April/May 2024 - Italy’s Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast conjures images of glamorous holiday makers, relaxing on sun-drenched beaches with spectacular cliff backdrops. Or cruising on impossibly blue waters. No doubt in July and August reality is something like those images.

But if you can visit outside those months and include some incursions into the mountainous hinterland, you’ll encounter a quieter, more traditional and natural version of this renowned coastline. Spring is ideal as the wildflowers are out and the temperature is still moderate.

Just behind (and above) the coast-bound towns, carved into slopes that would cause most farmers to blanch, lie terraced market gardens. Here’s the source of the ultra fresh produce for which the Amalfi is famous. The most prolific product is the lemon which has become emblematic of the region. The golden citrus is showcased everywhere - drinks, desserts, ceramics, homewares and clothing.

Above the market gardens, hardy and surprisingly dense vegetation features. Except on the sheerest of cliffs, plants somehow get a foothold, although their often gnarled appearance tells of a tough existence. In the gorges and on the plateaus, the woodlands are high and thick. These areas must feel like god-sent havens on warm days.

The mountainous nature of the Amalfi Coast is its most prominent geographic feature. The mountains are vertiginous and in many places plunge directly into the ocean.

Clearly, the Amalfi Coast has a wealth of natural attractions for walkers. Add to that the extensive network of trails, lanes and stairways, and the case for exploring the Amalfi Coast by foot becomes compelling.

We arrive in the town of Amalfi on a Monday afternoon in late April. It’s a sunny day of 26C. We’re taken aback by the crowds. The beachside transport hub and the adjacent town square are packed and noisy. It’s a relief to locate the narrow lane that leads to our albergo and find that the crowds dissipate rapidly.

Day 1

Our Amalfi Coast meanderings begin with a day-long loop walk starting and finishing in Amalfi. The walk begins by heading up a narrow valley behind Amalfi. It’s not too steep but, with a 27C day in store, even at 10am it’s warming up. The valley is Valle dei Mulini, the valley of the watermills, and it’s populated by the ruins of historic paper mills (some dating back to the 11th century). The crumbling structures are gradually being reclaimed by the woodlands and streams, making for romantic vistas.

Turning east and negotiating a maze of lanes will, if you’re lucky, take you to Ravello. Terraced, pocket-sized market gardens dominate the hillsides. Lemon and olive groves abound. We’re surprised to pass a donkey train transporting fresh produce down the hill.

Ravello is elegant and composed. It sits on an elevated plateau, protected from the riff-raff by cliffs and gorges. It’s home to the celebrated gardens at Villa Ruffalo and Villa Cimberone. We wile away a couple of hours at each, before descending back to Amalfi via picturesque, coastal Atrani.

Atrani and its labyrinth of laneways feature in the current Netflix version of Ripley and, having just watched that series, we identify various locations and set-shots.

Day 2

Day 2 is Amalfi to Praiano. There are options for this leg - essentially you can choose a coastal route or one that strays further inland. Lured by the promise of sea views, we opt for the coast.

The downside of the coastal route is that there are a few sections of road walking. Road walking on these narrow, winding mountain roads takes a bit of getting used to. However, gradually you detect that there’s a tolerable level of heedful co-existence between pedestrians, mopeds, buses and cars.

Another characteristic of any coastal route in these parts is that the track will be a rollercoaster. Flat stretches are rare and gradients can be extreme. Distance covered is far less significant than height gained and lost. Today’s walk is only 12 km in length, but involves almost 5 hours of walking.

Day 3

On Day 3 we walked from Praiano to Positano. This involves a traverse of the best known walk on the Amalfi Coast, the Sentiero degli Dei or the Path of the Gods. This cliff-top route runs between Bomerano and Nocelle. Legend has it that the gods travelled along this path to rescue Ulysses from the spell of the Positano sirens.

In good conditions, according to the literature, the ancient trail delivers “divine” panoramas of the world below. Sadly for us, the weather had turned and in early May we have cool weather with heavy clouds and rain. At times, up high, the mist and fog was Macbethian! No divine panoramas for us this time.

The inevitable stone steps leading down to Positano at the end of the walk were awash, so it was a slow finish to the day.

Day 4

For this day, we tossed up between a ferry trip from Positano to the island of Capri (where a walk to a well-preserved Roman villa appealed) or a loop walk up behind Positano. In the end, the weather gods made the decision for us - strong winds meant the ferry to Capri wasn’t operating.

Strong winds weren’t the only ‘gifts’ from the gods today; we also enjoyed a few tropical-like downpours. But, again, the bountiful vegetation made for wonderful walking. You could feel the plants growing before you and the alternating sun and rain intensified the myriad hues of the forest. On a three hour walk, we came across three or four people.

Reflections

Amalfi and Positano are bustling and vibrant. Their aged and sometimes fading buildings cling to the steep cliffsides in spectacular fashion. Smaller settlements such as Praiano offer quieter options complete with tempting tavernas and vast seaside vistas.

The walking trails are not too busy. You’ll find quite a few walkers on the trails in the immediate vicinity of the towns or on the Sentiero degli Dei, but elsewhere the trails are quiet in April/May.

As in other parts of Italy, the church is omnipresent. Even in the more remote areas of the Amalfi Coast, you’ll find picturesque churches with church bells ringing out regularly, plus intimate shrines dotted along the footpaths.

Map reading skills and navigational apps are essential on the Amalfi as signposting can be haphazard at times. And in the villages, accept the fact that as you negotiate the mazes of lanes and stairs there will be dead-ends and backtracking.