Positano

One of the most accessible villages along the Amalfi Coast, Positano, ia a postcard-perfect fishing hamlet snuggled in a cove that is wrapped by an exceeding steep hill. Colorfully painted houses, trendy boutiques, cute restaurants, and cascades of brilliant bougainvillea add to the appeal of this jewel.If you are not overnighting in Positano, by all means make this a day’s excursion. The town is a photographer’s dream—houses painted a dazzling white step down the impossibly steep hillside to a pebble beach lapped by brilliant blue water. To reach the small plaza dominated by a church topped by a colorful mosaic-tiled dome you have to climb one of the town’s many staircases. Today Positano attracts artists and tourists from around the world, but in the 16th and 17th centuries it was an important seaport with tall-masted ships bringing in wares from around the world. When steamships came into vogue in the 19^th century, Positano’s prosperity declined and three-quarters of its population immigrated to the United StatesFrom Naples you can take the ferry to Sorrento and then on to Positano, or take the train to Sorrento and a bus from there (the buses leave from the train station).