It happens every year. The first warm weekends bring waves of visitors to the Amalfi Coast, and with them comes a problem locals know all too well: cars parked everywhere. On both sides of roads that were never meant to handle two-way traffic to begin with. In blind curves. Blocking buses. Making it impossible for anyone to get through.
Yesterday, Positano had enough.
What happened
The road to La Calitta turned into a bottleneck. Dozens of cars were left in no-parking zones, squeezed against the rock walls on both sides. Some drivers went as far as abandoning their cars right in the middle of curves, where oncoming traffic had zero visibility.
The local police showed up with a tow truck. Cars that were blocking the road got hooked and hauled away. For the owners, a day at the beach ended with a hefty fine and a trip to the impound lot to retrieve their vehicle.
Why it matters more than you think
This is not just about inconvenience. On the Amalfi Coast, illegal parking creates real danger:
- Accidents. The roads are narrow and winding. When cars choke both lanes, buses and delivery trucks have to squeeze through gaps that barely exist. Head-on collisions and scrapes happen regularly.
- Gridlock. One bus that can't pass is all it takes to shut down traffic on the entire coastal road for hours. If you've ever been stuck in Positano traffic, you know exactly what this feels like.
- Emergency access. This is the serious one. If an ambulance or fire truck can't get through because someone parked in a curve, the consequences are immediate and real.
What this means for visitors
The message from Positano's administration is direct: use authorized parking lots, or better yet, arrive by ferry or public transport. The "creative parking" approach that some visitors rely on, pulling over wherever there's a sliver of space, is being met with zero tolerance now.
And honestly? Good. The coast's roads weren't built for the volume of traffic they see today. The sooner visitors adapt, the better it is for everyone, locals and tourists alike.
If you're driving to Positano this season, plan your parking in advance. The paid lots at the top of town (like the one near the Chiesa Nuova area) are your safest bet. Or skip the car entirely and take the ferry from Salerno, Sorrento, or Amalfi. You'll save yourself the stress and probably have a better trip for it.
