Spiaggia Grande probably isn't anyone's idea of a dream beach, with greyish sand covered by legions of bright umbrellas lined up like parked cars – and expensive cars at that. Hiring a chair and umbrella in the fenced-off areas costs around €20 per person per day (plus extra for showers). Fortunately, the crowded public areas are free and the toilets are spotlessly clean – as is the seawater.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Museo Archeologico Nazionale
19.95 MILES
Naples' National Archaeological Museum serves up one of the world’s finest collections of Graeco-Roman artefacts. Originally a cavalry barracks and later…
Museo di Capodimonte
20.64 MILES
Originally designed as a hunting lodge for Charles VII of Bourbon, the monumental Palazzo di Capodimonte was begun in 1738 and took more than a century to…
Cappella Sansevero
19.58 MILES
It's in this Masonic-inspired baroque chapel that you'll find Giuseppe Sanmartino's incredible sculpture, Cristo velato (Veiled Christ), its marble veil…
Ruins of Herculaneum
14.35 MILES
Herculaneum harbours a wealth of archaeological finds, from ancient advertisements and stylish mosaics to carbonised furniture and terror-struck skeletons…
Ruins of Pompeii
8.51 MILES
The ghostly ruins of ancient Pompeii (Pompei in Italian) make for one of the world's most engrossing archaeological experiences. Much of the site's value…
Certosa e Museo di San Martino
19.74 MILES
The high point (quite literally) of the Neapolitan baroque, this charterhouse-turned-museum was built as a Carthusian monastery between 1325 and 1368…
Catacombe di San Gennaro
20.63 MILES
Naples' oldest and most sacred catacombs became a Christian pilgrimage site when San Gennaro's body was interred here in the 5th century. The carefully…
Castello Aragonese
28.36 MILES
There are castles and then there’s Ischia’s Castello Aragonese, a veritable fort-city set on its own craggy islet, looking like a cross between Harry…
Nearby Positano attractions
1. Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta
0.07 MILES
Omnipresent in most Positano photos is the colourful majolica-tiled dome of its main church (and the town's only real sight). If you are visiting at a…
2. Palazzo Murat
0.1 MILES
Just west of the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, this palazzo is now a luxury hotel. It may be beyond your budget to stay here, but you can still visit the…
3. Franco Senesi
0.13 MILES
Nestled between trendy boutiques and lemon-themed ceramics shops, Franco Senesi is a bold, uncluttered exhibition space with rooms showcasing work by over…
4. Spiaggia del Fornillo
0.29 MILES
From Positano's main beach, it's a gentle walk west, with an acceptable number of steps (hooray!) to Spiaggia del Fornillo. Toss off your stilettos and…
5. Spiaggia della Gavitelli
1.97 MILES
Accessible by a steep staircase (with 300 steps) from the village of Praiano or by boat from Marina di Praia, Gavitelli is a tiny but popular affair with…
6. Chiesa di San Luca
2.53 MILES
In the upper village, the 16th-century Chiesa di San Luca features a colourful majolica floor, paintings by the 16th-century artist Giovanni Bernardo Lama…
7. Chiesa San Matteo Apostolo
2.76 MILES
Built in 1580 and tweaked numerous times since, this is Bomerano's architectural centrepiece. The marble baptismal font dates from the second half of the…
8. Torre a Mare
2.88 MILES
Defensive towers sit all along the Amalfi Coast; ironically, they are generally known as Saracen towers, named after the very invaders they were erected…