Positano, 2018. If you've been on Instagram at any point in the last 10 years, you've probably seen Positano more times than you can count. Rather than boring you with stuff you've likely seen everywhere, I want to give you some practical non travel-influencer information. Positano is absolutely one of, if not the most, beautiful seaside towns on the Amalfi coast - that's a given. What you may not know is that the town is now heavily commercialized, to the point where it sort of feels like an Italian themed Disneyland. The streets are jam-packed with tourists and good luck trying to find any actual Positano locals. Most of the people who work here commute from Naples for work. My family and I were so taken aback by the corporate vibe of this town that we cancelled our day trip to Capri. I know that sounds crazy, but consider that we were staying in Praiano, another seaside town across the bay. Praiano, in contrast, is still in many ways a traditional Italian coastal town. Everyone knows everybody and most of the townsfolk are related in some manner. At one point, a sweet Italian grandmother baked us fresh doughnuts and then we later discovered the shopkeeper in the wine shop was her grand nephew who then sold us blueberry liqueur he made from harvesting blueberries growing on the mountainside. All this to say, if you're looking for the authentic Italian seaside town experience on the Amalfi coast, Praiano is much closer to that vibe! I'm not saying don't go to Positano, but it's definitely a day trip destination and not a base.
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