Napels, Italy

Early October of 2023 we flew to Naples and spent 2 nights in the hustling city before heading to the Amalfi Coast. The city was tight quarters in many places with delicious food (pizza was the stand out), Forza Napoli (Maradona was like a Saint, hung all over the city) and many wonderful museums and architecture.

Positano

We took a nice ferry from the main port of Naples to Positano. The ferry stopped at Sorrento, Capri and then finally Positano (all depends on the time of day you want to leave and how direct of a route). Coming up to Positano, our jaws dropped as we stared at the amazing sight. The first thing that stuck out to me was the impressive vertical panorama of colors: the green of the Monti Lattari Mountains; the white, pink, and yellow of the Mediterranean houses; the silvery grey of its pebble beaches; and the blue of the sea all perched perfectly on a cliff.

I’ll admit, I was excited for Positano but also a little skeptical because of the fear of crowds I’d heard about, but actually our experience here was so lovely. I think it was the combination of two things (1) visiting during off season in October and (2) staying in Positano itself allowed us to truly enjoy every aspect of it. Yes, it got crowded between 9-3 but after the cruise ships left at 3pm the town was magical.

STEPS. Beef calls it Stepitano because there is no flat land here haha. We got off the ferry and while they have porters that you can pay to take your bags to the hotel we chose to climb a millions steps with our packs up to our hotel (if you have luggage on wheels, hire the porters ahead of time). It took us maybe 30-45 minutes of climbing stairs haha. It really is about where your hotel is relative to steps (but you can’t avoid them going to food or the beaches).

Finding a hotel in Positano took some effort. Everything was so expensive but we accepted that’s just how it was there! We stayed Hotel Punta Regina. Our room was so beautiful even though we opted for a no view room to save money. Our hotel also had a rooftop pool area where we could enjoy some drinks with view. We dropped off our stuff at in our room, had a drink at the rooftop then set off to explore. We walked all the way back down to the beach. The main (free) Positano beach was really busy and the rocky sand made it uncomfortable to sit/lay so we just walked around and took in the uniqueness of this place. It really surprised me how many local elderly people we saw easily conquered these damn stairs (Beef would sweat within seconds of stepping outside)

For dinner, V planned a special night. We splurged and reserved patio corner table at Ristorante Adamo and Eva Positano. The ambiance of this place was next level and worth every penny!

In order to reserve the patio table, there was a minimum food and beverage spend so we were “forced” to go overboard and order all the expensive things to make sure we met that, haha. The service was also excellent. The waiter started off by asking if we wanted to see the specials. After we answered yes, the waiter brought out live lobster so we could pick out which lobster we wanted!! We ordered a bottle of wine and had scallops, sushi and tuna rolls to start. We watched the sunset and the glow across the cliff as time went on. After sunset, our lobster dinner came out. V loved the lobster bibs we got. Beef was an absolute gentlemen and did all the hard work of cracking the shells and delivered V with delicious lobster meat. As it got darker, the lights sparkled throughout the entire town and it was so magical and romantic. We ended our dinner with espresso martini and dessert. The entire experience was one of the most romantic dinners we have ever had. After dinner, we made a stop at the trendy Franco’s Bar for some fancy cocktails and more sparkly light views. This bar caught our eyes on the way to the restaurant as it had no reservations and had a long line. V did not need anymore alcohol post amazing meal, but alas we couldn’t resist the fancy looking cocktails. This bar was so cool and had an awesome drink menu. All the drinks were so aesthetic and Beef of course ordered the most dramatic drink that came in a face cup with trees and flowers coming out of it. We laughed and talked over our drinks and decided to call it a night and headed home for the night.

A Day in Capri

V made us wake up early to run up and down the stairs for a workout but the peace and calmness of the cliffside in the morning was worth it. We walked all around the quiet narrow streets until we worked up an appetite for breakfast then headed back to the hotel for our rooftop breakfast.

Today we planned a day trip to the island Capri. We took the 9am morning ferry there and booked the 6pm ferry back to Positano so we had the entire day to enjoy Capri!

We got to the port in Capri and headed to our first stop of the day! Woof it was a trek up to the main part of town. It was very steep, we were so sweaty by the time we got to our destination. So where were we going, to get a haircut for Beef! His hair was getting too long and he wanted an Italian style haircut. He booked an appointment at Salon Da Barba. This was an experience that would change Beefs perspective on haircuts forever. Armando, the barber a 60+ year old man, was a true artist, one of a kind. He cut Beef’s hair with a pair scissors moving his arms like a mad man with extreme precision, it was truly amazing. He gave Beed the best haircut he’s ever had and he was looking sexy as heck. Note it was cash only….

Next up, we walked through the main part of the island which was filled with designer shops, fancy restaurants and lots and lots of lemons. We had some lemon sorbet and did some window shopping. We had reservations for a boat on the other side of the island so we slowly made our way over. We stopped at a sandwich joint and grocery store to pick up some essential boat snacks.

Ok now listen up because this boat hack was 10/10. We rented a small boat from Capri Blue Boats without a skipper for 4 hours. We rented a small wood boat called Lancia, it had an outboard motor which is easy for Beef to navigate. This was the only boat tour company on the island of Capri that offered rentals of this kind of boat without a skipper and only for a hundred dollars!! We didn’t care to see the blue grotto but Beef took us all over the coast and we saw caves, rock formations and of course stopped for swims & snorkel. We had SOOO much fun this day, minus Beef getting a little seasick at points. Overall though, this was such an amazing experience that we will remember forever.

We made it back to Positano showered and cleaned up and went out for a late night dinner. We didn’t have reservations that night so we walked around with a few places in mind. We ended up deciding on Saraceno d’Oro, there was a short line outside but we only waited for maybe 15 minutes until we got seated in the charming street side patio.

Our waiter here was hilarious. He kept joking about wanting me to be his girlfriend and even asked Beef if he could hold my hand which led to him awkwardly holding my hand for like 60 seconds. Sounds awkward, but it was actually super funny. Beef had muscles and a seafood platter and V had delicious seafood pasta. Everything was so yummy.

Beach club day: Da Ferdinando

The next day, we woke up early to get a quiet morning hike on. We hiked up from our hotel passing lots of local houses and less touristy areas. It was refreshing to think about how these locals lived such a simple, quiet and nourishing life. We hiked to a town called Montepertuso, on the way we had great landscape views. Trail was a little hard to follow but it was still a great way to start our morning/ We hiked about 3.5 miles, here is our route on Strava.

Today we planned a beach day! In Positano as far as beaches go, there are so many different options you can pick from. Whether you’re looking for a free, mellow day at the beach, a luxurious, once in a lifetime day at Positano’s most VIP spot, or a bit of a party, there is a beach for everyone! We opted for a beach club because we wanted to be able to rent chairs and an umbrella as well as enjoy drink service. The main Positano beach club cost almost $300 per person so we opted for a more chill beach club called Da Ferdinando which cost closer to $50 per person. We liked this place, it is a family-run establishment, opened by Ferdinando and now run by his children and grandchildren. The Da Ferdinando restaurant is amazing and we had a super yummy lunch and of course Beef made it a mission to try every single spritz on the menu. V sipped on a cantaloupe spritz. All in all we had a lovely 6 hours at this beach club!

After we showered and cleaned up from a day at the beach we ended to our highly anticipated sunset cruise! We booked this boat trip on Airbnb excursions and it was a perfect experience. We shared the boat with 3 other couples but it was super low key and romantic. We sailed around the Amalfi coast for a few hours before sunset amongst many mega yachts. And let me tell you, we saw a lot of beautiful sites on this trip but watching the sun set on the water reflecting across the town on the cliffside was absolutely to die for. I can still vividly remember this exact view in my head.

After our lovely boat ride we wandered around town until we came across a cute restaurant where we decided to stop for dinner. We had a delicious seafood dinner and dined amongst many cute Postinao cats.

Path of Gods Hike & La Tagliata

Today we planned to hike the Path of Gods.  This is a stunning hiking trail along the Amalfi Coast. This ancient path offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea, rugged cliffs, and picturesque villages. The official hike starts in the charming village of Bomerano and ends in the Amalfi town of Nocelle, above Positano. Most people take a bus from Positano to Bomerano and hike one way. We didn’t do the conventional hike (shocker, as you know Veronica) and decided to just hike directly from Positano all the way to Agerola and then bussed from Agerola to Amalfi to spend a few hours in town. We hike about 6.5 miles and climbed 3500ft, it was tough but very worth it. The trail definitely got crowded in the middle but we woke up early enough to really avoid the huge crowds and hiking groups (several even noticed who we were as we passed the bus stop people were waiting at). It was a little foggy for part of the way but the sun came out eventually. This trail is steeped in ancient mythology, with a legend that tells of the Greek gods themselves descending from Mount Olympus to save the legendary hero Ulysses and his crew from the seductive calls of the sirens on the nearby Li Galli Island. There were lots of signs and stories along the way!

When we got to Bomerano, it started to rain. We went to a local coffee shop where Beef got pretty much a milkshake (they have these machines in a lot of coffee shops that he eyed for a while). As we waited for the bus to go to Almafi, some guy in a van told us he would take us right then for 15 euro, which we thought was a deal! It was worth it as the direct 30 minute ride weaved through windy roads (very fast). Eventually we made it!

I wasn’t sure what to expect of the famous Amalfi but it wasn’t our cup of tea. Mostly because of the crowds and tourists. While this could be said about Posiano as well, i think staying in the city make or break your experience since you essentially get the town to yourself in the evenings. We walked around town and stopped for a famous cone of fried fish from Cica and a lemon sorbet, in a lemon shell of course! We spent a few hours around town trying to find the areas there were less busy. Eventually we stopped for lunch at a little pizza spot far away from the crowds. Beautiful spot but just too touristy for me. We took a ferry back to Positano.

For dinner we had a special night planned at La Tagliata. I had read this place has the most amazing cooking class and I tried to book this but even 3 months in advance it was booked! So we instead went for a meal. Its a little out of town but they have a shuttle that picks you up from your own hotel. This restaurant is more of an experience rather than a traditional restaurant. First, there is only 2 seatings an evening so you arrive with about 10 other tables. We were greeted by Peppi, the grandson. Peppi, who never seems to stop smiling, uncorks a fruity bottle of red from the cellar. We’re having a selection of starters, a pasta main course, dessert and a bottle of wine. There’s no set menu as such; whatever is harvested from the organic garden that day is used as ingredients for that day’s feast. It’s all part of the charm. 

The view is mesmerising. As we look down through lush green foliage and past tumbling purple petunias the deep blue sea of the Amalfi Coast sparkles in the sunshine as the sun starts to set. Far below us is Positano, its pale yellow, cream and muted-red painted houses clinging to the cliffs while the coast meanders into the distant haze of a balmy Italian afternoon.

We stayed for hours and enjoyed SO much amazing food. We laughed a lot, we ate a lot and we made a lot of great memories. We drank a little too much wine here and all I can say is we had a lot of laugh and smiles. You gotta check out this place!