Driving along the SS-163, the road that runs through the Amalfi Coast uniting the typical towns with which we have dreamed so much a thousand times seeing them on postcards and magazines, it is an absolute pleasure. While to one side, and there where the cliffs end, the turquoise waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea they hypnotize us, Rafaella Carrá sounds on the radio —oh, Rafaella!— and it is as if each curve, each turn, were magically fitted with each change of rhythm of that Felicità, tà tà that animates the journey.
Thus, almost without realizing it and in barely an hour, we bridge the distance between Naples and our destination, leaving behind names like Castellammare di Stabia, Vico Equense or Sorrento . The road then turns into a narrow one way road in which we believe that we are constantly going to collide —with the car in front, with the one behind, with the wall of a house or with that corner— and that our driver strives to avoid it as if he were driving —in fact, he is driving — a lifetime of doing it.
Suddenly, finally the picture that we so longed to contemplate: Positano, unique and vertical, with its pastel-colored houses and its game of impossible balances on the slopes of the hill that overlook the sea, it undresses before us. That is when the emotion intoxicates us: life can be wonderful.
CHECK-IN WITH A FLAVOR OF ITALY
It was the beginning of the 50s when the young marriage composed of Bruno and Liliana, who had raised a family in neighboring Naples, decided to get a little house on the beach in which to spend the summers. They did not have to think about it much when choosing Positano to build their second home, for that then a small fishing redoubt that had not yet exploited its tourist side: a charming five-bedroom house was perfect to enjoy facing the sea.
However, it did not take long for this charming town of twisted alleys, steep stairs and houses overlooking the eternal Tyrrhenian , to become one of the most fashionable spas, not only in Italy, but in the world. Bruno and Liliana did not hesitate: if in 1950 they had built their house, in 1955 they transformed it into a Hotel El Poseidon.
Today it is another Liliana, granddaughter of that enterprising couple, who welcomes us at the reception of the historic hotel. Because with just turned 66, Poseidon is already part of the essence of this corner of the Amalfi Coast, There's no doubt. Hand in hand with him, we go through the common spaces of an icon that exudes class, elegance and majesty in equal parts: its halls, decorated with classic-style furniture, take us back to past times when Positano already shone with its own light.
As we climb to unique elevator, a real relic —the first to settle in Positano, she warns us—, which takes us to the restaurant, Liliana tells us that when, a few years after opening, the business began to do very well, her grandparents decided to expand the space in constant reforms until ending, in 1970, with the last one: already with 50 rooms , was when they added the outdoor pool, and since then the Poseidon remains as it is.
It is precisely this pool that tempts us to give ourselves the first bathroom of the trip in the best possible way: overlooking the most typical image of the town, the one that we do not get tired of contemplating and we want to leave engraved in our retina. A few hours in the sun on their deckchairs recharge us with energy after the trip, although it is the Limoncello based spritz -we are in land of lemons, what we want—, the one that conquers us.
The gastronomic tribute embraces us, immediately afterwards, without moving from the Poseidon terrace: in The Trident, the restaurant led by chef Antonio Sorrentino that gives so many joys to lovers of Italian cuisine, we enjoy the best of feasts — homemade pasta, parmeggiana di melanzane, braised octopus or that exquisite sea bream with crispy truffle and white pea cream, are just a few of the delicacies— pampered by Luigi, who has been working at the restaurant for a lifetime and treats us like family. That, that's exactly the secret of this hotel.
To top off the experience, we discovered our room. A suite in which every detail is thought out and studied to make life easier, happier and more pleasant for its guests. —The illustration that personalizes the amenities is to die for. Although it has a terrace from which to contemplate —once again— the idyllic postcard of Positano, the best is found from the bed: It will not be necessary to get up from it to enjoy the beautiful town at our feet. Please, leave us here forever.
TIME TO EXPLORE
Although it will cost us a world -we attest-, at some point we will have to leave the hotel that hosts us to throw ourselves into the blessed pleasure of touring the town that conquered us a long time ago. And there will be no pain: what difference does it make that narrow stairs, those that join the upper and lower areas of the town, make us stop to take a breath every few meters. Just to discover your multiple corners among tiny gardens and terraces, among wisteria, bougainvillea and the occasional lemon tree … it will already be worth the effort. Here we go.
When we least expect it, between the narrow space that separates two buildings, local residents carry the day's purchases while, in the background, we glimpse the Tiled dome of the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta or, better yet, the sea. A sea that embraces us even from a distance: we feel the saltpeter clinging to our skin, the sea breeze that, when it blows, relieves the summer heat. Suddenly—oh, surprise—we reach the lowest area of Positano and beauty explodes around us.
Just for corners like this it is worth the trip.
of those elitist airs that invaded the town years ago, there are still remnants in the environment thanks to exclusive shops and art galleries like the one in Franco Senesi, which, among a multitude of souvenir shops in which the lemon is king, finds its particular oasis made up of large exhibition halls with surprising works of modern art.
Next to her, a narrow alley covered by leafy plants it shades a good handful of artists who take advantage of the faded facades to exhibit their creations. Some peculiar canvases call our attention: they are those of Antonio diLieto, local artist who recreates the landscapes of Positano with great originality and style. What better way to take a piece of the Mediterranean home with you?
Little by little, the most unexpected corners become the spot ideal for those day visitors who prefer to have a picnic based on Focaccia and fresh water than to venture to see the account of one of its restaurants. We take the opportunity to make a small incursion into the church, with its columns with Ionic capitals inside and its 13th-century image of a black Byzantine Madonna, before —inevitably— the consumerist spirit takes hold of us: we succumb to the collection of linen and silk garments on display in stores like The Brunella Bottega, the oldest in Positano, from 1965, or Pepito's, a true tribute to the movement around fashion that was generated in the town in the 60s, when it became a benchmark.
Back at the hotel, a treat: a small glass of lemon granita in a tiny street stall or, much better, a stop to recharge your batteries at House and Bottega, the business that the local cook Tanina recently opened and in which they come together gastronomy and design. Coquettish as it is, we need to control the temptation to let the hours pass in its bright dining room between homemade delicacies, boxes overflowing with vegetables and original decorative objects.
NEXT STOP, EL TIRRENO
We were taking too long to rush into the crystal clear waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. At the Poseidon hotel they make sure that we do not lack any complement for the perfect day at the beach a huge cloth bag, towels and even —oh no!— an external battery for the mobile phone will make our day more comfortable. The next thing is to decide which of the two Positano beaches to choose.
Spiaggia Grande It is the famous one, the one that occupies all the photographs of the town, the one that is in the center, the one that is the perfect prize towards which naturally lead all the streets and stairs of the town. Packed with several rows of hammocks and sunshades for rent, it invites you to forget about the world and live in your own skin the true pleasure of cooling off in this little piece of Amalfi Coast: walk on the pebbles to the water, and after diving, admire how Positano spreads out to us, makes the experience magical.
Here only a small portion of sand is dedicated to free enjoyment: during the summer months, to place the towel on the sand, you will have to get up very early or it will be an almost impossible goal. It is also from here that the tourist boats and ferries depart that take you to discover, in an excursion of several hours, the rest of the towns and profiles of the coast: the offer is vast.
Spiaggia Grande beach, before the starting gun, very early to get a seat.
To get to Spiaggia del Fornillo, however, there are two options: a little further from the activity center of Positano, reaching it is a walk of about 15 minutes along a path full of stairs that skirts the cliffs and that starts from a side of Spaggia Grande. Also, if you have reserved a hammock, you can opt for the Courtesy motor boat trips offered by the beach bars, both on the way out and on the way back.
Be that as it may, upon arrival the ritual will be the same: with slightly thicker pebbles than the first, also much calmer, we opted for Gives Ferdinand , where we alternate the fresh baths with the return and return in their hammocks -25 euros per person all day- under the Mediterranean sun and the corresponding tribute in its beach bar. Whether with a fish, a pasta or a salad ahead, from your terrace you will touch toast with limoncello for the good things in life.
For this unique destiny that embraces and does not let go, that hits very deep until moving, that soaks us with Italian energy and makes us return home in love with the most authentic atmosphere of the holiday villages of the south. Little things have changed around here in 60 years, because it continues to fascinate the world in the same way. So now yes: Hello, Positano. We'll see soon. We promise you.
SUBSCRIBE HERE to our newsletter and receive all the news from Condé Nast Traveler #YoSoyTraveler