Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Another viable option for Positano is the tiny
Pensione Maria Luisa
55
€€
(Via Fornillo, 42;
%
089-875023; www.pensionemarialuisa.com).
Rooms in the
summer are
80 with a terrace, but hard to book because they often fill up many
months in advance. Rooms are tiny and not air-conditioned, but the price is the
best in Positano.
€
€€€
If you don't mind spending a little extra, you won't completely break the
bank at the
Hotel Pupetto
(Via Fornillo, 37;
%
089-875087; www.hotelpupetto.it),
where rooms start at
€
147 and are modest but comfortable.
Meals in Positano
are also over-priced though it has to be said that the food is
generally exceptional.
The locals eat at
'O Guarracino
(Via Positanesi d'America, 12;
%
089-
875794),
one of the few restaurants that is open year-round. The view from the long
terrace is outstanding, and the food is reliably satisfying. Plates are seasonal and gen-
erous, most starting at
€
10. The clientele, many of whom are expats with summer
homes here, don't take kindly to tourists, though, so it's best to try to fit in.
€€
€€
Another reasonable dining option is the restaurant and cooking school in
the nearby village of Montepertuso. At
Il Ritrovo
55
(Via Montepertuso, 77;
%
089-812005; www.ilritrovo.com),
everything is either made by hand (the
pasta), home grown (the vegetables), or home raised (the rabbit and chicken), and
most plates are around
€
10. This is a great choice in the summer, but its cozy fire-
place gives it even more appeal in the winter. And management will even chauf-
feur you to and from Positano in a little minibus. It's one of those places you'll
long to return to. They also offer a daylong cooking class for
€
150.
AMALFI
555
Amalfi is a suitable alternative to both Positano and Sorrento. It has a far more
interesting history than any other village on the coast, and was once a thriving
fishing port with a population of 70,000 along either side of the river that divides
it. The major trade route between Tunis, Constantinople, and Beirut went
through the town, and much of the local architecture reflects these influences. But
what makes Amalfi a better choice than the others is that there's still a sense of
community that doesn't revolve around tourism. Sometimes, especially in the off
season, you actually get the feeling that the locals could live without you—and
that, oddly enough, is a welcome change from the neighboring towns of Positano
and Sorrento.
Amalfi has a very impressive cathedral
Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea (Church of
St. Andrew)
(Piazza Duomo;
%
089-871059),
on the main square. Up the
stairs and around the back is the
Chiostro del Paradiso
(
€
2.50).
Don't miss the
crypt with the tomb of St. Andrew, the church's patron saint. There are few bet-
ter places to sit at sunset than the stairs leading up to this magnificent church.
From down below in the piazza, if you're lucky, you'll get to watch a bride per-
form the accomplished art of stair-climbing in stiletto heels and a long dress.
Amalfi also has a couple of fascinating museums, including the
Museo della
Carta
555
(Palazzo Pagliara, Via delle Cartiere, 23;
%
089-8304561; www.museo
dellacarta.it;
€
3.40; daily summer 10am-6pm, winter until 3pm),
which received
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