Positano is the town on the Amalfi Coast that everyone knows from the photos, with colourful houses stacked up the mountainside from the beach all the way to the road. If you’re wondering where to stay in Positano, it helps to know that the town is part of the Amalfi Coast, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and it’s so small that you can walk from one beach to the other in ten minutes.
On the other hand, Positano is one of the most expensive places in Italy to spend the night, and almost everything involves going up and down steps. Here are my four picks for where to stay in Positano, with three hotels in each area, from luxury to relatively cheap.
Contents
The Best Areas to Stay in Positano
- Spiaggia Grande and the centre - best area for first-time visitors
- Fornillo - best area for peace and quiet and beach life
- Via Cristoforo Colombo and the upper town - best area for views and bus connections
- Montepertuso and Nocelle - best area for walkers and a smaller budget
Below, I go through the four areas with a map, transport, price level and three hotels in each. Be prepared for the fact that budget in Positano means relatively cheap, because even the cheapest rooms cost more than a good hotel in most other Italian cities. The prices come from a search for a weekend in May for two people, and in winter many of the hotels close for several months.
1. Spiaggia Grande and the centre - best area for first-time visitors 🏖️
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re staying right in the centre. From the beach, it’s a five-minute walk up Via dei Mulini to Piazza dei Mulini.
- ⛴️ Transport: Everything is done on foot. The ferries dock at the pier on the beach, and the SITA bus stops at Sponda, about a ten-minute walk up Via Cristoforo Colombo.
- ✈️ Time from Naples Airport: About an hour and a half by taxi at a fixed price of 145 euros (around £120) plus motorway tolls. The taxi can drive to Piazza dei Mulini, and you walk the last bit.
- 💰 Price level: €€€ to €€€€. The three hotels below cost roughly £250 to £1,160 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Very safe. Keep an eye on your bag in the crowds on the beach and on the pier when the ferries come in.
Spiaggia Grande is Positano’s main beach, and this is where you’re standing when you look up at the colourful houses from the postcards. Just behind the beach is the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta with its green and yellow majolica dome. Beneath the church lie the remains of a Roman villa that was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, and today you can see it in the MAR Positano museum, with a dining room full of frescoes.
From the church, Via dei Mulini leads up to Piazza dei Mulini, where the road ends. The street is covered in bougainvillea and lined with shops selling linen clothing and handmade sandals. From the pier, you can take a boat trip along the Amalfi Coast with snorkelling from around 99 euros (around £85).
See hotels by Spiaggia Grande and in the centre here.
I’d stay here if it’s your first trip to Positano and you want the beach, the restaurants and the ferry right on your doorstep. If you’d rather stay somewhere with ferries in every direction, you can read my guide to where to stay on the Amalfi Coast. In season, boats also sail from Positano to Capri, and if you want to spend the night on the island, I’ve written about where to stay on Capri.
The downsides are the price and the crowds. In the middle of the day in high season, the streets are packed with day-trippers. Taxis can’t drive all the way down to the beach, so you carry your own suitcase for the last stretch unless the hotel helps.
Hotels by Spiaggia Grande and in the centre
Hotel Palazzo Murat - five-star palazzo with a pool in the middle of Via dei Mulini
Palazzo Murat is set in an old palazzo on Via dei Mulini, a couple of minutes from both the church and the beach. There’s an outdoor pool in the garden, a terrace and a restaurant, and the breakfast buffet is included. There’s no lift, and some guests mention that you can hear the other rooms.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Fantastic hotel and location. We loved the room, the pool and the terrace.”
See photos and book Palazzo Murat here.
Hotel Savoia - four-star hotel with a lift by Piazza dei Mulini
Hotel Savoia sits at the bottom of Via Cristoforo Colombo, right where the road meets Piazza dei Mulini, so the taxi can drop you off close to the door. The hotel has a lift, and the breakfast buffet is included in the price. A few guests feel the rooms could do with updating.
From one review: “The staff were all helpful and friendly, and breakfast was a buffet with plenty of options to choose from.”
See photos and book Hotel Savoia here.
Villa Maria Antonietta - small guesthouse with breakfast on the terrace
Villa Maria Antonietta is on Via Cristoforo Colombo just above Piazza dei Mulini and has a high score from more than 400 guests. Breakfast is served on the terrace overlooking the town, and the price was the lowest of the three. You have to climb about 50 steps with no lift, and several guests find the rooms small.
One guest highlights: “Amazing view. Friendly and helpful host.”
See photos and book Villa Maria Antonietta here.
2. Fornillo - best area for peace and quiet and beach life 🌊
- 📍 Distance to the centre: About 500 metres west of Spiaggia Grande. Along the cliffside path, it’s a ten-minute walk to the centre.
- 🚶 Transport: On foot along the path to Spiaggia Grande, or up the steps to Viale Pasitea, where the local bus runs. The SITA stop Chiesa Nuova is at the top.
- ✈️ Time from Naples Airport: About an hour and a half by taxi at a fixed price of 145 euros (around £120), or the Curreri bus to Sorrento and then the SITA bus on to Chiesa Nuova, from where you walk down the steps.
- 💰 Price level: €€€ to €€€€. The three places below cost roughly £310 to £1,000 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Quiet and safe. The path and steps are poorly lit in places, so keep your phone torch handy when you walk home in the evening.
Fornillo is the small bay west of Spiaggia Grande, and you reach it along a cliffside path past one of the old watchtowers that once kept a lookout for pirates. The beach is pebbly and has both lidos with sunloungers and a stretch where you can lay down your towel for free. The atmosphere is far more relaxed than on the main beach, even in high season.
The neighbourhood above is made up of terraces with lemon trees and small family-run guesthouses along the steps up towards Viale Pasitea. There are fewer shops here, but down by the water you’ll find a couple of beach restaurants and bars where people linger until sunset.
I’d stay here if you’re a couple or a family who mainly want to swim and relax, and don’t mind a ten-minute walk into the centre in the evening. Prices are a little below the centre, and it’s much quieter at night.
The downside is the steps. Many addresses sit halfway up the slope between the beach and the road, so you’ll be going up and down several times a day. Ask how many steps there are to the door before you book if you have heavy luggage.
Hotels in Fornillo
Hotel Villa Gabrisa - four-star hotel with sea views and the bus right outside the door
Villa Gabrisa is on Viale Pasitea above Fornillo, and from the rooms you look out over the sea and the whole town. There’s a restaurant, room service and breakfast included in the price. The lift only goes to the first two floors, so you reach the top floor by stairs.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Very clean, fantastic sea view, and the local bus stops right outside the hotel.”
See photos and book Villa Gabrisa here.
Villa Yiara - adults-only B&B with breakfast on the balcony
Villa Yiara is on Viale Pasitea just above the steps down to Fornillo and has one of the highest ratings in town. Breakfast is served on your own balcony, as there’s no shared breakfast room. There are about 30 steps up to the door.
From one review: “Breakfast on the balcony was truly exceptional, and we’ll never forget it.”
See photos and book Villa Yiara here.
Scalinatella - apartment by the steps down to Fornillo
Scalinatella is an apartment on the Via Scalinatella steps, just a few minutes’ walk from the beach at Fornillo. There are about 20 steps up, and the host helps you plan your stay. It was the cheapest of the three places, but some guests find the network of steps confusing to navigate the first time.
One guest highlights: “Milena was an exceptional host who had carefully planned everything for us.”
See photos and book Scalinatella here.
3. Via Cristoforo Colombo and the upper town - best area for views and bus connections 🌅
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You stay along the road above the centre. From Sponda it’s about a ten-minute walk down to Piazza dei Mulini, and from Chiesa Nuova it takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk down to the beach.
- 🚌 Transport: The SITA buses between Sorrento and Amalfi stop at Sponda and Chiesa Nuova, and the local bus runs all the way round through the town.
- ✈️ Time from Naples Airport: About an hour and a half by taxi at a fixed price of 145 euros (around £120), and here it can drop you off close to the door. By Curreri bus to Sorrento and then the SITA bus onwards, it takes about 40 to 50 minutes from Sorrento.
- 💰 Price level: €€€ to €€€€. The three hotels below ranged from about £235 to £1,670 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Safe, but watch out for the traffic. The pavements are narrow, and buses and scooters pass close by.
Via Cristoforo Colombo is the part of the road through Positano that comes in from the Amalfi side and winds down to Piazza dei Mulini. High up by the Sponda bus stop, you get the classic view over the whole town and the beach, and several of Positano’s best-known hotels line the road, with terraces overlooking the bay. The other half of the road is called Viale Pasitea and climbs up to Chiesa Nuova at the top of the town.
The practical thing about staying here is that taxis and the local bus can drop you off close to the door. A 24-hour ticket for the SITA buses costs 10 euros (around £8.50), and you buy it in bars and tobacconists before you get on. Near Chiesa Nuova you’ll find the cheapest bed in town at Hostel Brikette, but it only has dormitories.
See hotels on Via Cristoforo Colombo here.
I’d stay here if the view matters most to you, or if you want to take the bus to the other towns along the coast. It’s a 10 to 20-minute walk down to the beach.
The downside is the trip back up. Climbing the steps after dinner is hard work, and if you stay right at the top by Chiesa Nuova, you’re further from the beachside restaurants than the map suggests.
Hotels on Via Cristoforo Colombo and in the upper town
Hotel Marincanto - four-star hotel with an infinity pool and its own beach area
Hotel Marincanto sits on Via Cristoforo Colombo with terraces stepping down towards the sea, and has an infinity pool with a view and a private bathing area by the water. The breakfast buffet is included. Some rooms and terraces can only be reached by steps, and a few guests feel the price is high for what you get.
One guest writes: “The location, the staff and of course the room.”
See photos and book Hotel Marincanto here.
Alcione Residence - spacious rooms with views over the whole town
Alcione Residence is further up Via Cristoforo Colombo and has a near-perfect score from almost 700 guests. The rooms have a terrace or balcony overlooking Positano. The entrance is reached by quite a few steps and there’s no lift, so also check whether breakfast is included in your rate.
From a review: “The room was beautiful, very spacious and extremely clean, and the view was absolutely amazing.”
See photos and book Alcione Residence here.
La Mammola - small B&B with a balcony and Italian breakfast
La Mammola is on Viale Pasitea above the centre, close to a local bus stop. There are about 100 steps up to the door, and several guests mention that the steep stairs are tough with suitcases. On the plus side, a sweet Italian breakfast is included in the price, and it was the cheapest of the three.
One guest highlights: “The location was fantastic, and the room and balcony were lovely.”
See photos and book La Mammola here.
4. Montepertuso and Nocelle - best area for hikers and a smaller budget 🥾
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Montepertuso sits high up on the mountain above Positano, and Nocelle lies further east. To get down to the centre, you take the bus or walk down many hundreds of steps.
- 🚌 Transport: The local bus runs from Positano up to Montepertuso and on to Nocelle, but less often than down in town. If you have a car, parking is easier up here.
- ✈️ Time from Naples Airport: About an hour and a half by taxi or with a private transfer you book in advance. On public transport, you change to the local bus in Positano.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three places below cost roughly £190 to £455 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Very quiet and safe. The roads have no pavements, and it’s dark in the evening.
Montepertuso and Nocelle are two small villages that belong to Positano and sit high up on the mountain above the town. Montepertuso takes its name from the rock with the large hole that you can see above the village. Nocelle lies even further east and is where the Sentiero degli Dei hiking trail (the Path of the Gods) ends when you walk it from Bomerano.
It’s peaceful here in the evening, and the view over the coast towards Capri is just as good as from the expensive hotels down in town. There are a couple of trattorias and small shops, and in the morning you’ll mostly meet hikers and locals. I’ve written more about the hike in my guide to things to do on the Amalfi Coast.
See hotels in Montepertuso and Nocelle here.
I’d stay here if you want to hike, if you have a car, or if your budget doesn’t stretch to a hotel down in Positano. This is where you’ll find the lowest prices in the municipality.
The downside is the distance. To get down to the beach, you take the local bus, which runs less often in the evening, or you walk more than a thousand steps down the mountain. Many people end up taking a taxi back after dinner, so factor that into your budget.
Hotels in Montepertuso and Nocelle
Five Positano - Dimora D’Arte - B&B with a sun terrace and top ratings in Montepertuso
Five Positano is on Via Gradoni in Montepertuso and has a rating close to perfect. There’s a sun terrace, a bar and breakfast, and the bus down to Positano stops nearby. It’s outside the town, so you’ll need the bus or a taxi to get down to the beach.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Exceptional service from Alvira and Sarah. A truly beautiful place with top-class restaurants within walking distance.”
See photos and book Five Positano here.
YourHome - Casa Marina Positano - apartment with a kitchenette and parking in Montepertuso
Casa Marina is on Via Pestella in the middle of Montepertuso, a few minutes from the village’s restaurants. The apartment has a kitchenette and private parking, but breakfast isn’t included. Some guests find the bus a hassle, and the alternative is about 1,200 steps down to Positano.
From a review: “Marina was very friendly and helpful. Excellent local restaurants two minutes’ walk away.”
See photos and book Casa Marina here.
Anna Apartment - apartment with a balcony and views in Nocelle
Anna Apartment is in Nocelle, close to the end of the Sentiero degli Dei, and was the cheapest place in this whole guide. There’s a kitchenette and a balcony with views over the coast, but no breakfast. Guests mention that it’s hard to get to and that the bus can be full and infrequent.
One guest highlights: “The view from the balcony is amazing, as many have already mentioned.”
See photos and book Anna Apartment here.
Where not to stay in Positano?
I wouldn’t book anything in Positano without checking how many steps there are to the door. Cheap rooms halfway up the slope, far from both the road and the beach, can be an ordeal with suitcases. Also watch out for addresses that say Positano but are actually out along the coast road towards Praiano, where you’ll have to walk along a narrow road with no pavement or take the bus every time. And if you come in winter, don’t expect much choice, as many hotels and restaurants close from late autumn until spring.
If it’s your first trip to Positano, I’d stay by Spiaggia Grande and in the centre. If you want peace and quiet and beach life, choose Fornillo, and if the views and the bus to the rest of the coast matter most, stay along Via Cristoforo Colombo. If you’re going hiking or have a smaller budget, Montepertuso and Nocelle are the best choice. If you think Positano is too expensive, Sorrento is a good alternative with far more hotels in every price range, and I’ve written about where to stay in Sorrento.
From Naples Airport, a taxi to Positano costs 145 euros (around £120) according to the municipality’s fare table, and the cheap option is Curreri Viaggi to Sorrento for 13 euros (around £11) and then the SITA bus onwards. All the options are in my guide to getting from Naples Airport. From spring to autumn, the ferry from Salerno and Amalfi is the most beautiful way to arrive, and you’ll find the timetables at Travelmar. If your trip starts or ends in Naples, you can also read about where to stay in Naples. Pack light, because wherever you stay, you’ll have to carry your suitcase up or down steps for the last stretch.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay
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• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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