Pathways of the Gods: Walks on the Amalfi Coast

With its pastel hued homes clinging to the cliffs between mountain and sea and dramatic views along miles of spectacular coastline, the Amalfi coast is incomparably beautiful. It is also an area of outstanding cultural and historical interest with settlements from the medieval era noted for their architectural and artistic features perched on precipices high over the sea.

With a shortage of arable land, generations of ingenious inhabitants have built up breath-taking sequences of stone retaining walls to support  terraced vineyards and  lemon orchards overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean.    For many this is a walker’s paradise, as the ancient network of routes leads across a range of stunning landscapes. A sense of wonder takes over each time one walks along this magnificent coastal landscape. The crowds and hustle and traffic of the coast are left quickly behind, and in their place are soothing green landscapes, wildflowers and aromatic herbs.

The journey has been specially designed to mix five days of walking along some of Europe’s most spectacular coastlines with visits to several of Italy’s most important historical sites at Paestum, Pompei and Herculaneum. These marvelous sites offer an unparalleled glimpse into ancient Roman and Greek society and architecture. There is also two nights in the high-octane city of Naples with its tangled layers of history and culture.

But this is a region known for its food and wine and restaurants and walking stops have been carefully chosen. There will also be a chance learn more (and taste!) the wonderful wines and food of the region for this is a part of Italy where one walks well and certainly eats well.

The journey is being accompanied by Dr Alex Koller and local guide Ms Lucia Ferrara (known to all as Zia Lucy or Aunt Lucy) who comes from a family of fishermen in Positano. Her grandmother was a seamstress and is someone who entertained writers and artists from all over the world. Lucy’s family and friends made her passionate about the coastal mountains and the Mediterranean flora and her mother has passed on legends and folk tales about these enchanted lands and about the secrets they hide. The Amalfi Coast and this region of Italy, Campania, is known for its food, wine and restaurants many of which have been carefully chosen by Lucy.