Top 5 Romantic Valentine's Day Destinations: Number 5 - Positano, Italy

Located on the Amalfi Coast in Naples, Positano started as a port which prospered in the 16th and 17th centuries, by the 19th century hard times had left it as fishing village until writers and artists visiting it in the 1950's brought attention to the romantic beauty of the area and a renewal of interest in the history and sights of Positano.


Built on the face of a cliff, Positano is best suited to pedestrian traffic. There is a bus that can take travelers around Positano, but the city will still demand a lot of walking of visitors.

If you are looking for romance then the place to look is Le Sirenuse, which along with Il San Pietro is frequently cited as among the best hotels in the world. Travel & Leisure magazine cites Le Sirenuse among the best hotels in the world in 2006 as part of their 11th annual poll asking readers to name the best travel hot-spots.

In 1951 the Marchesi Sersale converted their summer house into a hotel, thus Le Sirenuse opened its doors and majestic view of the bay of Positano to visitors. Still holding the atmosphere of a private home, the hotel offers over 60 rooms and all of the comforts of a luxury hotel.

A tip from Harper's Bazzar says that the best views are to be found from room 93 and suites 74 or 75. I have no confirmation of this, and from what I have seen any room overlooking the coast will have a wonderful view of the pastel city and the sea.


Things to see:

Le Galli islands are just across from Positano, these three islets are believed to be the residence of the mythical Sirens from Homer's Odyssey.

Church of Santa Maria Assunta, which features a dome made from majolica tiles.

Among the many artists and writers to have visited Positano is John Steinbeck, who described it as "... a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone."

Find out more about Le Sirenuse (official hotel website) and about Positano (Wikipedia).

Thanks to Massimo Somma and Carol Priest for pictures.