john183

During our visit to the Cinque Terre last year before the trails were closed, we were fortunate enough to hike the high trail (6d) from Volastra to Corniglia. It was spectacular and we did not think it was that difficult to do (we are all just now entering the prime of our lives - early to mid-sixties – LOL!!!!) At any rate, we took our time and made it in about an hour and a half and we LOVED it. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Next year we are headed to the Amalfi Coast and I’m wondering how the section of the Path of the Gods from Agerola to Nocelle would compare to what we hiked in the CT. Has anyone hiked both and if so, was this section of the Path of the Gods significantly more difficult than the CT high trail from Volastra to Corniglia? I know it’s longer but is it more difficult?

Below are a couple of excerpts from a web site I found.

http://www.positano.com/en/i/il-sentiero-degli-dei

If I choose to ignore the warning about vertigo (LOL) is the rest of it relatively true?

<<<<The name of the footpath, The Gods' Pathway, is an indication of the spectacular scenery en route. Ideally, walkers should walk from Agerola to Nocelle, and not vice-versa, this way the route is a gentle downhill one, with magnificent views of the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri.>>>>

Things you should know before commencing the walk:
Departure point: Agerola or Praiano.
Arrival point: Nocelle, a fraction of Positano.
Duration: 3hrs circa.
Kilometers: 7,8 km.
Difficulty: easy. The path is not suitable for those who suffer from vertigo.>>>>

yorkshire

While I have done neither trail, I have visited both areas. Just in case you don't hear from anyone who has done both, I think you can safely assume that if you did the first the other will be no problem for you. I say this because my general familiarity of the areas and hiking, and because while few people who post here do the CT high trail, many people do path of the gods. The AC overall seems to have more steps that CT (my knees ache just thinking about it), but otherwise I feel safe in saying they are comparable.
The Sunflower and Cicerone guides to the AC were accurate in my experience. happy trails!

john183

Thanks yorkshire. I think we will give it a try. It looks like it should be spectacular and not too difficult.

mama_mia

The CT trails were closed when we were there a few years ago, so I cannot compare the two. We did do the Path of the Gods from Bomerano to Nocelle this April and I did not find it daunting (I am in mid-50s). I don't have a fear of heights, but I do have a fear of falling from them...I make a distinction. Anyhow, I did not find the path to be scary in that regard. You are very exposed, though, so on a sunny day, sunscreen and a hat make good sense.

When we got off the bus in Bomerano, we saw many hikers heading to local grocers to pick up picnic supplies, so we followed suit. We did stop to eat on the trail, but I almost wish we had waited to pause for a nice lunch in Nocelle instead. We stopped at the restaurant Santa Croce for a wonderful glass of wine and water. The dining area had a great view towards Positano; it seems to have very good reviews on Trip Advisor.

If you are looking for another hike in the area, I can recommend the Vallone dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills), which you can pick up in Amalfi. In late April, we enjoyed seeing the wisteria and tons of lemon trees, as well as the very picturesque ruins of mills.

We stayed in Atrani, which we really loved. It was nice to come back to the peaceful atmosphere of the little town but still be an easy walk to Amalfi.

john183

Thanks mama_mia. I completely understand the difference between the two fears! Thanks for the info on Valley of the Mills - I had not heard of that one. Also thanks for the restaurant recommendation. Does 3 hours seem about right to get from Bomerano to Nocelle? Atrani sounds nice but we are booked in Positano and are really looking forward to our trip. Thanks again.

mama_mia

Yes, I think 3 hours should be about right. I know the walk seemed shorter than I expected--before we knew it, Nocelle had come into view.

Enjoy the hike!

john183

Thanks again mama_mia. It seems like this should be a fairly straight forward hike. Any tips on what to look for or what to look out for? We are really novices at hiking in Italy and sort of unexpectedly hiking and enjoying one of the high trails in the CT so much last year has us wanting to do more.

I think I will start a new thread asking about hiking on Capri because of this post on another thread that I read by tuscanlifeedit:

<<<I'm not a huge hiker, but have done some slightly more serious walks in Italy. The very best hiking I've ever done in Italy was on Capri. Never more beautiful walks, anywhere that I've been. I've walked some of the CT paths, and if you ask me, ain't nothin' compared to the coastal hikes on Capri.>>>

I'd say that is quite a plug for Capri. Do you have any hiking experience on Capri? I looked online a little but didn't find much yet.

mama_mia

We did not get to Capri. I have the book "Walking on the Amalfi Coast" (Cicerone Guides), which we used for the walks we did do. The book also lists several Capri hikes with pictures and, I have to say, those pics make me want to return!

The Path of the Gods hike was fairly straightforward, partially because there were a number of other folks also doing the hike. We were there on a Sunday in late April,following the Liberation holiday.) The bus we took from Amalfi was filled with hikers and then we saw those same folks heading to the edge of the square in Bomerano to pick up the trail (there is a Bar there where we stopped for a quick espresso and one more bathroom break). Once on the trail, we would see folks ahead and therefore did not expressly look for trail markers. It was not unpleasantly crowded, though, and we enjoyed coming across other hikers from different countries (an Italy women walking in boots with 3 inch heels!).

I was not expecting to enjoy the Amalfi Coast because I had heard about the crowds and the tourist overload, but getting on the trails really made me appreciate the beauty of the area. I think you are wise to try a few hikes--it will really add to your enjoyment.

yorkshire

The walking guides to the AC also include Capri, so get those and you'll be set. Good shoes, sunscreen, water, and snacks, and you're good to go. I did try to do some extra stair walking in preparation for my trip.

hanabilly

Okay, John, I know you're not trying to make us envious, but as I sit here with my foot up after my third foot surgery, you're killing me! This reminds me how much I love to get off the beaten path and really drink in the country.
Have a great trip...looking forward to the trip report! I think it was after reading your last report that I found myself online, accidentally booking a trip to Venice! Uh Oh.

john183

mama_mia and yorkshire - OMG I love technology!! I could not resist any longer so I bought the kindle edition of Walking On the Amalfi Coast which you both recommended and I wish it was next June so I could start my walk tomorrow. Capri looks great but I can hear the Sirens singing from thousands of miles away and I'm being drawn to the Sentiero degli Dei. Can't wait. Thanks to both of you for the info and the book rec.

john183

hanabilly - Oh but I am trying to make you envious because you made me really really jealous of your trip to Italy last year, especially the Venice part. Did you ever post any pictures????? If you did I must have missed them - if you didn't - it's never too late (hint, hint)....

Have you read any of Donna Leon's novels yet? Do you have your next trip planned yet? And finally, what's up with your foot? Hope it gets better soon and you will find yourself online accidentally booking a trip to Positano......

tuscanlifeedit

john: if you go to Capri, I strongly urge you to walk out to Villa Malaparte. There happened to be a picture of it on the cover of a guidebook I had, and since we like modernist buildings and the setting was so unique, we decided to go.

We couldn't get much information, so we just set off in late afternoon. If I was doing it again, I would take water and leave 2 to 3 hours to get from the Capri Town end of the trail to the other side, or the same amount to get out to the Villa Malaparte and back again.

We only met one family on the trail. They were Italians, and the mother, as Italian moms so often seem to do, was wearing heeled street shoes. They were coming the opposite direction. We were out there for at least two hours and only saw that family of three.

We did some other walks in Capri that were fabulous, but this one was unbelievable and really off the beaten path, with sea views the entire time once we hit the actual trail.

john183

tuscanlifeedit - I had read your comment about your hike on Capri and was thinking about starting a new thread to see if I could get your attention to get more info from you. I'm so glad you found this. We were planning on a day trip to Capri and I had not planned on hiking there but your comment made me reconsider.

Looking through the book I bought, I think I found the hike you are talking about and it looks fantastic. Seeing some incredible sea views, the Villa Malaparte, Arco Naturale, Grotta Matermania, and the Faraglioni all on a less than 2 hour hike sounds great. It doesn't seem too difficult either.

I certainly didn't start out thinking we would do much, if any, hiking on the Amalfi Coast. I pictured us spending a lot of time on our hotel room's balcony sipping prosecco and looking at the gorgeous view. But the more I research, the more it seems like at least a bit of hiking is the thing to do. Thanks for your info.

tuscanlifeedit

That's the walk. Very spectacular.

The walk to Villa Jovis is much more difficult (uphill). It was very interesting but not nearly as much reward for time and effort as the walk you describe above.

I just read your Milan, Venice, Bellagio, etc. trip report. We are headed to the Veneto in about 6 weeks, so thanks so much.

hanabilly

Aaagh! The pictures...I can't believe it's been almost eight months since we've been back, and I haven't edited the pictures. I wouldn't even subject my family to the near 2500 that we have...the freedom of digital is both a blessing and a curse. I don't believe in excuses, but as soon as we got back, things went crazy, real life got in the way, and we found ourselves caretakers of my sweet and newly widowed mother in law. The whole rhythm of our life changed, and it seems the first thing to go was personal computer time. BUT, now that I am at home, it is on my list to complete before I go back to work. If you don't see them in 4 weeks, I either failed, or I'm still lost in the thousands of photos...

If I recall, I also think I petered out on the trip report about halfway in as well. I start out gangbusters, and at some point I find myself questioning if this information is really helping anyone - especially once we got to Umbria, and find ourselves lost as much as we are on track. Of course, all these side trips hold serendipitous surprise...

The foot? I just have a couple of bad wheels, and this year I had the same procedure on my left foot as I had on my right last year. So excited to get to Venice, I underestimated my recovery time by about 4 months and it did hamper my trip somewhat. So this year I will be more conservative and give it more time. When I am done, I will be pretty much bionic, and ready for a full foot assault by June.

Where to next? Well, I would love to go back to Venice for a month (this time in a budget-friendly apartment)... BUT it's not my turn to pick, so - who knows? To me, pretty much anywhere is a good destination!

The novels are also on the recovery-time checklist. My friend found the whole series in electronic format, and got them for my birthday. (What a good friend, no?) We haven't loaded them onto my Kindle yet, but once I do...

john183

tuscanlifeedit - Thanks again for all the details about Capri. Can't wait to get there and see all the beauty. Have fun on your trip - wish I was going to Italy in 6 weeks!!!

john183

hanabilly - I understand about real life getting in the way. We just finished moving my mom in to assisted living - not an easy task on many levels. Only 2500 pictures - you can knock that out in a couple of hours - LOL!! Choosing the pictures and getting them uploaded is really time-consuming for me - good luck and I guess I will just have to wait patiently while you do it. Failure is not an option!!! LOL again!!

For me, trip reports are just as much about entertainment as they are about information - and yours was very good. So if you ever get the time, please continue. Yep, you have a nice friend for getting you all of Donna Leon's books. I'm sure you will like my friend Guido (after reading 18 novels I feel like he's my friend).

So with your new bionic body (at least bionic feet), I'm looking forward to reading about your hikes all over Italy OK? I had a nice chuckle when you said it was not your turn to pick where to go next - like you don't have any influence.....yea right!

hanabilly

Well, I do reserve veto power.

tuscanlifeedit

This is completely off topic, but I'm thinking of getting my husband something from Donna Leon. He likes detective/mystery stories, and since we are headed to Venice... well, it seems like a good idea.

Are there any recommendations for a good place to start?