Sometimes you can insert socially conscious tourism into your trips when you least expect it.  Case in point, Positano, Italy is not necessarily known for its socially conscious tourism.  Once a quaint fishing village, it now supports itself through the tens of thousands of tourists that flow through it each year.  It’s a “vertical” town built on a hill so new construction is uncommon but many of the older houses and commercial spaces have been converted into expensive shops, restaurants, and boutique hotels.  That said, there are several opportunities for socially conscious and eco-friendly tourism in Positano.  One of our favorites is the Amalfi Coast boat trip with Salvatore and Gennaro.

Salvatore and Gennaro are brothers who have lived in Positano their whole lives.  They carried on their father’s profession of fishing in the Tyrrhenian Sea until they began taking tourists out in their boats: lo and behold a new profession was born.  The trip we took involved a small boat with room for about 12 people.  Salvatore was our driver and an American named Gloria helped out, translated, and just generally put a smile on people’s faces.  Gloria is a sweet woman from Ohio who decided to pack up her bags and move to Italy about 20 years ago.  She didn’t know anyone, didn’t know the language – what an inspiration!  She now goes out with Salvatore every day on their tours.

Our boat consisted of tourists from Sweden, Italy, Brazil, and the United States.  We made our way slowly down the coast, stopping occasionally to get out and swim in the calm and buoyant water, including chilly grottos.  Salvatore was a cheerful and gregarious host, treating us all to his bawdy sense of humor. 

Around 1 or 2pm, we stopped at a restaurant on stilts accessible only by sea or a long staircase from who knows where.  Here we ate… and ate… and ate.  Salvatore and Gennaro’s website list the lunch as being a three-course meal.  That may be an underestimate.  The restaurant staff kept bringing plate after plate of fresh fish, pasta, vegetables, and more.  The wine flowed.  Eating fish caught minutes before in the very waters we had been swimming in was remarkable.  This two-hour feast was lively and delicious.
After the meal, Salvatore steered the boat south to Amalfi and then turned around back to Positano.  The trip lasted about 7 hours and was the best day of our week-long trip to the area.  We’ll write more posts on other activities but this one took the cake.  In addition to having a great and relaxing time, we felt good knowing our tourism dollars were going to small, local businesses that appreciate the natural environment and want to share it with others for many years to come.  Thank you, Salvatore and Gloria!

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Tags: Amalfi coast, Gennaro, Positano, Salvatore, Tyrrhenian Sea

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 8th, 2009 at 3:00 pm and is filed under Ecotourism, Europe, Restaurants & Hotels & Tours, Socially conscious tourism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.