A unique pearl, nestled between the sapphire blue Thyrrenian sea, the emerald green Mediterranean vegetation and the opal overhanging cliffs, which enhance its timeless beauty.
A rather accurate description that however fails to portray fully the true magic that this little hamlet of 3,000 people, placed in the region Campania, inspires in everyone who has the chance to visit it, leaving an unforgettable mark both on the heart and on the soul.
Positano offers an undisputed enticement, mixed perfectly with the idyllic fascination and rare beauty typical of the internationally famous Amalfitan Coast.
History
Even though there are traces of far older settlements, Positano’s origins are to be traced back around 1st century B.C., both historically and archaeologically, as location to some villas belonging to some noble ancient Romans. Among these villas, the Villa of Positano, whose ruins have become an archeological site and museum as of 2018, called MAR (Italian acronym for Santa Maria Assunta Roman Archeological Museum) was a luxurious Roman villa designed irregularly and formed by different areas bordered by gardens.
According to history, intertwined with myth, the villa belonged to one of the most faithful supporter of the Roman emperor Claudius. His name was Posides and the area around the villa was named after him.
Luxury and aesthetics have always been a signature of the town during the centuries. Back in the 18th century Positano witnessed the building of different Baroque villas, whose fascination flourished together with trade and business peaking at that time, that made a number of local families extremely rich. For certain reasons, such as the Napoleonic Wars, business began to decrease remarkably in the 19th century.
Surviving the atrocities of WWI and WWII, Positano was later revived as a successful tourist destination from the 50s on.
Its fascination, imbued with history, sprouts in the breathtaking beautiful landscapes and in the natural beauties all around the town.
Natural and Historical Beauties
Among the countless gems Positano and its surroundings offer, stands the legendary Grotta dello Smeraldo, the Emerald Cave, a few kilometres far from the town and renowned in all the world for its unique and suggestive atmosphere. The little cave is named after the water reflections with emerald green nuances caused by the sunlight penetrating from a rift in the cave walls, and creating a wonderful view.
The inside of the cave, available for boat tours, displays carved rock formations such as stalactites and stalagmites and great biodiversity when it comes both to marine animal and plant life.
The Sentiero degli Dei, Path of the Gods, links several small towns of the Amalfitan Coast, worming its way for 8 kilometres from the town of Bomerano to Nocelle. It takes seven hours to walk the path, which happens to be split in two parts. The lower one, for more comfortable, relaxing walks, and the upper one, steeper and more arduous, dedicated to expert trekkers. Along the path it is possible to admire the natural masterpieces this heavenly place shows, being overwhelmed by powerful emotions in the middle of nature. It is also possible to take a look at the light and heavy blue nuances of the Gulf of Salerno, admire Capri’s Faraglioni (high rocky peaks emerging from the sea), the majestic Lattari Mountains, home to the path itself, the “Pistillo” rock, a particular limestone rock of a unique form and the Grotta Biscotto, a cave formed by steep precipices and cliffs more than 200 metres high. Ruins of some rugged settlements carved in the mountains can also be watched. These were built in the 19th century to let Positano’s inhabitants flee from the town whenever under attack from pirates.
Let’s move from one path to another. The Sentiero degli Innamorati (Path of the Lovers, whose actual name is Via Positanesi d’America, so a road entitled to the people from Positano who tried their luck moving to the U.S.A. back in the days) is a more historical path instead, going from the Fornillo beach to the Marina Grande beach, bearing such emotional name because of the dreamy landscape people can abandon themselves to, enjoying the local panorama.
When it comes to beaches, Positano has a smorgasbord of those, all of them beautiful and famous, starting from its flagship, the Fornillo beach, provided with all types of comforts for tourists but able to grant quiet and relaxing moments, with the limpid, crystal clear sea in the background. From the wide and crowdy Marina Grande beach it is possible to reach the LI Galli Islands, also known as Arcipelago delle Sirene (the Mermaid Islands), Gallo Lungo, Rotonda and Castelluccia, now private properties. In the past they belong to famous international dancers like the Frenchman Léonide Massine, who bought the three islands in 1924, and the Russian Rudolf Nureyev, who literally fell in love with them in the 60s. In Homer’s Odyssey it is told that right near these islands Ulysses bumped into mermaids, mythological half-woman and half-monster creatures, whose bewitching dangerous singing the Greek hero managed to survive.
Other beaches, more secluded and less visited by tourists, are the Arienzo beach, also known as Spiaggia dei 300 Scalini (the Beach of 300 Steps), where the Italian filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli had his own villa built, later turned into a hotel, the Laurito beach, quite close to Positano and a truly unique, charming location placed among the rocky walls of the cliffs around it and the Clevel and Remmese beaches, both free-entrance beaches, where visitors can admire the magnificent, fascinating seabed, ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling.
Saracen Towers are typical of both Positano and the whole Amalfitan Coast. Built back in the 16th century as outposts to defend the area from invaders from the sea, the most famous ones are the Fornillo Tower, named after the beach, home in the past to a lot of artists who found inspiration in the Positano panorama for their works, now become a hotel, and the old Sponda Tower, now turned into a private residence.
Positano’s historical centre is certainly a destination nobody would like to miss. It is formed by several alleys, small streets and slopes intertwined with each other, with a lot of suggestive staircases, small shops and boutiques selling typical products to suit all tastes, from garments to ceramic keepsakes. Here the splendid Santa Maria Assunta Church can be visited, built in the 10th century and magnified by its unique dome.
What better place, imbued with spirituality and magic, with nature and a suggestive atmosphere, with history and aesthetics, to purchase the villa of your dreams?
