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Travel
Information
Travel: Nearest airport: Naples. From the UK we use scheduled services from London to Naples on British Airways. But if flying from the U.K you could take advantage of cheaper Easyjet services from Stansted. You need to book these yourself, and bear in mind that with the budget airlines, services and itineraries can change at short notice
Arrival: Taxi direct to Amalfi from the airport can be organized for around 120
euros if you are short of time (for up to 4 passengers). But there is a regular bus service from the airport to Sorrento from where you can catch buses to Amalfi or taxis from the airport to Naples Central Railway station from where you take the train to Salerno, approximately 1 hour. From there a ferry may be taken in season up the coast for 30 minutes to Amalfi or there is a regular bus service is running along the beautiful coast taking approx 1 hour. The hotel is close to the ferry point and the bus terminal.
End of Tour: 50-minute bus journey to Sorrento followed by 1-hour train journey back to Naples. This journey can be broken to visit Pompeii, which is ‘en route’. If you are in a hurry, a taxi can also be organized for you for about
120 Euros.
Season: Any date January – December. Mid July and the whole of
August are just too hot, and too busy so only book this period if you
have no other choice and book early.
Level of Difficulty
Grade: Moderate
This tour is suitable for those who have had some experience of walking and are in good general physical condition. There are lots of ascents and descents on stepped trails, although most days are not too long, but some people will find this tiring in warm weather. Please note you can expect to walk in high temperatures in late June, July and September.
Waymarking
Only a very small part of the route is waymarked: elsewhere it is necessary to follow the route descriptions provided together with the maps.
General
Information
Baths:
it is not normal for your room to have a bath, the main reason being that it takes up a lot of space, some hotels/guesthouses may have a separate room in the house where a bath is available to guests, but in the main it is showers.
Breakfast:
in countries such as Italy usually consist of coffee and croissant, sometimes, bread rolls, yoghurts, ham and cheese as well. If you want more for breakfast then we would suggest you purchase some food the night before. It is important for you to tell us if you have any dietary requirements when you book your holiday so that we can inform everyone that you are staying with.
Single
Supplements:
are payable on most of our tours. 1) The single supplement guarantees the privacy of your own room, however, rooms can at times be small and in some places may not enjoy the same facilities as double/twin rooms.
Language:
that you will not necessarily come across people speaking English. Remember you have left home to find things different bring a phrase book, try to learn a bit of Italian!!
Luggage:
When staying in hotels, sometimes your luggage may have been
taken to you room awaiting your arrival. However don’t be
surprised if your luggage is waiting for you to take it up to your
room please politely ask someone if you need assistance.
Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis in 3
& 4 star hotels and all rooms have ensuite facilities. You will be free to organize your evening meal from the wide choice of restaurants in the area. No picnic lunches are included in the tour, but these can be prepared for you on request, for an extra charge, at your overnight accommodation or materials for picnics can be purchased in the villages where you stay.
q Nights
1, 2 & 3: These are spent at Amalfi, the ancient capital of the Amalfi Coast, in a welcoming and comfortable 3 star hotel, centrally located, within walking distance of all the main monuments of the medieval town centre, and close to the bus and boat services.
q Night
4 & 5: We stay in the little town of Praiano, which has a few nice little beaches in natural inlets. For those who want to relax a day longer, this is a great spot. We use several accommodations here, but our usual one has great sea views above the old coastal watchtower and Marina.
3 star hotel
q Nights
6 & 7: Your last two nights are spent in the lively village of Positano, with its characteristic vertically stacked houses clinging to the edge of the mountains. Positano’s charming little streets are a must.
4 star hotel.
q Optional
extension: Nights 8,9,10: If you book the extended tour, the last three nights are spent in a 3 *
hotel in Sorrento.
.
Books
A really good guide on the walks on the Amalfi Coast is written by Julian Tippett, and printed by Sunflower books. We can recommend the Lonely Planet Guide to “Walking in Italy,” which has a section on Amalfi coast although not exactly following all the routes that we do. Nevertheless this has good introductory texts on walking in Italy Per se. The Rough Guide series produce similar books.
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Outline Itinerary
q Day
1: Arrival in Amalfi. Short visit to the town centre and maybe a swim to wash off the tiredness of the journey. Visit St. Andrew’s Cathedral, which claims to also be his resting place, and the interesting Arabesque cloister
q Day
2: The first part of the walk today takes us into the “Valle dei Mulini”, the valley of the watermills, with its ruins of Europe’s most ancient paper factories, dating back to the 11th century. The path then takes us up to the little village of Pontone and the Torre dello Zirro, which is a marvellous picnic area, with spectacular views of Amalfi to one side and the Atrani to the other side. From here it’s about an hour’s walk to Ravello, another highlight of the Amalfi Coast. Then along the Dragone valley we walk down to Amalfi, passing through the beautiful town of Atrani, with the chance to look around the narrow white little streets of the town centre. The last short stretch to Amalfi is very scenic and has beautiful viewpoints of the city centre.
Distance: 11km approx, 5 hours
walking. Ascent/ Descent: 640
metres approx
q Day
3: S: Short transfer by bus to Scala (or optional strenuous – steep walk). From Scala we walk into the Valle delle Ferriere, one of southern Italy’s most beautiful nature reserves. We see some spectacular scenery, walking over comfortable footpaths underneath the towering cliffs, and passing close to some little waterfalls. The path then gradually descends through the forest towards the little village of Pogerola. From here a beautiful medieval stepped mule track curves down to Amalfi, amidst lemon groves and marquis.
.
Distance:
10km approx 5 hours walking. Ascent: 300 m / Descent: 550 m
approx.
q Day
4: From Amalfi we start walking along one of the oldest streets of the area the “Maestra dei villaggi”, or highway of the villages, an old paved mule track dating back to the 9th century. We pass the little villages of Lone and Vettica, before arriving at the imposing monastery of Santa Rosa (there is also the possibility to take a bus to here to avoid the rest of the walk). The route descends to the coast again passing some charming churches beautifully located above the rocky shore. We then descend steeply to the spectacular fjord of Furore and then ascend above this natural inlet. From here we walk past the church of Sant’Elia into the Valley of Praia, and then into the coastal town Praiano, with an optional descent to the very picturesque inlet of Marina di Praia, the old little harbour of Praiano. Praiano is spread out over about 3 km with upper and lower parts.
Distance 10 km – 5 hours or 13km – 5.5 hours walking,
depending on where you are staying in the town. Ascent / Descent:
Approx: 820 metres.
q Day
5: We walk from our hotel through the streets of Praiano uphill towards the little church of San Luca, the old heart of Praiano. From here on an easy path above the village, we walk into the Valley of Praia, a beautiful green valley with many vineyards clinging to the cliffs. We then climb up to the caves of Santa Barbara; another short section uphill brings us to the beginning of the famous “Sentiero degli Dei” (Footpath of the Gods), a walk with unrivalled views. After a very panoramic stretch with views as far as the island of Capri, we start the descent to Praiano, passing over centuries old steps.
Distance: 11km – 5 hours
walking. Ascent / Descent: 660m approx.
q Day
6: Along an old pilgrims’ path, with all the Stations of the Cross, we walk uphill towards the monastery of San Domenico, set in stupendous scenery, dominating the coast from its hilltop. Here we can take a little rest before going uphill for another stretch, through spectacular scenery with bizarre rock formations and luxurious vegetation, We then follow the last stretch of the “Footpath of Gods”, which really lives up to its name, through unique scenery to the hamlet of Nocelle. Passing another attractive valley we arrive in the little village of Montepertuso. After Montepertuso it’s only a short walk down to Positano itself, one of the most charming villages of the coast.
.
9km
approx 4.5 hours
walking Ascent / descents: 645m approx
q Day
7: : We take the local bus up to Montepertuso, where we start the walk all around the valley of Positano. Following ancient footpaths through the forest and along marvelous viewpoints we climb towards Santa Maria al Castello, the old fortress defending the narrow valley between the Amalfi and Sorrentine side of the peninsula. From here we oversee both of the Gulf of Salerno and the Gulf of Naples. Through a nice wooded area in a park like landscape we then take an easy trail to the Caserna Forestale, the foresters’ house. The walk continues through the forest and with a number of zigzags descends down to Montepertuso. Along another medieval mule track we then descend down to Positano.
.
Distance: 11km – 4.5 hours
walking. Ascent / descent: 450 m.
q Day
8: After Breakfast, return to Naples by bus and train, or taxi for flight.
SORRENTO EXTENSION
q Day
8: Positano –
Sorrento. Today you first travel to Sorrento, from where you can take the local train to Pompeii, for a whole day’s visit without your luggage in tow. This is the world’s most intriguing Roman excavation. A full visit will take
at least half a day. In the afternoon take some time as well to visit the historical town centre of the ‘new’ village of Pompeii, with its famous cathedral, which is one of southern Italy’s most important pilgrims’ destinations before returning to Sorrento, to stroll through its charming little streets with fabulous views of the Bay of Naples.
Accommodation in Sorrento.
Or:
First travel to Sorrento, from where you can go on short walk and do some relaxing on the seashore. This walk today takes you to the Roman villa of Pollio, beautifully located above a small natural inlet, with wonderful views over the Bay of Naples. The Villa has a natural spring, know as the baths of Queen Margherita, an ideal place for a swim.
Accommodation in Sorrento.
q Day
9: Termini - Punta Campanella – Termini
(Nerano
- Ieranto and back 80 min.) Nerano - S. Costanzo 40 min. S.
Costanzo - Punta Campanella 40 min. Punta Campanella - Termini 50
min. Termini - Nerano 10 min.
By
local bus you go from Sorrento to Termini, the last village of the
peninsula. From here you walk up to the small chapel of San
Costanzo, and then take a beautiful path running along the
impressive cliffs of the ‘Finis Terrae’ (the end) of the
Amalfi peninsula. In some parts the path is a bit demanding, but
never tough. The return, between Punta walk is on a more
comfortable path, which can be to get to Punta Campanella, walking
the same path forwards and backwards. A little extension can be
planned from the charming village of Nerano to the Bay of Ieranto,
one of the most beautiful and unspoilt bays of the area, where you
could have a swim.
Things
to be seen during the walk:
Punta
Campanella: is only 5 Km from Capri. Here was the Greek Temple of Athena (Athenaion)
later dedicated to Minerva. The few remaining visble ruins
belonged to a Roman villa of the I-II century.
A
few meters downhill is the Minerva tower, built in 1334 and
restored in 1567.
Monte
San Costanzo: Is also possible extention from Nerano. It is
the highest hill in
the area and has two peaks. On the top of the eastern one, the
small white chapet of San Costanzo stands out. From there you can
enjoy great views over both Gulfs (Salerno and Naples) and the
Monti Lattari.
Baia
di Ieranto: It represents the central area of the Natural
Marine Reserve. Very interesting flora; the area is owned by a
private trust (F.A.I.) but the access is free.
Walking
details:
Total
time: 2 h 20 min. + 20 + 1 h 20 min.
(Nerano
- Ieranto and back 80 min.) Nerano - S. Costanzo 40 min. S.
Costanzo - Punta Campanella 40 min. Punta Campanella - Termini 50
min. Termini - Nerano 10 min.
Accommodation
in Sorrento.
q Day
10: By boat you go to Capri, an island famous since Roman times for its beautiful nature and healthy climate. You can make a beautiful circular walk, which of course brings you to some famous spots as the ‘Piazzetta’, where the international jet-set gathers, the three rocky islands of the Faragliani and the narrow streets of the village centre. But the walk takes you also along to the Villa of the Emperor Tiberius, the natural arch and some grottos, and the Monastery of San Giacomo, and ends in the gardens of Augustus, with some time left to relax or do some shopping.
This is a day which really lets you feel the charm of the island, without getting trapped in mass tourism. By boat you return to Sorrento or Marina del Cantone, from where you go back to the hotel.
Distance: 10km – 4 hours
walking
q Day
11: After Breakfast, return to Naples by bus and train. Depart
Naples.
Escorted departures 2008
EJAM04 Sun 4 May - Sun 11 May (8 day)
EJAM28 Sun 28 Sep – Sun 5 Oct (8 day)
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