Allow me to introduce the other side of Praiano which is actually called the Praiano Side. The Vettica Side is where we stayed. It would be a shame to visit Praiano and not explore both sides.
From the western facing part of town you can view Positano in the distance and walk down many steps to the popular orange chair + orange umbrella lined One Fire Beach!
To get from one side of Praiano to the other there is a bus that drives the main loop making frequent stops. You could definitely walk although it is far! Our bus stop was conveniently located at the bottom of Flavia Goa (the pedestrian street on which our Airbnb was located).
Make sure to have coins for the bus - and a baby counts as a full person even if they are attached! The drivers are helpful to point out your stop if you let them know where you're headed.
The stop for the steps down to One Fire are at San Gennaro Church.
And from there enjoy a scenic walk twisting and turning with signs and local artwork to guide you.
Camden loved the squid sculpture!
We arrived around 1 pm to a concrete beach club ever so stylishly nestled into the cliff side. The friendly staff gave us our pick of lounge chairs. While Camden was the only baby here we didn't feel out of place with him, we felt welcomed. As the afternoon lingered One Fire became more and more crowded and it turns into quite the scene - queue the infamous watermelon cutting dance party!
Also note, a weekday in September tends to be the start of the slow season, in the high season you'd need a lounge chair reservation.
We had the best day here. We made friends with a couple from Denver, Colorado on their honeymoon and I'm pretty sure Camden convinced them to go ahead for that honeymoon baby.
We headed out around 6 pm leaving behind a pretty tipsy crowd which I have a feeling was only getting started. We were off to enjoy the sunset at Bar Del Sol located at the top of the steps across from the church.
It was apparently a day for Aperol Spritz selfies. Meanwhile, Camden makes friends nearly everywhere he goes. Here he is hanging out with Roberto who has lived in Praiano all his life.
The following evening was our 5th and final night in Praiano. Multiple people we met while here raved on and on about Criscitos. This pizza restaurant is just over the hill from Vettica into Praiano so we walked up and over and grabbed a table outside just in time for another sunset.
Criscitos is know for their fried pizza and it sure is something. I recommend getting a fried pizza and a regular pizza, I was astounded at how good both were. The menu selection is large and varied so we spent a great deal of time making a decision. It felt right to go for a simple one and an all out one. We also had a ridiculously good octopus carpaccio and a rare treat in Italy, craft beers!
This is very much a time where my photos are not living up to how good the food is here. If that just looks like a bunch of meat piled onto a pizza I'm sorry but it was one of the best pizzas I have ever had!! Atop the meats were pesto and pine nuts and balsamic pearls that exploded in your mouth. Meanwhile, Camden was sleeping on my lap, the little angel! He is such a trooper at all these dinners out, it's honestly so much fun to bring him everywhere. We are lucky he's such an awesome and healthy baby.
My parting words on Praiano: Make sure you visit both sides, don't hesitate to take your baby to One Fire Beach, Criscitos is a must visit for their fried Pizza!
Our day trip to Positano is up next.
