Amalfi Coast Hike: Agerola to Priano to Amalfi

The Amalfi Coast is famous for its spectacular scenery, and one of the best ways to experience it is by hiking. We chose to base ourselves out of Agerola, in the mountains, because it is the starting point for several excellent hikes, and less over-run by tourists than places like Positano or the town of Amalfi.

​We stayed at the delightful Villa Donna Fausta. Lovely host, great breakfasts (including fantastic homemade cakes every day), and our room had a stunning view over the coast. Donna Fausta herself is an interesting woman. For many years she worked in the Italian foreign service, before becoming a hotel operator in Rome and in Agerola. As a customer service consultant, I especially appreciated how well she runs the place, making everyone feel welcome. 

Tema and Donna Fausta

The Path of the Gods Hike

The most famous hike in the region is the Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei). We were a bit concerned at the departure point: there were busloads of people swarming the path. Yikes! Fortunately, there is a divergence point fairly early in the hike. The vast majority turn right and head to Positano. We went left to the beach at Priano, and had much of the path entirely to ourselves.

The route involves climbing down some 1,800 steps. Given my recent knee problems, I used a combination of knee braces and hiking poles, which worked remarkably well. (Plus, with hiking poles that you put a lot of weight on, your arms get a workout too!)

Every time you turn a corner there is another stunning view. (Click photos to enlarge.)

Water Taxi to Amalfi

We wanted to see some of the coast from the water, so we decided to take a water taxi to the town of Amalfi (40 euros; we probably should have haggled.) We knew that from there we could get a bus that would take us back up to Agerola at the end of the day.

Skip Amalfi, Unless You Love Crowds & Tourist Knick-Knacks

Amalfi was a zoo! While the town looks charming from a distance, the experience in the town was not a nice one. Wall to wall junky tourist shops. You could barely walk because of the crowds. Made us glad we didn’t go to Positano, because that is even more crowded, apparently.

​But you can easily buy a cheap bus ticket (2 euros), have an entertaining ride along the coast,  and get yourself back to the calm beauty of Agerola in time for a lovely dinner with freshly grown ingredients. (La Selva was a particularly nice restaurant.)