Positano

Positano is one of my favorite villages in Europe. The movie, Under the Tuscan Sun, tried hard to ruin it and certainly did introduce a whole lot more tourists from the UK and USA but it is still a fantastic place to spend a little downtime.

The beach is made up of giant pebbles (like in Nice), which is a totally different experience for those who are accustomed to sandy beaches. Laying on the beach can be like a hot stone session at a spa. There are bars and restaurants in caves and on mountaintops. There are even small castle-like watchtowers with giant fire pits on their roofs that were once used to warn neighboring villages of pirate attacks Lord of the Rings-style.

When we first visited back in 2001, nobody in town spoke English. In the post Under the Tuscan Sun era, every other local speaks at least some English so it's even more approachable now than ever. I'd still recommend learning a little Italian before setting off, though, the locals will certainly appreciate it.