The Amalfi Coast is pretty fantastic. Rugged, beautiful, colourful in spots and with its fair share of beaches to boot, there are plenty of reasons to visit. And visit they do. The Amalfi Coast is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. Which is why we were fully expecting the bustling cobblestone villages, crowded buses and busy viewpoints. What we WEREN’T expecting, was just how impressed we would be by the beauty and variety of hikes on the Amalfi Coast.
Of course, not all of them were surprising. The Path of the Gods is a very famous Amalfi Coast hiking trail and, spoiler alert, we’re happy to report that it fullylived up to the hype and tops our best Amalfi Coast hikes list. But the rest of our top 4 Amalfi Coast hikes are far less well-known and we hadn’t heard of any of them before arriving for our one-month stay in the tiny, hilltop village of San Lazzaro.
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And, while we’ve focused on our four favourites to make it easy for you plan your time, there are a shocking number of additional Amalfi hiking options if you happen to have more time to spend in the area. Almost all the trails are even listed in the local tourist guide and map (available from any of the tourist offices). They are also usually very well-marked and represent a very diverse mix of lengths and difficulties.
The majority of the hikes on the Amalfi Coast start or end in Agerola (ah-JAYR-oh-la), a quiet collection of villages high above the coast. Consisting of Bomerano, San Lazzaro, Pianillo, Santa Maria, Ponte and Campora, any one of these is a good place to base yourself if hiking is your main focus.
Agerola is connected to the coast by regular buses and most people will make it up there at least once to hike the Path of the Gods from Bomerano. However, a longer stay makes good sense if you’re planning to do additional hikes as well.
Best Hikes on the Amalfi Coast
1. The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei) to Positano
Well, no surprise here, since I already gave it away in the intro. And we’re not just saying it’s number one because it has such a cool name. It actually lives up to the hype, with epic views, good variety and multiple variant options. It is such a good hike that it also earned top spot on our list of Best Things to Do on the Amalfi Coast.
So, yeah, you won’t want to miss it. Plus, unlike so many of the most beautiful hiking trails around the world, this one isn’t particularly hard. There are a few small variations to choose from but the most common version is only about 8 km and almost entirely downhill with just a few small climbs here and there. Of course, you can also start down on the coast and hike entirely UPHILL if you choose, which will significantly increase the level of difficulty. But even then it wouldn’t be beyond most relatively fit hikers.
For those happier heading down, the trail starts in Bomerano, in the hills high above the coastline and easily reached from Amalfi via a 45-60 min bus journey. Then the trail basically follows a series of ridges west along the coast, gradually descending until you reach the tiny village of Nocelle (5 km). There you can call it good enough on the hiking and take a bus or taxi, or tackle a couple more kilometres on the very steep trail downhill to the water, or continue around the head of a valley to see a huge rock arch, adding yet another extra kilometre and some additional climbing, THEN head steeply downward to the coast.
Which brings us to yet one more reason the Path of the Gods is so unique and photogenic, Positano! It is the most famous town on the Amalfi Coast, and for good reason. I mean, it’s stunning. Just a colourful jumble of buildings bunched up on both sides of scenic valley all leading down to a terrific beach. Hard to go wrong.
If you have time to tackle the Sentiero degli Dei more than once or simply prefer the road less taken, you can opt for a short “high route” in the middle. There is a well-marked turnoff about 30 min from Bomerano which takes you on a higher trail featuring a couple of slightly more expansive views. The overall scenery is really quite similar on both versions and the two trails join up again after another 30 min or so. On our second time on the Sentiero degli Dei, since we had already been to Positano a couple times, we hiked out on the high route and returned via the low route to make it a loop that started and ended in Bomerano (less than 2 hours in total).
2. Valle delle Ferriere and Pontone
Most Amalfi hikes are all about the expansive coastal views but the lush Valle delle Ferriere (Ironworks Valley) trail offers something a bit different. Yes, there are still a few nice coastal views, mostly toward the end, but the main benefit of this hike is the variety. If you start in San Lazzaro, which we would recommend, you actually pass through several different valleys and wide variety of terrain before reaching the verdant greenery and waterfalls of the Valle delle Ferriere.
From there, you can either follow an easy trail gradually downhill to Amalfi, or continue up to the picturesque village of Pontone, which would once again be our suggestion. The views of the valley from up there are outstanding and if you’re still feeling energetic you can continue out to Castello Aureo and Torre dello Ziro, for even more great views in both directions. This route takes 2 hrs from San Lazzaro to the Valle delle Ferriere and 3 hrs in total up to Pontone and back down to Amalfi.
The easiest version of this hike starts and ends in Amalfi, hiking roughly 1 hour up the valley, then returning through Pontone (another 30-60 minutes depending on if you venture out to the castle and tower).
San Lazzaro to Amalfi via the Valle delle Ferriere
3. Punta Campanella
Another fantastic, varied Amalfi Coast hike is the trail out to the end of Punta Campanella. The furthest western point of the peninsula, this wild, natural area has some great hiking, an old lighthouse and exceptional views of Capri to one side and the Insta-famous “heart-shaped cove” photo to the other (Grotta di Minerva). Full disclosure, the cove isn’t actually heart-shaped, it just looks that way from one specific angle. Still pretty, though.
It is possible to just walk to the lighthouse and back on an easy, gently sloped stone path in about an hour. But if you’re up for climbing to the top of the hill, the hike becomes a 2-3 hour loop with phenomenal views. We would recommend going counterclockwise so that you tackle the steep, slightly slippery section from the lighthouse uphill rather than down.
4. Monte Tre Calli
For a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire coastline, we would recommend the amazing Monte Tre Calli (Three Corner Mountain). The uphill is challenging but the scenery easily makes this one of the best hikes on the Amalfi Coast. Typically, you start in Bomerano at the main square, heading to the right where the main Path of the Gods trail goes straight.
It is well-marked even though the first half is mostly up steps through town. When you reach the road for the third time (Via Paipo), you follow it around a hairpin with some good views as well, then head straight up on a rocky, rough trail. If you have a vehicle, you have the option to shorten the climb by driving up to that point and starting there.
More Great Amalfi Coast Hikes
The Path of Lemons (Sentiero dei Limoni)
A distant second in both fame and popularity to the epic Path of the Gods, the more modestly named Path of Lemons is also correspondingly more modest in terms of scenery and terrain. Nevertheless, it is short (30-45 min), well-marked and connects the two slightly less busy towns of Minori and Maiori.
Most of the path is either paved or on stone steps and, yes, you will see a lot of lemon groves (although early in the year most of them will be covered by protective – and less photogenic – black netting). There are also plenty of places along the way to stop for a drink (lemonade, anyone?) or to buy local produce or a wide variety of lemon-themed merchandise.
Sentiero Abutabela
Depending on where you’re staying, this can be done as an out and back or just hiked one direction. Starting in San Lazzaro, you follow quiet roads down to the edge of town, then meander into the valley alongside dramatic rock walls that are popular with rock climbers. At the deepest part of the valley you’ll find a couple small waterfalls (depending on the season), then walk back up the far side of the valley until you reach the main road coming up from Amalfi.
From the main piazza in San Lazzaro to the far side and back will take about 1.5 hrs, or you can continue up the road and finish in Bomerano, also about 1.5 hrs in total. If you’re taking the bus up from Amalfi you can get off where the path intersects the road, then hike the other direction to San Lazzaro. No matter which route you choose, you’ll get some beautiful views of the gorge without putting in a whole lot of effort.
Walk Down from Ravello to Amalfi
Unlike most of the coastal towns, Ravello is located far up in the hills and it has some of the best views on the entire Amalfi Coast. It also has a cute little square, some atmospheric little streets and a couple of luxurious villas featuring beautiful gardens.
From Amalfi, there are frequent buses up to Ravello (20-30 min) and then we would recommend walking back down. There is a path leading out the very end of the point near Villa Cimbrone that then continues down a series of stairways and trails all the way to Atrani (“our favourite town on the Amalfi Coast”), from which it is just a 10-minute walk around the point to Amalfi.
Map of Best Hikes on the Amalfi Coast
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Trip Planning Resources
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Summary
One of the undeniable truths of travel we’ve learned over the years is that even in the busiest places in the world, if you get even slightly away from the main attractions you will often find yourself all alone. And nothing deters the masses quite like a rocky trail and daunting hill. Which is why hiking on the Amalfi Coast can be the best way to experience this incredible destination.
On the lesser known trails, we were usually completely alone and even on the popular ones, all we had to do was start before 9 am to have the trails mostly to ourselves. Of course, it WAS April, and mid-summer crowds would be more challenging, but the point is that these great Amalfi coast hiking trails are still the best way to escape the crowds.
As far as where to base yourself, Bomerano is the starting point for the Path of Gods, Monte Tre Calli and a couple others, while San Lazzaro is the trailhead for a variety of shorter, easier trails. But even if you decide to stay down in the thick of it on the coast, all the trails are easily reached by either public transport or rental car. Happy hiking!
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