'Pass on Positano': A local shares Italian destination dupes away from the Amalfi Coast crowds
Guests have called Hotel Poseidon in Positano breathtaking and luxurious, but Liliana Mascolo has only ever called it home.
A third-generation employee of her family's hotel, Liliana's earliest memories recall full-season bookings and a bustling seaview terrace.
'Positano has always been popular,' Liliana says. 'But what's changed are the types of guests. Instead of staying for weeks or even months to relax, people visit for a few days, rushing to tick everything off of their Amalfi Coast must-see list.'
Though she's always known why this part of the Amalfi Coast is so coveted, Liliana has watched Positano evolve from a popular, long-stay destination for Italians on a wealthy yet relaxed holiday to a more accessible destination where day-trippers and weekenders arrive with rigid itineraries.
'When I was studying in London, I had a poster of Positano on my wall but none of my friends were impressed because they didn't know about the Amalfi Coast. I remember the exact day Positano started getting popular on social media: all of my friends were stunned that it was my hometown.'
Liliana is always ready to welcome guests to Hotel Poseidon, her once literal home, but she knows firsthand how overtourism on the Amalfi Coast creates an overwhelming experience for some travellers. Here are Liliana's four suggestions for taking an unforgettable Italian vacation away from the crowds, queues, and cliché attractions.
Tropea: An Instagrammable beach with the beauty of Positano but none of the tourists
'The first place that comes to my mind as an alternative to Positano's beaches are Tropea's beaches.'
Positano's popularity on social media has its unique landscape to thank.
The rocky hillside lends the village the nickname 'the Pyramid of Positano'. This section of coastline features dramatic views of the village from sea level and dreamy Tyrrhenian Sea views from countless hotel terraces – including Hotel Poseidon's.
Tropea, over 400 km south, is also a hilltop village perched above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Yet Liliana says while its jaw-dropping scenery is envy-inducing enough for Instagram it has no influencers in sight.
'I know that families from other Italian cities visit Tropea again and again but don't know of many foreign travellers going there. There's not many people around, and the landscapes are gorgeous, so it's such a peaceful environment.'
Despite winning 2021's Borgo dei Borghi competition and one of the so-called pearls of the Tyrrhenian, Liliana still considers Tropea a hidden gem where you can watch the sunset without queuing up behind a crowd.
Mount Abetone is an alluring alternative to the Italian Alps for 'JOMO'
'When I close my eyes and think of Mt. Abetone, I see myself laying on a sofa beside the fireplace, playing board games with my friends.'
Standing among the Pistoia Mountains, Mt. Abetone is one of the most popular ski resorts in Italy, but you won't catch Liliana on the slopes.
'It's been years since I've skied; I just go there to relax. It's just me, the fireplace and some wine on many days. Going to the ski resort is an ambitious activity.'
Liliana's family has a holiday home close to Mt. Abetone. When Hotel Poseidon closes for the season, you'll find Liliana escaping the FOMO (fear of missing out) found in Positano for the JOMO (joy of missing out) in the Apennines mountain range.
'Nothing ever happens up there, but that's my personal preference. It's not that I choose to do absolutely nothing – I could follow my sister to the slopes – but that I choose to unwind without feeling the need to hike or ski or do any of the activities most travellers come for.'
JOMO is one of 2025's top travel trends. If you embrace JOMO like Liliana does, you'll definitely find relaxation and reconnection with loved ones on Mt. Abetone's 50 km of pistes – and a laid-back alternative to winter recreation.
Instead of Atrani for set-jetting, visit Castellabate
Until recently, the village of Atrani was considered one of the few overlooked spots on the Amalfi Coast: a quieter refuge where the savvy traveller could find a more authentic experience off the main tourist trail.
Now, its popularity is rapidly rising as cinephiles flock to filming locations like Atrani's beach - as seen in Netflix's 'Ripley', and the cliff-clinging shrine, Santuario Santa Maria del Bando, which featured in 'Equalizer 3'.
The ' set-jetting ' trend – planning a holiday based on destinations featured in TV series or films – is nothing new, which is why Liliana suggests embracing the trend without becoming a background extra in another visitor's TikTok video.
'I watched 'Benvenuti al Sud' several times before actually visiting Castellabate. It's even more beautiful in real life and the locals are just as friendly to strangers.'
The Italian comedy, a remake of the French film 'Welcome to the Sticks', finds a postmaster transferred to the village of Castellabate where he discovers that the seemingly dangerous south defies its prejudiced stereotypes.
'Sit at a bar in Castellabate and the few tourists you'll see always look lost. Not because they don't know where to go, but because there's nowhere to go.'
This small village, approximately 120 km south of Naples, has few attractions beyond a castle, an observation deck, and a small museum of sacred art housed in a church.
'There is nothing to do in Castellabate, life just passes you by and that's why it's so nice,' Liliana says. 'It reminds me of what Positano once was: there's no list to check off, you just wander around and get lost in the moment.'
Look to villages like Lake Como's Varenna in the off-season
Italy's tourism generates over €50 billion from 57 million annual visitors. Liliana agrees that some destinations, like the Amalfi Coast, may feel too tempting to skip, but that doesn't mean you have to follow the crowd. You could visit at a different time of year for a quieter and perhaps even more celestial experience.
'I really wanted to see Lake Como's landscape, not attractions, so I visited in December, the off-season. Varenna is the one place I'd stay if I go back.'
Varenna, a short ferry ride from the bustling Bellagio, has less than 1,000 residents, the 12th-century Castello di Vezio and a romantic, lakeside pathway called the Walk of Lovers.
On crisp and clear winter nights when the moon is in its crescent phase you can even enjoy some stargazing - as astrotourism is also right on trend for this year.
'Lake Como is incredible, but you can also get around northern Italy easily by train and visit Milan or Lake Garda.'
The writer was a guest of Hotel Poseidon in 2021.
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