Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WALK THE COAST
Rising steeply from the coast, the densely wooded Lattari mountains provide some stunning walking
opportunities. An extraordinary network of paths traverses the craggy, precipitous peaks, climbing to
remote farmhouses through wild and beautiful valleys. It's tough going, though - long ascents up
seemingly endless flights of steps are almost unavoidable.
Probably the best-known walk, the 12km Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods; 5½ to six hours) fol-
lows the steep, often rocky paths linking Positano to Praiano. It's a spectacular trail passing through
some of the area's least developed country-side. The route is marked by red-and-white stripes daubed
on rocks and trees, although some of these have become worn in places and might be difficult to make
out. Pick up a map of the walk at local tourist offices, included in a series of three excellent booklets
containing the area's most popular hikes, including the equally famed, and lyrically named, Via degli
Incanti (Trail of Charms) from Amalfi to Positano.
To the west, the tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula is another hiking hot spot. Some 110km of paths
criss-cross the area, linking the spectacular coastline with the rural hinterland. These range from tough
all-day treks - such as the 14.1km Alta Via dei Monti Lattari from the Fontanelle hills near Positano
down to the Punta Campanella - to shorter walks suitable for the family. Tourist offices throughout the
area can provide maps detailing the colour-coded routes. With the exception of the Alta Via dei Monti
Lattari (marked in red and white), long routes are shown in red on the map; coast-to-coast trails in
blue; paths connecting villages in green; and circular routes in yellow.
If you're intent on trying one of the more demanding routes in the region, invest in a detailed map
such as
Monti Lattari, Penisola Sorrentina, Costiera Amalfitana: Carta dei Sentieri
(€9) at 1:30,000
scale by Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). If you prefer a guided hike, there are a number of reliable local
guides, including
Zia Lucy
(
www.zialucy.it
) .
Getting There & Away
BOAT
Boat services to the Amalfi Coast towns are generally limited to the period between April
and October.
Alicost
( 089 87 14 83;
www.alicost.it
;
Salita Sopramuro 2, Amalfi)
operates one daily ferry
from Salerno to Amalfi (€7), Positano (€11) and Capri (€20.70) from mid-April to Octo-
ber. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, it also runs two daily hydrofoils
between Sorrento and Positano (€15.80) and Amalfi (€16.80).
TraVelMar (
Click here
) connects Salerno with Amalfi (€8, six daily) and Positano
(€12, six daily) from April to October.
BUS
SITA Sud (
Click here
) operates a frequent, year-round service along the SS163 between
Sorrento and Salerno (€3.40), via Amalfi.
