Positano and Amalfi

Positano is one of Italy’s most romantic vacation spots and one of the top Amalfi Coast towns to visit. Built vertically on the face of a cliff, it started out as a fishing village and became popular with writers and artists in the 1950’s. Today it’s a fashionable resort yet still retains its charm, with its pretty pastel colored houses and flowers, high-end fashion boutiques, luxury hotels, cafes and fantastic views. Just off the shores of Positano, you will see the three islets of Li Galli: legend has it that they were inhabited by Sirens who attempted to seduce with their song all those who sailed nearby. Among those to have been enchanted by the islets’ mysterious beauty, the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who spent the last years of his life here, is, perhaps, the most famous. And Positano, like the legendary Sirens of Li Galli, never fails to seduce.

It is considered by Unesco an important example of a Mediterranean landscape, Amalfi is one of Italy’s most favourite destinations of the international tourism. Amalfi, which also gives its name to the coast, is situated at the mouth of the Valle dei Mulini; it was the first of the Four Maritime Republics of Italy and for a long time had the monopoly of trade with the East. It looks like a cluster of white houses clinging to the rock and connected to each other by covered alleys and stairways. At the center of the main square there is the beautiful Cathedral of St. Andrew, with its impressive staircase, the bell-tower in Arab-Norman style and the charming Cloister of Paradise. The Handmade paper Museum and the Ancients Arsenals of the Republic also worth a visit.