After all the walking in Florence and the day trips in the Tuscan countryside, we said goodbye to my parents and headed south to the Amalfi Coast for some sea therapy. Thanks to the recommendations of my aunt and a Houston neighbor who know me well, we stayed in the beautiful town of Positano all four nights instead of hopping along the coastline from town to town. And I’m so glad we did.
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Postiano took our breath away! It’s the most stunning coastline I’ve ever seen. It’s both rugged and elegant…my favorite combination. It’s one of those postcard perfect places…immediately recognizable once you’ve been and drop dead gorgeous in a photo no matter how average your photography skills are.
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In contrast to Florence, there was more astounding God-made glory: the steep cliffs, jagged mountain tops, the changing colors of the sea…things no man can replicate. Combine that with the man-made marvels of winding roads, colorful buildings stacked into the mountainside, and fantastic food…and you have a heaven on earth kind of place.
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We enjoyed our hotel so much that it’s worth a mention: Hotel Buca di Bacco. It was highly recommended by my aunt and Trip Advisor reviews. Finding a nice hotel for a family without breaking the bank is tricky in Europe, and especially in Positano. I love a bargain on most things, but I’ve learned I’m no longer a bargain girl when it comes to hotels. {I stayed at Motel 6 early in marriage and will camp in a tent if it speaks love to my family, but when I visit an elegant place, I like an elegant hotel.}
Our terrace was the perfect spot for relaxing.
Buca di Bacco isn’t a steal, but after lots of research and seeing Positano first-hand, I can’t imagine a better place for the price. We enjoyed a great location, a newly updated suite with a beautiful bathroom, a large terrace overlooking the sea, and an incredible breakfast buffet with cappuccinos included! They also had a cooking school…something my husband enjoyed while the girls were at the beach and I devoured a friend’s newest novel, Happiness for Beginners. {A great summer read by the way.}
Another Amalfi Coast tip: don’t drive yourself. The roads are curvier than any car commercial you’ve ever seen. Not to mention narrow and on the edge of a cliff! One of my husband’s patients recommended Giuseppe with Positano Drivers. We loved him. He picked us up at the train station in Naples, took us to a famous pizza place for lunch, stopped in Pompeii so we could walk through the ruins {fascinating!}, then on to Positano, his hometown. Not a bargain {nothing in Positano is}, but zero carsickness…and that’s saying a lot for a family who gets carsick easily.
My final tip: see the coast from the water. This is true of any coast in my opinion, but the Amalfi Coast is particularly dramatic from the water. Charter a boat if you want to splurge, but at the very least, take a boat tour of some sort. I thought I found the best deal going and chartered a boat for half the price my husband had found. {Always the bargain girl!} But let me tell you: a boat is not where you want to save money. A slightly bigger boat would’ve made our time on the water a lot more pleasant. And that’s coming from a girl who’s spent a lot of summers on a boat and does not get seasick easily. I should’ve gone with my husband’s splurge on that one! Live and learn.
Capri…
Most boat tours will take you to Capri. Packed to the gills with tourists and people trying to sell you every kind of thing down by the water, so it wasn’t my favorite. But it’s one of those places you feel like you have to see if you’re there. Lots of high end Italian shopping for those who enjoy that kind of thing. I’m more of a beauty hunter than a beauty buyer, so I didn’t purchase a thing.
Not our boat, but those are my people!
The highlight of the boat trip: a long lunch at Conca del Sogno. The food was delicious! The best fried calamari and fired zucchini I’ve ever tasted. {A rare gluten fest for me.} And of course, the tomatoes and mozzarella were heavenly. The wildest part of our lunch was the storm that came right over the mountain and across the water out of nowhere. Glad we weren’t on our little boat at that moment!
Life on the water: storming one moment, sunshine the next.
Look at me being the travel guide with all these tips! Pretty funny for a homebody farmgirl. I’m no travel expert, but I hope those tips help you if you ever make it to the Amalfi Coast. And if you don’t make it in this lifetime, I’m betting there’s an even more stunning coastline in heaven! Talk about unspeakable glory! Nothing on this side of heaven compares to the glory that’s awaiting us.
For the love of beauty,
P.S. If you’re wondering where my people are in all these photos, I’ve got those tucked away for a post of their own…if they don’t mind me sharing in one final post. My people are my favorite part!
CAM - My dream place to visit someday – Positano!!! Have a creased travel magazine photo from years ago that I can’t bear to throw away. You captured it in your photos. Thanks!!!
Lorri - The Almalfi Coast has been on my bucket list for a long time!
I’m curious about the curvy roads though. I live in the Appalachians. Are the roads more curvy than here?
Alisha - Check out a Google street view of the roads, it looks pretty insane:)
Alisha - Beautiful photos! I’ve always wanted to travel to Italy, thanks for sharing parts of your trip:)
Alisha
A Family Trip To Italy | The Beauty of My People » Bravehearted Beauty - […] God’s eyes, it would take our breath away. Even more so than the dramatic coastline of Positano. You are that […]
Lisa - Have loved your posts on your trip, but this was my favorite. Planning to save it, as I would love to make the trip to Positano. Thank you for all the tips, etc. I lived in Italy when I was in 8th grade (over 40 years ago) but never visited this area. Your pictures make me want to plan a trip for next summer!