An Evening in Positano

When the weather is warm, I love the early evening hours on the Amalfi Coast. The tourists buses have all departed to head back to Sorrento and Naples, the beach umbrellas are closed and stacked up ready for the next day and the locals come out to enjoy an evening stroll through town. As the colors of the sky change from blue to shades of pink and the sun sinks behind the mountains, life slows back down to its regular pace. This is a time of day that I’ve not had the pleasure of enjoying in Positano. The ferry service usually ends late afternoon, and we rarely go to Positano at night given the drive from Amalfi, the parking challenges and the walk down to the center of town near the beach. In many ways, Positano feels so close and so far at the same time. It is a beautiful town with its own distinct feel and daily rhythm that I love experiencing.

So I jumped on the chance last weekend to accompany the Tour Guide to Positano for the evening where he had a quick guiding service. We left early to have plenty of time to find parking and enjoy the stroll down to the beach. The bright orange rows of umbrellas and sunbeds down on the Marina Grande beach are ready for the warm, sunny days ahead.

Walking down the narrow street to the beach, I noticed that the bougainvillea is already blooming brightly in Positano, while it hasn’t even started yet around Amalfi. Even though the locals always talk about how much warmer it is in Positano, I’m always surprised how the flowers bloom weeks earlier there even though it’s just down the coastline.

I stopped along the way to take a few photos of this vibrant shade of deep pink bougainvillea. I associate this color of bougainvillea with Positano and Capri since it seems like I don’t see it often around Amalfi. I think it’s simply spectacular! (And I’m not the only one … but you’ll find out more about that later this week.) Down by the beach, the hibiscus were blooming, and it really felt like summer had already arrived in Positano.

We strolled through town a bit and then stopped for an aperitivo at a bar near the beach. Of course, I couldn’t resist my favorite – a prosecco!

I visit Positano most often during the day in the summer when it is crowded and busy. It was lovely to walk along the beach and savor the quiet evening and watch the colors change on the beach.

We walked all the way to the other end of the Marina Grande beach where all we could hear was the sound the little waves crashing on the beach. The colors of the sunset, the beach umbrellas lined up in rows, the peace – this was the most beautiful I had ever seen Positano.

Before long those lucky travelers who were staying in one of the hotels in Positano began to come out and fill the streets and seaside restaurants. But it was time for us to make our way back up the stairs and head toward home. It was lovely to see this side of Positano, and I hope to be back to enjoy more evenings in Positano this summer!