Capri / Hiking the Amalfi Coast / Ninfa's Gardens / Il Posta Vecchia
Dec 4th, 2017, 07:01 PM
#1
Capri / Hiking the Amalfi Coast / Ninfa's Gardens / Il Posta Vecchia
My wife and I are planning a 25th anniversary trip to Italy in the second half of April. We will be revisiting the Amalfi coast (where we honeymooned) initially, then heading back north to explore Tuscany. I've just started planning the trip, but I have the following questions already.
1. Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced hotel for a couple of nights on Capri? The only one I'm familiar with there is the Quisisana. We'd like to do some hiking on Capri.
2. I've heard about an excellent trail along the clifftops of the Amalfi Coast called "the Walk of the Gods" or something similar. Does anyone know anything about that, or have other hiking recommendations?
3. We'd like to visit the gardens at Ninfa, but I understand they may only be open a couple of days a week (maybe just weekends?). Does anyone know of a source where I could determine their opening days /hours?
4. We were also thinking of trying to book some nights at Il Posta Vecchia, on the coast somewhat northwest of Rome. Has anyone had any experience with it?
1. Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced hotel for a couple of nights on Capri? The only one I'm familiar with there is the Quisisana. We'd like to do some hiking on Capri.
2. I've heard about an excellent trail along the clifftops of the Amalfi Coast called "the Walk of the Gods" or something similar. Does anyone know anything about that, or have other hiking recommendations?
3. We'd like to visit the gardens at Ninfa, but I understand they may only be open a couple of days a week (maybe just weekends?). Does anyone know of a source where I could determine their opening days /hours?
4. We were also thinking of trying to book some nights at Il Posta Vecchia, on the coast somewhat northwest of Rome. Has anyone had any experience with it?
Dec 4th, 2017, 08:36 PM
#2
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Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!!!!
1. I've booked Hotel la Tosca for Capri next May. VERY reasonably priced (especial for Capri) and well-reviewd on tripadvisor. and by Thursdaysd, one of the post-ers here.
2. The Path of the Gods goes for miles along the Amalfi Coast cliffs, and can be entered from different villages along the way. One entry is at Nocelle, a village above Positano. Fodorites who've walked all or parts can fill you in with more detail--as with #1 above, , I, like you, am still in the planning stages!
1. I've booked Hotel la Tosca for Capri next May. VERY reasonably priced (especial for Capri) and well-reviewd on tripadvisor. and by Thursdaysd, one of the post-ers here.
2. The Path of the Gods goes for miles along the Amalfi Coast cliffs, and can be entered from different villages along the way. One entry is at Nocelle, a village above Positano. Fodorites who've walked all or parts can fill you in with more detail--as with #1 above, , I, like you, am still in the planning stages!
Dec 4th, 2017, 09:35 PM
#3
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I also stayed at La Tosca on Capri and agree that it is delightful. It's not a very fancy place, but the service is outstanding.
https://www.latoscahotel.com
I didn't hike the Path of the Gods, but did hike from Ravello to Amalfi and enjoyed that hike very much.
Enjoy!
https://www.latoscahotel.com
I didn't hike the Path of the Gods, but did hike from Ravello to Amalfi and enjoyed that hike very much.
Enjoy!
Dec 5th, 2017, 06:47 AM
#5
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The gardens at Ninfa are among the most beautiful I've ever seen. It's certainly worth going to see them if you can. However, they're only open about twice a month, on average, usually one weekend a month and on major public holidays. Lucky for you, they're open more days in April than in any other month. The schedule for 2018 isn't out yet, but in 2017, it was open every Sunday in April, plus the 1st of April (the day it reopened for the year), Easter Monday, and the 25th (Liberation Day, a public holiday).
The calendar for 2018 will be published in January, on this page:
http://www.fondazionecaetani.org/visita_ninfa.php
You can visit the gardens only by guided tour, offered by the foundation that manages the gardens. The website will list the hours of the tours.
I hope you'll have a car, because the gardens are hard to reach by public transportation. In the summer, they have a shuttle from the station of Cisterna di Latina. An unofficial website says the shuttle operates "on days the gardens are open", which seems to include the other seasons.
In the same area, there is a beautiful castle managed by the same foundation (the Caetani Foundation) in the town of Sermoneta. Sermoneta is one of the most attractive small towns I've seen in Italy. Here is the official page of the castle:
http://www.fondazionecaetani.org/visita_castello.php
It seems to imply that they're open daily except in the winter. Their web pages are a bit inscrutable.
You can past the URL of these sites into translate.google.com to get a serviceable translation.
The calendar for 2018 will be published in January, on this page:
http://www.fondazionecaetani.org/visita_ninfa.php
You can visit the gardens only by guided tour, offered by the foundation that manages the gardens. The website will list the hours of the tours.
I hope you'll have a car, because the gardens are hard to reach by public transportation. In the summer, they have a shuttle from the station of Cisterna di Latina. An unofficial website says the shuttle operates "on days the gardens are open", which seems to include the other seasons.
In the same area, there is a beautiful castle managed by the same foundation (the Caetani Foundation) in the town of Sermoneta. Sermoneta is one of the most attractive small towns I've seen in Italy. Here is the official page of the castle:
http://www.fondazionecaetani.org/visita_castello.php
It seems to imply that they're open daily except in the winter. Their web pages are a bit inscrutable.
You can past the URL of these sites into translate.google.com to get a serviceable translation.
Dec 5th, 2017, 11:50 AM
#6
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Bvienci has given the best advice re visiting Ninfa. It is the most wonderful garden but as she says you have to be part of a tour and these are generally in Italian only. I believe there are taxis available at Latina Scalo (the next station after Cisterna di Latina).
Sermoneta is worth a visit even if the castle is not open. There are fantastic views across the surrounding area and it is a lovely quiet town with few foreign visitors even in summer. The castle is often being used by cultural groups - in the summer there is an international music school - and you must go around in a tour; again they may not be available in any language other than Italian.
Sermoneta is worth a visit even if the castle is not open. There are fantastic views across the surrounding area and it is a lovely quiet town with few foreign visitors even in summer. The castle is often being used by cultural groups - in the summer there is an international music school - and you must go around in a tour; again they may not be available in any language other than Italian.
Dec 5th, 2017, 01:05 PM
#7
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We hiked the Path of the Gods from Bomerano to Nocelle in 2012 and we tried to do a hike on Capri but I forgot to take my map from the hotel room so we only did a part of it. I bought the kindle version of the book "Walking on the Amalfi Coast" (Cicerone Guides) which shows several good hikes. Walk 8 is the one we tried to do on Capri and walk 18 is The Path of the Gods. We absolutely loved both.
If you click on the link below to my trip report, scroll down to Day 12 for Capri and Day 13 for our POG hike. There are links to pictures for each day too. I hope you do these hikes and enjoy them as much as we did - they are simply incredible.
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...-june-2014.cfm
If you click on the link below to my trip report, scroll down to Day 12 for Capri and Day 13 for our POG hike. There are links to pictures for each day too. I hope you do these hikes and enjoy them as much as we did - they are simply incredible.
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...-june-2014.cfm
Dec 5th, 2017, 02:22 PM
#9
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I think the gardens of Ninfa would be very enjoyable even if the tour were in a language you don't understand.
They sell plants, too, and I still have several perennials I bought from them. You wouldn't be able to take them into most countries outside the EU, though.
They sell plants, too, and I still have several perennials I bought from them. You wouldn't be able to take them into most countries outside the EU, though.
Dec 6th, 2017, 09:29 AM
#10
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Path of the Gods from Bomerano to Nocelle is a hike was brilliant - think a blend of strenuous hike and pilgrimage. We did it this past Memorial day and it was totally worth it - for most of us. We had teens in the group that bailed about a third of the way in and returned. Give yourself 4 hours and good shoes. Parts can be dicey. Beware that the descent from Nocelle is insane - while gravity helps, there is the stretch of over 1000 steps soon after the village that can be a killer for your knees. Do stop and the lovely drinks stand in Nocelle and enjoy the wonderful lemonade (assuming lemons will be in season).
