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Positano Tours › Positano from the Beach to Nocelle: The Town Level by LevelUpdated 2026-09-11

Positano from the Beach to Nocelle: The Town Level by Level

Hours, prices and access verified by the Positano Tours team — last checked 2026-09-11

Pastel houses of Positano climbing the hillside above the beach

The short answer. Positano has four levels: the beaches at the bottom, the lanes around the church, the loop road through the middle, and the hamlets of Montepertuso and Nocelle on the mountain. The boats start at the bottom, the buses at the top, and the steps join them. Pick your level for what you will do most.

Maps flatten Positano into a small grey patch, which is exactly why people get lost in it. The town is not wide; it is tall. Walking it level by level, from the sea up to Nocelle, is the fastest way to understand where you are staying, where the day tours from Positano begin, and how long anything really takes.

Spiaggia Grande and the church

At the bottom is the main beach, grey pebble and sand, with its lidos, its free stretches and the pier at its western end. Just above rises Santa Maria Assunta, the church with the majolica dome. Under it lies MAR Positano, a Roman villa buried in AD 79 and opened to visitors in 2018. This is where the ferries land, where the tour boats board, and where the Da Adolfo boat leaves for the cove at Laurito. If your days are on the water, this is your level, and the boats to Capri leave from here too.

Fornillo and the western cliffs

West of the pier, the cliff path Via Positanesi d'America runs round the headland, past Torre Trasita, to Fornillo, the town's second beach. It is smaller and quieter, and the houses above it are calmer than the lanes around the church. The walk to the pier takes a few minutes along the path, which suits anyone who wants the boats without the busiest beach.

The lanes and the loop road

Above the church, the lanes climb in steps and ramps through the shops and hotels. Cutting across them is the town's only road: one-way, called Viale Pasitea on the way down and Via Cristoforo Colombo on the way up, past Piazza dei Mulini. Taxis, hotel cars and the small local bus use it. Anything on this road can be reached by car, which matters on arrival day and for Pompeii pickups.

Chiesa Nuova at the top of town

Where the loop road meets the SS163 coast road sits the Chiesa Nuova bus stop, the top of town. The SITA coach towards Sorrento stops here, and so does the traffic along the coast. It is the most practical level for anyone relying on buses and road tours, and the longest walk from the sea. At the other end of town, the Sponda stop is nearer the beach.

Arienzo and the eastern side

East of the town, below the coast road, a long stairway commonly counted at about 300 steps drops to Arienzo, a narrow beach that keeps the sun into the afternoon. It is half free and half beach club, and the club runs its own boat, which saves the climb back.

Montepertuso

On the mountain above the town, Montepertuso is the first of Positano's two hamlets. The local Mobility Amalfi Coast bus climbs to it from the loop road, which is how most visitors get there. It looks straight down on the town and out towards Li Galli, and it is quiet in a way the lanes below never are.

Nocelle and the end of the path

Higher still, Nocelle is where the Path of the Gods ends after its 7.8 km from Bomerano in Agerola. From here you either take the local bus back down through Montepertuso, or walk the long stairway to the town, counted at somewhere between 1,500 and 1,700 steps. It is the best view on this side of the coast, and the least convenient base for a beach holiday.

Which level for which traveller

If your holiday is the sea, stay low: you will cross the beach every morning to reach the boats, and you will want the walk to be short. If your holiday is Pompeii, Ravello and the road, stay high near Chiesa Nuova, where the vans and the SITA bus stop, and treat the beach as an outing. Walkers who want the Path of the Gods on their doorstep should look at Montepertuso and Nocelle, and accept the bus for everything else. And if the steps worry you, choose any room the loop road reaches: arrival day is the hardest day, and a car to the door solves it.

The long way down. The stairway from Nocelle to the town is commonly counted at between 1,500 and 1,700 steps. Take the local bus up and walk down if you want the view without the climb; your knees will still know about it the next day.

A day walking every level

  1. Start early on Spiaggia Grande, before the day boats bring the crowds in.
  2. Walk the cliff path west to Fornillo, past Torre Trasita, and back.
  3. Climb through the lanes to the loop road for coffee and the shops.
  4. Take the local bus up to Montepertuso and on to Nocelle for the view down the coast.
  5. Walk down the long stairway if your legs agree, or ride the bus back to town.
  6. End the day at the church and the beach as the light goes.

You will cover the whole town in a day and understand it for the rest of your stay.

Finding your way

Positano is hard to get lost in for long: every lane going down leads to the beach, and every lane going up leads to the road. When you are unsure, head downhill for the sea and the church, or uphill for the buses. Your hotel will give you the name of the nearest landmark; keep it on your phone.

The levels side by side

LevelWhat is thereHow you get thereGood for
Spiaggia GrandeThe beach, the pier, the churchDown the lanesBoat days
FornilloA quieter beachThe cliff pathA calmer stay
The loop roadShops, hotels, taxisBy car or local busEasy arrivals
Chiesa NuovaThe SITA stopThe coast roadBuses and road tours
MontepertusoThe first hamletLocal busQuiet and views
NocelleThe end of the pathLocal bus or stairwayWalkers

Moving between the levels

  • Going down is easy; plan the way back up before you set out in the heat.
  • The local bus is the answer for Montepertuso and Nocelle, and for the loop road with shopping.
  • Porters carry luggage between the bus stops or the pier and your hotel.
  • Allow twice the time the map suggests for anything involving steps.

The beaches in more detail are on Positano beaches, the buses on getting around Positano, which level to sleep on on where to stay in Positano, and the walk above it all on things to do in Positano. The boat days from the bottom level are on Positano boat tours.

From the beach to Nocelle, every level has its own way out of town. Compare the days that start from yours on Positano Tours.

From the bottom level and back