dina4

alice -- we also ate at Chez Black and had drinks at le sirenuse! loved both. used positano as a base on our last stay on amalfi coast.

yes -- am a bit weary about the busses.

we've boated a lot, so i'm not too worried. i did look up AMALFIboatrental.com, and they have outstanding reviews on tripadvisor with a lot of people having fabulous experiences renting boats and going all the way to capri!

WWK

There are a couple of restaurants in Positano that we return to whenever we are there:

LO GUARACINO, on the seaside path that runs from the town dock to Fornillo Beach ( right hand side up a small staircase about 1/4 mile from town dock). Great pizzas, handmade pastas, stunning water views.

IL CAPITANO about three blocks down from Hotel Poisedon on Via Pasitea: Excellent food, tables almost right on the water. Lovely place.

SARCENO D'OR: Hope I'm spelling this right! Again, further up Via Pasitea. Half the restaurant is tables right on the street, the other half is in a tiny house on the other side of Via Pasitea. Really good food, reasonably priced, funny waiters/waitresses! Love it.


And... in Montepertuso, a mountain village about a 10-15 min. drive from Positano: La Tagliata. Some of the best food I've ever had ANYWHERE.

Lastly, because I saw it mentioned in a post above, I just wanted to reiterate that the shoreline is not for amateur sailors. Not that you are necessarily, but you really need to know what you are doing!

As I mentioned, we took a water taxi to lunch one day, and the "skipper" was struggling at times with the very strong current. He laughed it off, but we could see that he was having a very difficult time.

WWK

I forgot BUCCA DI BACCO, in the center of Positano on the beach. Just across the way from CHEZ BLACK. We thought the food was wonderful, and the views were gorgeous. In case you are interested, they also offer cooking classes!

ekscrunchy

About the tuna, and the anchovies, from Cetara: It is tricky to shop there if you are going for dinner, unless you dine on the early side. I know you will buy the garum from Acquapazza, but there are also small food shops that are worth a look. Just make sure you get there while these are still open...

Dina: PLEASE post your itinerary! I have never been to the Aeolians (my sister plans to head that way in May); and would dearly love to visit in the near future.....was Panarea your favorite?
I plan to re-read your report very soon to boost my enthusiasm!

ekc

Agree with eks, get to Cetara early, do some shopping, then have an aperitivo until dinner time.

dina4

WWK -- thanks for all those great positano restaurants. we will definitely go there one day, as our friends have never been.

ekc and eks --
what time do you think the shops close -- 6? 7? good to know we have to get there early to shop!

eks -- our itinerary this summer is below. it's sort of a "returning to places we love for more great food and wine" trip. we have been to all these places before, with the exception of Amalfi.
-- fly LAX to Brindisi
-- 4 nights near Ostuni at Masseria La Rascina (went there 2 years ago and fell in love)
-- 3 nights in Amalfi at Miramalfi (dropping puglia rental car in salerno and taking ferry over)
-- 3 nights in Panarea at Hotel Cincotta (taking ferry from naples, as i mentioned earlier)
-- 3 nights in Taormina at Hotel Imperiale
-- 3 nights in Rome at Excelsior (we are starwood loyalists)
-- flying Rome to LAX

ekc

I would guess they close around 7 - it is southern Italy after all.

Re: dropping your car in Salerno and taking the ferry over, be sure you know the location of the office relative to the ZTLs and if it is not near the train station you may need to get a cab to the dock. Obviously, be sure to get there in time for the last ferry.

dina4

ekc -- what is a ZTL? i did look on google maps and the hertz address is very close to the train station. and, if i remember correctly, the port is a short walk to the dock?

JoyC

Hi!
We stayed at the Miramalfi about 3 years ago and it has remained as one of our favorite hotels in Italy. All rooms are sea-facing but there are 2 buildings. One is set way back while the other is more front-facing (more expensive). If you can get one of the rooms in the front building, preferably a corner one, you'll have a gorgeous view not only of the sea but also of Amalfi town.

The pool area was what drew me to choose this hotel. It is small but looks like it was carved from the rocks. It gets busy mid-day to early evening but we are early swimmers so no big deal. If you want to swim in the sea, there are ladders from the pool area that will get you down as well as loungers laid out on those rocks.

Breakfast is on the top floor with magnificent views.

Have fun! We are also off to Puglia in September, staying near Martina Franca.

ekscrunchy

Dina that trip sounds like a dream! How do you travel from Milazzo to Taormina?


ZTL: Limited traffic zone, so you are almost assured of getting a ticket if you drive into it unknowingly. Something like Zona Traffica Limitada (pardon my Spatalian!)

You might ask the hotel about the closing times of the Cetara shops. Remember that there are food shops both below the Amalfi Drive (sea side) and on the mountain side, along the main street that has the restaurants.

I will mention that I bought a nice-sized jar of anchovies there (packed in oil) but somehow in the transport they got so shaken up that they lost their shape and I was left with bits instead of the whole fish. Does not affect the flavor but does not look as pretty in case you wanted to give them as a gift.

Interesting article mentioning Cetara anchovies (by respected cook/author)

http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-ma...#axzz2rhe5CJ7S


https://www.gustiamo.com/shop/salted...ra-by-nettuno/

ekc

Dina, if you are going to be driving anywhere in Italy, be sure to read up on the ZTL. Even small villages have them. Check with the Hertz office and they can tell you if they are located in a ZTL AND how to get to the office without going through a ZTL. I will also check with a friend of mine who lives in nearby Raito.

Yes, the ferry dock is very near the train station - just a 10 minute walk straight out the door.

I also FB messaged my friend who owns Acquapazza about the closing times of the shops in Cetara and I will let you know if I hear back from him.

ekc

Just heard back and he said most of the shops stay open until around 7, although in the summer some stay open until 9.

dina4

ZTL -- ah yes... we've gotten a camera ticket before for driving down a wrong street.

Joy -- thanks so much for the room tip! we reserved a "superior" room -- but i'll email the hotel and make a request.

ekc -- that's great to know that they stay open that late. we don't like to eat too early, so it will be nice to stroll around the town and do some shopping.

eks -- last year, we drove a rental car to milazzo and parked it in a garage while we were i panarea. it was easy and cheap. this year we won't have a car, so i arranged for a driver through Sicily Life. transport for 4 people with luggage from milazzo to taormina 120 euro.
thanks for the links to articles. will check them out.

thanks so much everyone!!