This past September, Matty took me to the Amalfi Coast to celebrate my 30th birthday. I had taken him to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole / Grand Teton for his 30th, and both trips have become treasured milestones in almost a decade spent growing older together.
We had visited Italy in 2011, but had never been to the coast. To say we loved it would be a major understatement, and I hope to be back sooner than later. This week I am sharing our first stop: Positano!
When: September 2015
Where: Positano, Italy
Instagram: #wellsinitalia
Stayed: Il San Pietro di Positano
We stayed at Il San Pietro, a Relais & Chateaux property that is without question one of the most incredible hotels we have ever visited.
The hotel is carved into the rocks (seriously, there is even a cave elevator), and the facade is dripping in flowers and greenery. The restaurant hangs over the ocean, and the pool has equally brilliant views.
Our room was bright and airy, with Positano to the right, and Praiano to the left. We pinched ourselves at least twice a day.
dress // similar dress // similar dress // hat // hat with white bow
Il San Pietro is the only property in Positano (that I know of) that has direct access to the ocean, and a beach club of its own. Matty and I are big sun-and-swim people, so that amenity really made the decision for us when we were choosing where to stay. If you are at one of the other beautiful properties in Positano, I have heard great things about both Da Adolfo and Bagni D’Arenzio. No matter which beach you visit, though, be sure to search for sea glass and sea pottery – the best souvenirs!
We loved waking up bright and early each morning, sipping coffee on the balcony, and then heading downstairs for breakfast. Major interior inspiration with the gallery wall of china and the blue patterns throughout.
After breakfast, we would race down to the beach, jump into the water, and sip on melon cocktails. The hotel had stand up paddle boards, and I had brought my own floatie. I recommend bringing the lemon slice if it fits into your suitcase!
sunglasses here, here and here
bikini top // bikini bottoms // full bikini // one piece
Our favorite lunch, which we ate almost every day, was from Carlino and is pictured below. My spirit animal as a dish is also known as mozzarella grilled in lemon leaves, and it was everything delicious and more. I ended up ordering it from a few different places during our trip, but none compared to Carlino’s.
Most afternoons we would wander into town for gelato or a spritz. Or a spiked granita from La Galli Bar! Il San Pietro offers a free shuttle, or you can take a water taxi.
Positano town was posi-tively incredible. We loved wandering the winding streets, and drinking in all of the details.
The ceramics were my favorite! We purchased some dishes and tiles from Ceramica Assunta, and I have a wish list a mile long from Ceramiche Parlato.
My other favorite shop was Brunella, where they had the cutest linen clothing.
In the evenings, we would shower and get ready just in time for magic hour. We loved watching the sun set each night before we went out, and the view never got old.
For drinks, Franco’s was our favorite. And for dancing, Music on the Rocks. We were the classic Americanos showing up a bit on the early side, but we had so. much. fun.!
For dinner, we adored Chez Black. We also ate at Next2, which was delicious, but a bit more scene-y.
One night, we went up to Montepertuso to dine family style at La Tagliata. It was such a wonderful experience, from the drive up to the limoncello for dessert! When we arrived, the sun was setting, and we were the first people there. Peppe welcomed us with a bottle of red and a bottle of white, and from there, the food and the wine did not stop flowing. Within 15 minutes, the entire place was packed, with live music and all. At one point, Matt found himself with a microphone, crooning “That’s Amore,” and the crowd went wild. Pretty sure it was the highlight of his trip. I would definitely recommend dining in this “hole in the mountain” town, and Il Ritrovo and Donna Rosa are two other great-looking spots.
Our most special meal was at Le Sirenuse, where we celebrated on my actual birthday. We went to the Champagne Bar for oysters and bubbly at sunset, and then we had a decadent dinner at the beautiful La Sponda. It was a perfect date.
Until next time, Positano!
Lauren
Amalfi and Ravello: here
Capri: coming soon
I loooovveee Positano! I could sit on those cliffs at the hotel eating grilled octopus and lounging all day! It’s so beautiful and charming there! Looks like you guys had an absolute BALL! So fun! xo
@stylemelauren
http://www.stylemelauren.com
Thank you so much for reading! I want to go back so badly already!
These pictures are absolutely incredible! You have such an eye and have captured the seaside town perfectly!
We visited two years ago but it was in March so still a bit chilly – one of these days I want to get back in the summertime so I can swim in the water like you guys got to.
Looks like you had the perfect birthday trip!
xo Mary-Katherine | http://www.goldhattedlover.com
So incredibly kind, thank you so much! And yes, the water was so perfectly cool and refreshing – and so salty and wonderful! xox
lovely! I can’t wait to go this summer 🙂 I want to check out La Sirenuse too
I hope you have the most wonderful time!
I have traveled quite a but through Italy but never have been in Positano and your pictures make me ache to get on a plane as fast as possible ! Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos <3
Thank you so much for the kind words, and thank you for reading! xox
Hi, Lauren! I love all of your Italy posts, and I am hoping you could give me a little advice. I’ve never been to Rome or the Italian coast before and am getting the chance to do so this October. My boyfriend and I will be flying in and out of Rome, having 5 nights, 4 full days, and a few extra hours of sunlight on either end. Do you have any suggestions for how we should divide the trip between Rome and the coast? I’m just so overwhelmed right now by how amazing everything looks and am having trouble deciding. Thank you!
I’m so glad to have found your site. I am going in October to Amalfi coast and will be staying at Casa Angelina one night then moving onto Positano, where I’ll be at Le Sirenuse. My initial thought is to do La Sponda for dinner since it’s in the hotel, but being that I’m a solo (male) traveler, I’m wondering if Next2 would be a better choice since it’s less expensive and romance-oriented. Also, my entire time in Italy is about 3 weeks, and I’ll be at MANY expensive restaurants (so easy to get out of hand in Italy!).
Being that you tried both La Sponda and Next2 and obviously have good taste, I’d love to know your thoughts on those two restaurants. I could do both since there’s a free shuttle to Positano from Casa Angelina, but I have a *% euro food/beverage credit at Casa Angelina, so I figured I’d do their in-house restaurant. I was also considering doing dinner at La Sponda then going to Next2 for the bar scene. Any info and suggestions are appreciated!
thank you for reading!! I hope you have the most wonderful trip!
These posts have given me so much wanderlust that we decided to book 11 days in Italy this October. What’s an ideal amount of time to spend in each place? I couldn’t tell from your posts if you were spending a few days or a few weeks in Positano, Amalfi, and Capri!
Ah, I love this! Nothing better than Italy! We were only there for 10 days, just squeezed in as much as we could – you can sleep when you get back home, right?! 🙂