LouS

My wife and I, along with my sister and her husband are planning to visit the Amalfi Coast next spring. We are among the 55+ year old crowd and are not into strenuous, hilly walking. Is the Amalfi Coast area and towns very hilly and require a lot of up and down stenuous walking?

Lorac1127

My husband and I are in your age group so I can relate to your question.

All of Italy is hilly and can be quite strenuous. However, Positano was absolutely exhausting. We parked at the closest parking lot possible before starting our walk down. Going down wasn't the problem, but going back up was unbelievable. So my suggestion would be to do your shopping on the way up. Stopping in the stores will break up that very steep climb.

My husband's cousin jokes that if he didn't have his bypass surgery before that walk, he would never have made it!

Joking aside, take your time and you will enjoy. The Amalfi Coast is that beautiful and worth the effort.

ira

Hi lou,

The Amalfi Coast is almost vertical.

However, Positano has an orange bus that stops near the boat dock and up on the hill near the SITA bus stop.

If you take it easy, you won't have any trouble.

Cicerone

As mentioned above, the Amalfi coast is virtually vertical. However, it is possible to take public transport up to the top of the hills and walk down, thereby avoiding climing (but going down hill is hard on the knees too, just not so hard on the heart. . .). There are some walks which have flatish stretches. I am not particualy fit and in my 40s and can get along fine on the walks I have done there. There is a very good walking guide to the Capri & the Amalfi coast published by Sunflower books. I first read about it on this site, and thought it was very useful. Their website is http://www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk/walking_titles.htm. They rate hikes by difficulty and time it takes to complete all or each section, and give good directions on how to reach each walk by public transport. They publish many other walking guides to various places in Europe.

viking

Sorrento has a large level area to walk around, shop, and sightsee. The docks are down a steep cliff (with seasonal elevator or overcrowded minibus), but you can bypass with bus from Sorrento to Positano.

At the second Positano stop, you can walk slowly down the hill to take it all in. Then continue on by ferry to Amalfi to save the trouble of walking or busing up hill (anyway the boat is faster and more scenic).

The main road of Amalfi is flattish, but since it goes thru a valley the sidestreets climb. The center of Ravello is flattish, then turns to hills.

Capri has wild changes in elevations that you can mostly bypass with public transportation. Capri town has a wonderful flattish walk called Via Tragera. Anacapri has a long walk that is amazingly flat and straight called Via Miglieri (sp?).

SeaUrchin

The best idea is to get into traveling shape beforehand. Work on those muscles and stamina! Most everyplace you will go will have hilltowns and sightseeng involves walking and climbing up steps and hills.

If you are not huffing and puffing you will enjoy yourself more.

Lorac1127

SeaUrchin is right. If you start walking, even if it is 15 minutes a day, before your trip, you will build up your stamina and you will be very glad you did.

Jun04ItalyHoneymoon

We were in our 20s/early 30s and just walking down all the steps to the beach was strenuous enough! We found that the Internal Positano SITA bus was well worth the 1E to get back to our hotel up the mountain. It was also quite easy to take the SITA buses from Positano to Amalfi and then to Ravello. There are some restaurants in Montepertuso that will send drivers for you - highly recommend it - the view is outstanding!

SeaUrchin

It can be disheartening to be trudging along a path or staircase and be passed up by a local octogenarian on crutches!

This happened to me in Switzerland and I enrolled in a gym when I got home!

sognatrice

I remember thinking to myself the first time I was in Positano, that it was like a natural gym...up and down all those stairs. One one of the most impressive things I saw on one of my visits was a middle-aged man (55+?) loading his shoulders with 2 huge containers of water and starting up the steep steps leading to the Nocello path at a brisk pace. I was so amzed by his energ, I stood and watched him for awhile, and his pace never slowed! It proves what daily practice can do for the leg muscles..those locals are like mountain goats!
If you go to the Amalfi Coast area, hope you try at least one walking excursion, take it a little at a time, you can always stop often to take in the fantastic views!

Lorac1127

LouS, when you travel throughout Italy, you will see old folks well into their 80's walking up the steepest hills. We figured if they can do it, so can we...and we did. Just take your time...after all this is Italy, and Italy is meant to be savored not rushed through. Good excuse to slow down.

WillTravel

SeaUrchin, your image made me laugh!

As for going slowly on hills, although I haven't done the Amalfi Coast, I can say that it feels more difficult to attack a hill slowly than it does to go fast. It's like you get momentum behind you if you speed up. I would find it way harder to go up a hill at a slow, measured pace than at a fast pace. Of course I still might have to stop completely and rest in the middle.

nocinonut

Good point about the natural gym. I thought of the climbing as a free "stair master" since I pay so much for the stuffy old gym version.

Is this an example of out of shape Americans? Don't stone me!

aneckc

Hi Lou- I'm 57 with coronary artery disease (3 stents) and just returned from 2 weeks on the Amalfi Coast. It is strenuous, especially when you factor in the heat and humidity. Having said all that, I was able to walk and hike throughtout our stay. My cardiologist would be proud.

The most difficult walks I found were- Il Faraglioni (La Fontelina Restaurant) up to The Natural Arch( long uphill hike); Pier in Positano up to the Villa Rosa Hotel with luggage; bus stop in Ravello up to the Villa Maria Hotel with luggage (found out later at the hotel they have luggage services).

Positano, and much of Capri is built on hills although the walk to the Punta Tragera on Capri, as pointed out, is basically level. The hike to the Augustus Gardens is also a short, easy hike. There are cheap local buses in Positano and Sorrento for getting around the steeper hills.

Enjoy the AC. I'm glad I went and if you take it slowly you should have no problems, especially in the Spring.

sognatrice

One more tip...going DOWN the hills is much more strenuous than going up.

Gerardo

The tourist office in Ravello offers a free hiking/walking guide that outlines the passeggiate/walks/hikes around Ravello,Scala,Pontone,Atrani,Amalfi.Pontone can be reached by bus an is the ideal place to walk from as several walks radiate from its small square.