Via dei Mulini
Via dei Mulini is the spine of Positano — a pedestrian lane that drops downhill from Piazza dei Mulini all the way to the beach, past flower-draped balconies, ceramic-tiled storefronts, and the persistent scent of lemons. Boutiques selling Moda Positano linens and hand-fitted leather sandals press close on either side, with the occasional café table wedged into whatever flat space the cliff allows.
At the bottom, the lane opens toward Piazza Flavio Gioia and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, its majolica dome a fixture of every view of the village from the water. Beneath the piazza, the Roman Archaeological Museum holds frescoed walls from a first-century otium villa — a Roman holiday retreat swallowed by the hillside long before the boutiques arrived.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to walk it early — before 9am, when the steps are cool and the light is low and slanted. The sandal shops that fit you on the spot are worth the time; so is ducking into the archaeological museum, which most visitors walk straight past on their way to the beach.
The story behind Via dei Mulini
The street takes its name from the mills — mulini — that once used the hillside's water channels to grind grain, a reminder that Positano was a working village long before it became a destination. The exact chronology of the street's development is not well documented, but the lane follows the logic of the terrain: the shortest route from the road above to the beach below, shaped by centuries of foot traffic rather than any plan.
Below it, the Roman villa now visible in the archaeological museum confirms that this particular stretch of coastline was valued for leisure as far back as the first century — the frescoed rooms were part of a private retreat, an otium villa, built when the Amalfi cliffs were already considered worth the journey.
Good to know
Buses stop at La Sponda (closest for Hotel Le Sirenuse) or Piazza dei Mulini — buy your SITA ticket at a tabaccheria before boarding, not on the bus. The street has stairs throughout; no vehicles beyond Piazza dei Mulini. May and September give the best combination of weather and elbow room.
May and September are the most comfortable months — temperatures between 15–27°C, long light, and noticeably thinner crowds than July or August, when the lane can feel genuinely narrow. The street is exposed and south-facing; midday in summer is hot work on the stairs.
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What travellers say about Via dei Mulini
This is an easy walking route, mostly shaded, pleasant and well aranged for walikng (at no point will you have to hesitate which way to go). Very fun to stroll and incounter throughout the hike all kind of art along the way such as bits of poetry, sculpters and engravings. With that said, at this season of the year the water levels are low and slightly disapointing (though the nature is great), better to wait closer to winter for better view of the rivers and waterfalls.
A carm place to chill . Very aesthetic scenery . Starting from here is a trail of nealr 1 hour that leads to a cute restaurant.
Come here during the fairs - they serve up good beer along this little road.
So beautiful and peacful, the village itself is calming and full of chracter, and the trail is interesting and very green.
Beautiful walk in the hills with water mills and a Castle up on the hill.
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