Family vacation in Positano, Italy

I recently returned from a vacation in Positano, Italy.

It was absolutely incredible! My husband, in-laws, and I spent roughly eight days together.

Since I married into a family that adores Positano, I’ve gotten a few questions about vacationing there.

So I’m sharing some behind-the-scenes details in a new blog post series, in hopes that it’ll help others. This is the first of a few posts to come.

Don’t worry, we’ll get back to more film-centric blog posts soon.

How do you pronounce Positano?

Positano gets mispronounced in English pretty often. I wasn’t sure how to pronounce it, either. So here’s a quick video of the Italian pronunciation. (Notice that it’s more “poh” than “pah” at the beginning of the word.)

Why vacation in Positano?

A lot of people ask why we choose to visit Positano, Italy.

It’s tough to put into words because, well, everyone has a different idea of what the perfect vacation entails.

Some of our friends, for example, would rather be at a Disney hot spot than anywhere else in the world. One family member loves cruises. Meanwhile, other friends prefer to spend a week at a beach in the Carolinas doing as little as possible.

The ideal vacation is totally subjective, of course; which might be why I get this question so often? No matter what, I love to gush about Positano. It’s an incredible place.

After three trips abroad with my husband and in-laws, I can only conclude that Positano feels like home away from home. (Except, obviously, it’s not.) It takes more than 24 hours to get there from North Carolina in the USA, but when we do finally arrive we are greeted like family. That’s an incredible feeling, and it’s only one small part of why I fell in love with Positano.

It’s tough to put into words.

You really have to go.

Where is Positano?

Positano is a beautiful seaside town on the Amalfi Coast.

It’s a few hours south of Rome by car. (Roughly three hours, depending on who’s driving.) It’s also pretty close to Naples. Sorrento is right around the corner, too.

Here’s a google map so you can zoom in/out.

What do I love about Positano?

The people there are one of my favorite reasons to visit.

Positano is filled with kind, hardworking locals. Many of the businesses we patronize are run by the third generation of family members. It’s a goal of mine to speak more Italian, so I can more easily converse with them.

Plus, the food and drinks are incredible. What we eat is really fresh, and uses local / seasonal ingredients. I’ll go into more detail about where to eat in another post.

The landscape feels unreal; it’s so beautiful. The mountains crash into the Tyrrhenian Sea, making Positano a very vertical place. The beach is made of rocks, not sand. The water is the most beautiful turquoise and navy. It’s the stuff of dreams.

You walk almost everywhere, up or down lots of cobblestone stairs. It’s a very pedestrian-friendly place.

But don’t be fooled. It’s a workout! I love to walk a lot on vacations because it means I can eat more without as much guilt. (Despite eating as much gelato, pizza, pasta, and seafood as I could handle, I didn’t gain any weight this year. Victory!)

The few roads for vehicles that do cut through the small town are one-way and they’re pretty tiny, which means that pedestrians and vehicles share space intimately. That can take a little getting used to but as long as you’re aware of your surroundings you’ll get the hang of it.

There are also a handful of sentimental reasons why I love Positano so much. It’s where my husband proposed to me! When we returned a few years later as Mr. and Mrs., I screened a trailer of Brewconomy for friends. (Revisit that post here.) This year, we found some Amalfi Coast craft beer, which made me so happy.

Yeah, it has a special place in my heart for sure.

Upcoming Posts

I’ll be sharing a few Positano-related posts here on the blog.

For the film-lovers, I’m working on one about what’s been shot in Positano. A few movies have scenes there, some of which you’ll recognize. It’s such a beautiful place that I also daydream about filming a documentary or scripted feature-length there. (Could you imagine craft services? Ohmygoodness, drool.)

For the travelers, I’ve got a few posts about packing, shopping, and where to eat. I did a lot of googling and pinning before we left this year, and nothing I found quite represented our experiences in Positano. So I’ll share some helpful tips and info for people planning to visit.

For those who love photos, I’ve got a few hundred images to sort through. It’s taking me forever to pick out my favorites and format them for the web. But, I’ll have some very pic-heavy posts for you to enjoy. Positano is so dreamy!

Share Your Thoughts

Use the comments to ask your questions or share what’s on your mind. I love hearing from readers. You can also find me on social media, if that’s more your speed. I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.