Tired of the Amalfi Coast’s beautiful towns and warm turquoise waters? No? Well, you’ll still want to do this; the Walk of the Gods.

It’s certainly no modest name for a hike. So does it live up to its name? Yes!

Snaking high above the bustle of the Amalfi towns this beautiful walk sees comparatively few visitors; go just a little off-season and you’ll have it almost totally to yourself. It’s a refreshing change from the rest of the area, and the views below are simply beautiful.

The Walk of the Gods starts from Agerola/Praiano and ends in Positano (depending on where you start it’s up to 11km). You can do it in either direction but most finish in Positano as that’s where they’re based. In terms of difficulty it’s straightforward; there’s a well-formed path the whole way with steps on the steep bits. I did it in normal sandals. The sun and heat will be your biggest issues; take lots of water and some snacks with you and you’ll be sorted. You don’t need a map either as it’s well marked out and the path is easy to follow.

The start of the walk from Praiano:

You’ll go up a lot of steps at the beginning. This is the most tiring bit but it doesn’t take long before you’re looking down at the world around you.

A convent lies nestled in the hillside about halfway along (depending on where you started), where things get as rustic as you could possibly dream of. The convent joins onto a farm, both of which are run by a family. On a little piece of cardboard hanging haphazardly outside one of the entrances is a sign saying ‘Drinks’. You’ll likely encounter one of the family at this point who will try entice you in with offerings of freshly squeezed lemon juice straight from the farm and freshly picked olives and figs. The prices aren’t particularly rustic, but who in their right mind could resist?

You are taken to a balcony area where two sets of tables are modestly laid out, and from here you look out at the scenery in awe whilst eating simple, delicious treats. Gorgeous.

And off you go again. From this point on the steps turn into rocks, but it’s nothing to worry about, and things start to get higher…

 

There are even a number of picnic benches dotted along the way, like these (best picnic spots on the Amalfi?):

And soon enough you’re brushing shoulders with clouds and approaching the tops of the peaks that loomed above you at the beginning. You really do feel as though you’re on top of the world.

As you start to descend again, the beautiful little village of Nocelle eventually appears. By the time I reached it the sun had almost set. From there you will take the 1500 steps down to Positano…. There are so many lovely little spots along the way that I’ve put in this next post – Walking from Nocelle to Positano