Best Amalfi Coast Beach Holidays

Positano itself is built into a cliff with a winding one-way avenue down from the top to the beach at the bottom before winding back up with all the accommodation near by built into the same cliff.  It's quite a walk from top to bottom but there are buses all day that make it easy.

The ocean vistas from hotel accommodation either side of the cliff are absolutely stunning as you can see from this photo.

You can also see one of the many ferries that pulls into the shallow harbour that will take you to the island of Capri, south to the town of Amalfi, or north back to Naples.

There is also a red boat on the beach near your accommodation that will take you to a great little cafe around the corner, isolated in a cove all by itself and only reachable by boat.

Hotel accommodation near the beach in Positano is varied and almost always booked out in summer.  Try Villa Rosa half way up the cliff, a cute little bed and breakfast with great views over the bay and very family-orientated.  That's what's wonderful about this southern Italian lifestyle - the ladies running this place will proudly tell you about their grandfather who lived till nearly a hundred in the ocean-view room with the ceiling fresco.

The nearby Positano Cafe is a good place to eat, and Villa Rosa will throw in a Mercedes limousine ride with a 10% discount on your food included.

Make sure you try some of the delicious southern Italian lemon liqueur known as Limoncello, which is proudly made from the plentiful lemons that abound around Positano and Sorrento.

Or if you want opulence that's almost like going back to gracious older days, try the Hotel Poseidon with its Moroccan feel and glorious comfortable lounges overlooking one of the world's great views.

Other cafes that provide atmosphere-plus are the beachfront Le Tre Sorelli (The Three Sisters) or any of the other adjoining cafes.  For great Italian fashion, go to the Antica Rustica shop right on the corner of the beach near the harbour.  And for those colourful ceramic plates that often have the trademark Positano lemons featured on them, try the shop half way up the walk from the beach with the bustling lady boss.

And we'll save the best for last - the beach may be pebbly, but the water is wonderful and still clean despite the water traffic.  There's not much better than taking a dip on a Sunday morning, with the bells ringing from the domed church nearby, and the happy Italian families thoroughly enjoying themself on one of Europe's best beaches.

Positano is a must-see destination for a best beach holiday you'll always remember.