Is Positano worth a stop just for pictures from the sea/dock area?

Absolutely
I’ve always said the views in Positano are best from the water.

Welcome to the forum!

Yes, additionally, I liked the view from the top of the road on the south that comes into town. Also the view from right below the church on the square.

In 2022, we used Salerno as a base for visiting the Amalfi Coast, along with Paestum. We paid the owner of our B&B to drive us along the coast, with a few stops for picture taking. We spent a couple of hours in Ravello. The views from Villa Cimbrone are absolutely gorgeous. I have heard people say the same about the views from Villa Rufolo. Don't miss Ravello.

I agree with Christine - I wouldn't get off the boat to explore Positano - just take your pictures from the water.

We were driven as far as Amalfi, where the boat we chartered from a Salerno-based company took us along the coast to Positano, and back to Salerno. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and well worth the expense. We had the opportunity to spend time in Positano, but even in April it was just too crowded, and vertical, to be appealing.

If you have time, sure, just figure out the ferry schedule so you know how much time you have, and that there will be one going the way you want. To be honest, there are few "must see" sights there other than the views and wandering the village. Last I knew, there was a shuttle of sorts to get you from the beach up to near the bus stops, maybe someone has advice on getting up, and back down if needed, or maybe you catch the bus heading back to Amalfi and Salerno. But overall, I agree, lots of uphill walking and steps are not fun, or adventurous.

Edit: I will add that you probably need to time things out a bit. It seems getting from point A to B to C on the Amalfi coast can be time consuming and complicated by both bus and ferry schedules

I did read about the shuttle from the ferry up to the top, but we would still need to walk down and that is hard on the knees.
So, walking up or down is out for us and we really do not wish to take the bus from there back to Amalfi - would prefer to stick with the ferries.

@Estimated Prophet - Not sure I understand what you mean by: "I wouldn't get off the boat to explore Positano - just take your pictures from the water."

If we take a ferry from Salerno to Positano, how do we know the ferry that we are on would go back to Amalfi?
If all of the ferries that go to Positano turn around and will stop back at Amalfi, that would then be an option for us without getting off.

Not sure I understand what you mean by: "I wouldn't get off the boat to explore Positano - just take your pictures from the water."

We were on a boat that we chartered [that sounds far more grand that it actually was], it stopped for a while at the dock at Positano so we could take pictures. I should have said "just take your pictures from the boat".

I’m glad you’re planning Ravello! The scenery from the gardens is spectacular! We arrived early before the garden opened, had an espresso in the main piazza and were able to enjoy the garden with hardly anyone else there.

Are you planning to go to Paestum? It’s an excellent reason to stay in Salerno to take the train over to see the Greek temples. The old town portion of Salerno is hilly - just in case that’s an issue with your knees.

Positano looks different than Amalfi and others, so I think it’s worth taking the ferry there.

Depending on the other locations you’ve chosen in Italy, be sure to wear sturdy-sole shoes that you’ve worn a few months to make sure they’re comfortable and are good soles for cobblestones.

If you decide that you would like feedback on your other locations, feel free to post your itinerary. We have a lot of experienced travelers to Italy and may be able to lessen your strain to your knees with some alternative locations.

Jean - thanks for that offer. I may post the itinerary later as I have more spots actually chosen.
The more I research though, the more time I want to spend in Italy!!
I could probably spend a few months and still only have a small feel for the country!

We were in the area this past May, 2023, and found the AC towns to already be very crowded; the exception was Ravello, which we found charming and comfortable. There really isn't a shoulder season anymore in the AC. If you have any chance of planning your trip a little earlier, I'd recommend that, as a small relief from the crowds and summer heat.
I did not find Positano to be remarkable, full of high end shops, and the beach was dirt-colored and all pebbled, not sand.
The ferries that go into Positano are usually smaller and even more weather- dependent, and the dock was damaged when we were there in the spring.
I'm assuming you are aware of the infrastructure deficiencies and resulting congestion and traffic issues in the area?
I feel the AC is a victim of its Instagram success; that one perfect pix is not representative of the conditions on the ground.
I wish I'd had been more aware of the realities of the AC before we planned that part of our Italy trip. I'm glad that we visited, but I have no desire to return.
I'd rather spend my time in northern Italy.
Have fun planning and developing your trip, and safe travels!

We hired a car and driver (not a certified guide) to show us the Amalfi Coast in the last week of May. We used our Sorrento hotel's land partner, through the concierge. We charged the 260 Euros (ten years ago) to our room bill.

You (and your knees) need to account for the heavy crowding and barely adequate public transportation. Can you stand for a half hour to wait for the bus? Can you climb the bus stairs and stand in the aisle because all the seats are full? I have only taken the Sorrento-Capri ferry, but the return trip was so full that the 300 (?) seats were full, and we had to sit on the floor. That boat was huge, with cars and trucks, but there was no outside deck. It is true that Positano requires smaller boats, but the ferry companies select different boats, depending on the expected crowd level, time of year and seat conditions.

There's nothing wrong with your choice of Salerno, I'm just trying to warn you about how difficult it can be to get around. You may wish to allocate the money for "luxury transportation" because it's widely chosen by non-luxury customers here in high season.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-day-trip

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-september-transportation-issues

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/getting-around-amalfi-coast

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/amalfi-coast-for-7-nights-itinerary-help

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-2-weeks-of-day-trips-from-sorrento

When I go to the coast from Salerno, I usually do Amalfi/Ravello in one trip.....or Amalfi/Positano. But if you aren't planning on doing much in Positano (I'm not a fan) then you could actually buy your ferry ticket from Amalfi to Positano and then buy the return to Salerno at the same time. I would assume you would want more than 5 min in Positano, so you may have to wait an hour (nice time to relax at the beach restaurants with a drink or snack?) until the next one and if you're not doing much while there to tire you out, you could probably do all in one day. Positano does look more picturesque from the water than Amalfi, but its not my fav, as the hike up the hill and the expensive shops aren't of interest to me....

I'm partial to Salerno, and its way convenient if you want to do the Amalfi Coast side of the peninsula, Capri, or any of the attractions accessible by train like Paestum, Naples (you can even do Ercolano and Pompeii on the SLOW train), or Caserta.....but if you want to JUST do the Amalfi Coast and do Sorrento and Capri, it might be out of the way for you. I used to live there, but I love the feel of the town, like a normal Italian city instead of being surrounded by tourists at all times. My friend who went with me 4 years ago said she liked the "feel" of Salerno more than any other place we went on a two week trip where we also went to Verona/Lago di Garda, Firenze, and Roma.

Hi David,
Some discussion and imagery about Positano can be found below in our recent TR. Likewise Ravello, including an important tip.
Over on Fodors, I go by 'zebec'.
cheers
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/new-tr-about-the-amalfi-coast

Thank you everyone for your comments and thoughts.

Between some Google street views I looked at, the comments here and some from Italy experts on another site, we may spend a bit more time on the AC than I initially planned, but really would like to get the flavor of Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and perhaps even Minori by both land and sea.

Thanks again.