The pastel town of Positano tumbling down to the sea

Italy

Positano & Capri

Amalfi Coast & the islands · 7 must-see spots

The trip

Stunning — an incredible view around every corner.

We based ourselves in Naples and let the coast pull us along. First a boat across the bay to Capri, where we rented a Vespa (surprisingly cheap, and honestly one of the best things we did) and buzzed the island's clifftop roads. Then on to Positano, that impossible cascade of pastel houses spilling into the sea. If you're weighing it up: do it. Here's exactly where each shot was taken in both places, and the two tours we booked. We visited in May 2024.

Stop one

Positano

Positano · Most iconic01

The view over Positano

📍 The upper town & its terraced viewpoints

There's a moment, coming into Positano from above, where the whole town opens up beneath you — pale pinks, peaches and whites stacked steeply down to a bright wedge of sea, crowned by the majolica dome of Santa Maria Assunta. We just kept stopping to look. The higher terraces along the road give you the classic postcard frame, and the light is softest in the morning.

Best in the morningPostcard view

Us by the hand-painted Via Colombo street-name tiles above Positano's bay

Resting on a stone wall by a blue ceramic urn over Positano

Positano · Most photographed02

The Via Colombo viewpoint

📍 Via Cristoforo Colombo, upper Positano

Halfway down Via Colombo — the main road curling into town — there's a low wall set with hand-painted ceramic street-name tiles and a blue majolica urn, with the bay wide open behind it. It's one of the most photographed corners in Positano for good reason. Come early or late; midday it gets busy with everyone after the same shot.

Go early or lateCeramic tiles

A terrace stacked with lemon-painted Positano ceramics

Positano · Local craft03

Ceramics & the lanes down to the beach

📍 The stepped lanes from the town down to Spiaggia Grande

Half the joy of Positano is simply walking down through it — the narrow stepped lanes are lined with boutiques and terraces piled high with the region's hand-painted lemon-and-blue ceramics. Follow them all the way down and they spill you out at Spiaggia Grande, the main beach, where the whole town rises up behind the umbrellas. Wear comfortable shoes; it's steep both ways.

Comfortable shoesHand-painted ceramics

Standing above the bay by a blue urn of red geraniums, boats dotting the sea below

Positano · Best way to see it04

See it from the water

📍 The bay below Positano

Positano was built to be seen from the sea — that's the angle that turns it into the view everyone falls for. If you do one splurge here, get out on the water at golden hour: the town lights up amber as the sun drops. We loved this stretch of coast so much we'd point anyone toward a sunset sail with a glass of prosecco in hand.

Golden hourProsecco included

GetYourGuide A perfect evening

From Amalfi: Romantic Sunset Sail to Positano with Prosecco

Check availability →

Stop two

Capri

The turquoise water at Marina Piccola with the Faraglioni rocks beyond

Capri · Best swim01

The coves of Marina Piccola

📍 Marina Piccola, southern Capri

Capri's water is the kind of blue you don't quite believe until you're in it. Marina Piccola, on the sheltered south side, is the spot to swim — clear coves, sea stacks, and the Faraglioni framed just offshore. The best way to see the coastline is from the water itself: we kayaked out past the caves and beaches, which gets you to little inlets the boats can't reach.

Bring swimwearGoPro included

GetYourGuide We booked this

Capri: Caves and Beaches Kayaking Tour with GoPro Photos

Check availability →

Posing at a brick wall with the Faraglioni sea stacks behind

On the cliffside steps above deep-blue water on Capri

Capri · Most iconic02

The Faraglioni & the clifftop paths

📍 Giardini di Augusto & the island's cliff walks

The Faraglioni — three limestone stacks rising straight out of the sea — are Capri's signature, and the Gardens of Augustus give you the honeyed overlook everyone comes for. From there the cliff paths wind down toward the water past terraces and hidden coves. Every turn is a photo; just go slowly and let the island reveal itself.

Signature viewWear good shoes

Us at Marina Grande harbour with the fishing boats and pastel buildings

Capri · Getting around03

Marina Grande & a Vespa around the island

📍 Marina Grande, the island's main harbour

The ferry from Naples drops you at Marina Grande, a bright tangle of fishing boats, ticket kiosks and the funicular up to Capri town. Our tip: skip the queues for cars and taxis and rent a Vespa — it was cheap, easy, and genuinely the most fun way to reach the viewpoints and coves at your own pace. Capri is small, and on two wheels the whole island opens up.

Rent a VespaFunicular up to town

Save these

The most Instagram-worthy shots

If you only chase a handful of frames on the coast, chase these. Tap through to see them on our feed.