Planning to rent a villa with our family which includes four children between the ages of 5 and 8yrs. We are all in good health and can walk distances and do NOT want to rent a car. Positano is a bit too busy and touristy. What about Praiano? Good town? Any first hand information would be very helpful or suggestions on other towns. We are looking for beach, small pool, and SAFE (don't want to be worried about being perched on a cliff with the kids). Thank you.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15188 posts
Praiano is good. I don't have specific accommodations to suggest but in your case I would probably rent a car, if the villa you find has parking on premises or arranged with a local lot.
I wouldn't want to negotiate trains and buses with luggage and two small kids. The difficulty of driving there is vastly exaggerated. The only problem is parking, which is not plentiful, but if your accommodations can provide it, then why not? A private car with driver is another (expensive) alternative, at least for when you arrive and depart and you have luggage. If the villa is sufficiently close to the main road, then you can rely on buses for day trips (when you don't have luggage). I don't think boats dock at Praiano, so you need to go to Positano first.
The area is rocky with cliffs everywhere. There are some small sandy (pebbly) beaches in between cliffs. However in all cases the sea bottom drops quickly to pretty high depths within 3 meters (10 ft) or less from shore, therefore be careful with small kids. I count they know how to swim.
Posted by
Boston, MA
1829 posts
I think it is dependent on your expectations.
For some the beaches of the Amalfi Coast are incredibly beautiful, others would describe them as disappointing.
Scenery excluded they are not the pristine sand beaches great for swimming like you may have in Southern Maine or on Cape Cod and definitely a far cry from a Florida or Caribbean Beach in the eyes of a 5 or 8 year old.
The scenery surrounding the beaches is really what makes them iconic and amazing in my eyes and for most adults.
Positano without a doubt has the best "beach" in the region and definitely a big draw and partially why it does get so crowded. Praiano to me looked like a pretty sleepy town, amazing tiled church with a view! if going in busiest part of Summer Season I would be interested in staying in Praiano, off season or anything but peak season I would prefer to stay in Positano and be so much closer to everything and I think better for the children. It gets crowded sure, but also is a tiny town size and accommodation wise, not that many are staying overnight so the crowds come and go.