Nocelle is a small village high above Positano. The road only came as far as the village 20 years ago, but at the village itself there is only foot access. And because it’s on the side of a very steep hill if you want to go anywhere chances are you will be going up and down a lot of steps.
To transport heavy items around Nocelle they use mules – there’s really no other practical way t get stuff through the narrow alleyways and up and down the steps. The mini-mart uses a small tracked cart, but it’s very slow. So chances are in you adventures walking around Nocelle you’ll encounter a mule or 2.
Because access is so difficult most people grow as much as they can. Nocelle is filled to the brim with lush gardens on the terraces built over the centuries. There are vegetables of every kind, olive trees, vineyards and flowers. All the plant life attracts many different and strange (to us) insects, which attract as many lizards. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many lizards in my life. There are many cats, and a few dogs, and the familiar ringing of bells are the goats.
There being no roads the only sounds are the insects, goat bells, mule braying, the church bell ringing, and far off in the distance and hundreds of metres below are the many luxury boats plying the seas.
Food options are limited. There’s a mini-mart open on the mornings and evenings, a rather expensive cafe at the beginning/end of the Path of the Gods, and a couple of restaurants. The newer one we deemed much too expensive, though it looked nice. Nino made us a reservation at the other restaurant for the first night, so down the steps we went.
Reservations were probably a good idea, because despite how small the own is and how inaccessible it is the place was quite full. And it was easy to see why. The food was very good, the service impeccable, and the view – maybe the best in the world. Maybe due to Nino’s relationship with the people at the restaurant we had the best seat by the window.
After enjoying our dinner we made a reservation for the following night for the same table – and again for the last night. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten at the same restaurant 3 nights running, but this place was definitely worth it. On leaving on the last night we personally thanked the staff there, and their formal demeanor fell away and we have a nice conversation with them about the place.
On our first day we did the trail, but the second day we just relaxed and took in the view. This was really the only day on our trip with absolutely nothing booked in.
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