Positano

Positano is the vertical town — a cluster of pastel-painted houses tumbling down a sheer cliff face to a small beach, its streets more staircase than road, its boutiques selling colourful handmade sandals and linen in an atmosphere of effortless Mediterranean style. It is the most photogenic settlement on the Amalfi Coast and one of the most photographed places in Italy. The small beach of Spiaggia Grande is the social heart, ringed by restaurants and bathing establishments. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta, with its majolica-tiled dome, is the landmark — inside, a 13th-century Byzantine icon of the Black Madonna is venerated. The path along the cliff to Fornillo Beach (quieter, more local) is pleasant. The Via Positanesi d'America lane winding up from the main beach to the road above gives the best perspectives on the town's extraordinary verticality. Positano's famous handmade leather sandals (made to measure in small workshops) are the essential souvenir. John Steinbeck wrote eloquently about Positano in Harper's Bazaar in 1953, and it has retained that literary and artistic aura. The ferry connections to Amalfi, Praiano, Ravello and the offshore islands of Li Galli (private) are excellent. Il Sentiero degli Dei (the Path of the Gods) hike from Nocelle above Positano to Praiano is one of Italy's most spectacular coastal walks. Accommodation in Positano is expensive; base yourself here for a splurge or use it as a day trip from Sorrento or Naples.