was working back at the hotel. The only hard thing to get used to eating outside in Positano, is the fact that you’re seated at a table on the side of the road with cars and vespas whizzing by. It got quite windy at one point and we had to hold onto everything at our table. A small sacrifice to pay, I guess.
Punta Regina had wonderful and friendly staff, delicious food and fabulous accommodations. I would definitely stay here again. You don’t have to break the bank to stay on the coast. There are reasonable hotels along the way. I also didn’t find the restaurants to be any more expensive than what we experienced in Florence. I will say, the gelato was not so good in Positano, save your euros on that one. The 3 days we spent in Positano were magical. And if I never have a chance to go back, I have those dear memories, and I will be forever grateful. Andiamo a Roma…
