The Best 5 Beaches in Positano, Italy

Positano, with its breathtaking views and pastel-colored houses overlooking a crystal clear sea, is one of the most fascinating destinations on the Amalfi Coast.

Its beaches, nestled between spectacular cliffs, offer the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. Whether you're looking for a fully equipped beach with all the amenities or a hidden corner far from the crowds, this guide will help you discover Positano's best shores. 

If you're looking for the most beautiful beaches in Positano, you've just found a guide to seek them out! Each beach has its own magic: whether you're strolling on the tireless, bustling Spiaggia Grande or yearning for a corner of serenity at Fornillo, each sandy corner will make you feel you're in the right place. 

Here are the five beaches that prove Positano never ceases to surprise!

The beach of Marina Grande is, unquestionably, the vibrant heart of Positano. An iconic spot that offers a 360-degree view of the Borgo: from its shore, in fact, one can stand in awe admiring the shimmer of the sea and relax under the emblematic multicolored umbrellas that overshadow the beach.

The Island of Li Galli on the horizon and the picturesque pastel-colored houses, that climb the cliff and illuminate at sunset, dominate the landscape with the majolica-tiled dome of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. 

Its 300 meters of shoreline are divided into a free beach area and equipped seaside clubs, where it is possible to rent sunbeds, have lunch by the sea and use freshwater showers and other amenities. 

Marina Grande beach is the ideal spot for those who want to spend a day at the beach characterized by a dynamic, animated, characteristic atmosphere and eternalize the memories of a vacation in a picture-postcard setting. This beach is a mandatory stop for those visiting Positano.

Embraced by impressive cliffs, the enchanting Fornillo Bay is located in the homonymous neighborhood and offers a more intimate atmosphere than the busy and touristy Spiaggia Grande. Here, the crystal-clear sea shows infinite shades of turquoise and blends with the green Mediterranean vegetation, creating an evocative setting for those who want contact with nature without overcrowding. 

Despite its seemingly uncontaminated atmosphere, Fornillo does not sacrifice services: well-equipped beach establishments, sea-view restaurants and cozy hotels located nearby ensure a comfortable stay. For those who prefer a more authentic and wild experience, however, sections of free beach are also available, ideal for enjoying the sun and sea without constraints. 

Due to the enviable quality of its waters and its welcoming organization, Fornillo Beach has been awarded several times with prestigious awards, such as the Green Flag for families and the Blue Flag for the clarity of the sea. 

The secluded atmosphere of Fornillo Beach can be deceptive: this hidden wonder is only a ten-minute walk from Positano's seafront promenade. However, as throughout the Amalfi Coast, the route has several steps and bumpy paths, so be prepared before experiencing the luxury of immersing yourself in its breathtaking scenery.

If you are arriving by car, secure paid parking lots are available nearby, some of which offer agreements with beach clubs to guarantee a cheap experience. For those who prefer public transportation, SITA buses are an excellent alternative: with stops close to Fornillo and affordable fares, they are a practical, green and cheap solution. 

Due to crystal-clear sea, unspoiled nature and welcoming services, this beach is the perfect answer to a wide range of needs. 

If you take the road from Positano to Praiano, you will come across an authentic treasure of the Amalfi Coast: Arienzo Beach. Arienzo is the perfect choice for those who want an immersive experience between sea and nature, without sacrificing a touch of exclusivity. This beach, a slice of golden sand set among the rocks, is a reserved access to a sea that fades into infinite shades of blue.

Also known as the “beach of 300 steps,” its access is a scenic descent through terraces scented with lemon trees and bougainvilles. The walk may seem challenging, but its descent is a journey between land and sky, with breathtaking views of the coast that repay every step. A corner of the earth where the sun lingers longer than anywhere else, illuminating the bay until late afternoon, making it perfect for those who like to bask under its rays until the last moment.

If the long staircase scares you, in the summer months, you can opt for a taxi boat from Positano's Spiaggia Grande beach. This is the quickest and among the most scenic ways to get to Arienzo, with the advantage of enjoying the view of the coast from the sea during the short ride. Some beach establishments on the beach offer a free cab boat service for their clients.

You can also reach Arienzo by car or scooter by taking the coastal road eastward from Positano, a journey of about five minutes. However, parking lots are few and often busy, so you may have to leave your vehicle along the road and continue on foot. At that point, the only way to reach the beach is to tackle the dreaded stairway!

If you dream of a day soaked by the sea, the sun and their silence, with the sound of the waves as your only soundtrack, this hidden corner is the right place for you. 

Situated not far from Positano, just after Arienzo, Laurito is one of those beaches that are not easily conceded, but once discovered, gift the feeling of owning the sea. Small, elegant and never too crowded, it is the right place for those who love the sea without fancy frills, with that authentic touch that only certain corners of the Amalfi Coast can offer. 

Although it is not very large, Laurito has everything you need to spend a day in comfort: a stretch of free beach, a few well-placed sunbeds and restaurants where fish is served just steps from the water. No ostentatious luxury, just relaxation, good food and a hard-to-forget panorama that will belong to you for the rest of your life. 

In the summer months, some taxi boats leave from the Spiaggia Grande and reach Laurito Beach in a short time. Exactly as with Arienzo beach, if you prefer a more “sporty” access, there is a long flight of steps down to the beach. It's not the easiest walk but, once again, the sea will pay you back for the effort.

Laurito is the classic place known by few but unforgettable and irreplaceable for those who taste its aura even once in a lifetime. A place where the essentials are really more than enough. 

The coves of Remmese, Clavel and il Cavone are among the most peaceful and hidden places you can find along the Amalfi Coast. These little natural havens can only be reached by sea, which makes them even more charming and pristine. 

To get there, you have to take a cab boat from Marina Grande, which will take you through a sea that looks like an aquarium, where the depth is so shallow that the boat seems to skim the seabed. This makes the trip a fun experience, but also a fascinating one, with unforgettable views along the coast.

Positano is not easily discovered and known. Every hidden corner, every remote cove challenges you to seek it out, as if the town wants to keep its best for those who are willing to take steps toward it, to flirt with it and get to know it. 

Laurito, Fornillo and Arienzo are not just beaches, they are the secret side of Positano that makes you want to keep looking for that hidden corner of paradise that will seem to be yours alone. Positano is the effort that rewards with incomparable relaxation, it is the most romantically scenic representation that what is hard to conquer, once conquered, gives itself to you without knowing parsimony.