Fun things to do in Positano

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Ah yes, once you're encsonced in Positano you'll be looking for the bus to Amalfi because you'll have heard what a wonderfully scenic and scary trip it is. For those who come from modern Western countries it can be an eye opener.
Confident people will gaze in awe out the windows, those of lesser intestinal fortitude will be leaning away from them. Whatever you do, the trip is unforgettable.
When you reach Amalfi you'll encounter a maze of back alleys and enchanting places to wander.
Foremost amongst the attractions is the church (pic 2). The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Amalfi is a highly unique cathedral full of interesting sights. Built in the early 1200s, the cathedral features a dramatic location atop a steep flight of stairs, an Arab-influenced exterior, and the relics of St. Andrew the Apostle in its crypt. Connected to the cathedral is an older basilica (now a small museum) and the fascinating Cloister of Paradise, both containing medieval murals.
There has been a church on this site in Amalfi since 596 AD and the one built in the 9th century still stands today. The present cathedral (added alongside the old one) was built in the early 13th century to provide a suitable resting place for the relics of St. Andrew the Apostle. Uniquely, the older cathedral was not torn down but left adjacent to the new one. The two were originally joined together to form a single, six-nave Romanesque cathedral.
The other main thing here is the paper museum. Not something to get excited about I hear you think. I beg to differ and suggest you'll be surprised at what people used to write on; it's and extraordinary story.

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Positano lies at southern feet of the Mounts Lattari, protecting it from the Northwinds, and thus enjoys the advantages of a mild, dry climate. It is surrounded by green mountains, which form something akin to a crown: Mount Comune, Mt. S. Maria del Castello, Mt. S. Angelo a Tre Pizzi (1444 metres high), Mt. Conocchia, Mt. Campo dei Galli and Mt. Paipo; towards the south and east the gaze sweeps over the sea up to Punta Licosa and Capri.
There is one other that you may well encounter while here, Monte Pertuso, literally the "Mountain with a Hole". It juts out above the town but the hole can only be seen from the sides when you're up higher.
Three miles away from the coast a little archipelago rises from the sea - "Li Galli" or "Sirenuse" (from the Sirens that tempted Ulysses) - composed of three islands: "Gallo Lungo", "Rotonda", "Castelluccio". If you come from the sea, as I did the second time, you will go straight past them before you come to your destination.

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Though it doesn't have an elongated past like other places in Italy you will notice a fort or two.
The most prominent is Torre de Clavel, the odd shaped one on the point (opening pic). There are others, though you may not immediately spy them.
Mostly, all forts and towers along here were built as defences agains the Saracens, a broad term for Arab pirates and this one dates from the 13th century.
The one in the second picture has a similar one above it.

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Although not as sprawling as the beaches in the French Riviera, the beach at Positano has its own charm. The Spiaggia Grande (Grand Beach ) is a pebbled beach lined with restaurants and cafes. During the summer months, the beach is crowded with sun-worshippers. I was in Positano in September so the beach was not that crowded. There were people swimming in the sea though.

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If your expecting a soft sandy beach with sand that melts between your toes, then your thinking of the Caribbean and your on the wrong continent. The beach at Positano is like most European beaches, rocky, not sandy. However Positano's beach is filled with smooth, oval shaped stones that actually feel soft between your toes. But its not so much the beach itself thats the main attraction but the views from the beach. All around you is pure, unfiltered beauty, both man made and natural. A calm silent ocean serenely brushes up against the shore with nary a ripple and the town itself rises high above you, and so close that seems like it could swallow you right up. To either side of the town the mountain rushes out to meet the ocean and with Positano in protected in the middle. This is not a beach to fall asleep on, this a beach to sit and take in the incredible beauty of Positano.

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Positano at dusk is a marvelous thing to behold, it will have even an atheist rethinking their take on a higher power. For those staying in Positano overnight and for a few days, I would recommend experiencing dusk from the beach as well as the top. The combination of the fading light of day giving way to the shadows of dusk, highlighted by a sparkling ocean is to die for. If your visiting Positano as a day trip, try and plan it so you don't have to leave until you can experience at the very least a half hour of dusk. Find a nice secluded place on the beach or somewhere within the town and take it all in.

Actually they really aren't streets, they are more like corridors that are just big enough to handle one person at a time. They wind in and around the town and take you back to a time when the town wasn't a tourist destination but a fishing village with a few artists here and there. Exploring the corridors of Positano is a real treat that shouldn't be missed!

Positano attracts some of the most talented artist's from all over the world. Which makes sense considering Positano is an artist's town. Picturesque in nature and a tourist destination to boot. All the elements for an artist to make their mark. You see them throughout the town, some on the beach selling their original work and others around the town painting different scenes and honing their craft. It is a real treat to watch a talented artist at work especially when you can see what their painting and then see their take on it. Certainly something you don't see everyday.