Casa Positano

Casa Positano is arranged over five levels descending the cliff face, with each floor stepping out to its own terrace above the rooftops of the old town. The architecture works with the rock rather than against it - some walls are exposed cliff face, others are lime-plastered in traditional Positano pink. A small plunge pool on the lowest terrace sits just above the pedestrian path to Spiaggia Grande. Positano is vertical. That is the first thing to understand about renting here. Every property involves stairs, and Casa Positano embraces this reality rather than fighting it. The five levels are connected by an internal staircase (no lift), and each level has its own distinct character and view. The top floor catches the widest panorama, from the Li Galli islands to the Lattari mountains. The lowest level is intimate, shaded, and close enough to the street that you can hear the evening passeggiata below. Four bedrooms occupy the middle three levels, each with an ensuite bathroom finished in hand-painted Vietri tiles. The master bedroom is on the third level, with a window that frames the coloured houses cascading down to the sea - one of the most photographed views on the Amalfi Coast. Two bedrooms share a connecting door, making them suitable for families with children who want to keep close. The exposed cliff face in several rooms is not merely decorative. The rock provides natural thermal mass, keeping these rooms cooler than the plastered rooms during the July and August heat. The architect who renovated the property in 2018 was a local from Praiano who understood how traditional Amalfi Coast construction worked with the landscape. Her intervention was to modernise the plumbing, electrics, and bathrooms while leaving the essential structure untouched. The plunge pool on the lowest terrace is small by villa standards - 4 metres by 3 metres - but its position compensates. Swimming here, you are above the rooftops of the old town with the sea filling the horizon. The pool is unheated, which is welcome rather than problematic given the summer temperatures. Spiaggia Grande, Positano's main beach, is a three-minute walk down the pedestrian path from the villa's lower gate. The beach clubs here serve lunch and cocktails, and water taxis depart for Capri, Amalfi, and the hidden coves along the coast. Le Sirenuse, one of Italy's most celebrated hotels, is a two-minute walk uphill. Da Adolfo, the casual fish restaurant on Laurito beach accessible only by boat from Positano, is a lunch experience that defines the coast.