Alta Via: Amalfi and Sorrento Coast to Coast

Arrival in Salerno. After settling in at your hotel, you can take your time to discover the beautiful medieval town centre of Salerno and stroll along the ‘lungomare’ with views of both the Amalfi Coast and the Cilento National Park.

Today’s walk takes you from the charming town of Vietri sul Mare, the gateway to the Amalfi Coast, to the little hamlet of Corpo di Cava. You will be walking along beautiful but largely unknown footpaths. After strolling through the old town centre of Vietri, famous for its ceramics, you will walk down its little alleys to its Marina before heading up towards splendid Raito with its wonderful views of the coast. After a coffee break at Raito, you then continue uphill to yet another charming little village – Albori. From here, the path takes you inland towards the valley of Cava dei Tirreni. After passing Iaconti and the church of San Vincenzo, you will walk through shaded chestnut woods to your day’s destination near the millennium-old Benedictine Abbey of Corpo di Cava. On your way, you will pass by one of the hidden marvels of this area, the remains of a Roman aqueduct still standing 20m tall! Finally, you arrive at your beautiful hotel in the charming hamlet of Corpo di Cava, beautifully located just above a stunning Benedictine Abbey.

Today’s walk will take you straight from your hotel, along one of the most famous pilgrim routes in the area, to the sanctuary dedicated to the ‘Madonna dell’Avvocata’, situated on a spectacularly panoramic balcony high above the Amalfi Coast. From the Benedictine Abbey of Corpo di Cava, you first walk up through the golden chestnut woods to the little clearing of Cappella Vecchia or Old Chapel. From here, you will enjoy wonderful views over Vietri sul Mare and Salerno to the south and the ridge of Monte Avvocata to the west. A well-trodden and relatively easy footpath, first through the shrublands, then through the woods, then takes you to the Avvocata Sanctuary. From here, you can see as far as Paestum and the mountains of Calabria to the south, while views of the Amalfi Coast reach as far as Ravello and Conca dei Marini. This is definitely one of the most beautiful ‘belvederes’ of the entire coast, unknown to most, if not all, foreign tourists! After visiting the sanctuary, you return along impressive rock cliffs to Corpo di Cava.

You will start with a private transfer to the Valico dei Chiunzi, on the ridge of the ‘Lattari’ Mountains, from where you can enjoy the view of both sides. You start your walk overlooking the valley of Tramonti and with the whole plain of Naples and Mount Vesuvius at your feet. Halfway through the morning, you reach the first peak of your route, Mt. Cerreto, the second highest peak of the area (1,313m.), from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Amalfi Coast with Ravello on one side, and Mt. Vesuvius and Naples on the other. Your route then continues at first downhill, after which it levels out, and you’ll enjoy a few hours of easy strolling. The last part of the walk brings you down to the beautifully located mountain hut of Santa Maria dei Monti of San Lazzaro, on a small high plain, overlooking the whole Gulf of Salerno, with Ravello and Scale at your feet. Those who want can even opt to walk down (and back up) to Ravello. Tonight you dine on local specialties, directly on the premises of the mountain hut.

Today walk towards the highest mountains of the Sorrento Peninsula. This central massive, known as the Monte Sant’Angelo a Tre Pizzi (the mountain with the three peaks), offers some stunning scenery, with sheer cliffs, caverns and lush beech forests. First, you walk back up to the ridge, and then, along gentle paths through the chestnut forests, you’ll walk all around the valley of Agerola. Upon reaching the crest, the views open up on the bay of Naples & Mt. Vesuvius again. The ‘Alta Via’ then brings you through the highest mountains in the area. You follow a beautiful path along the northern cliffs of the Monte Sant’Angelo and then start to climb up towards the small church of San Michele, on the edge of the high plain of the ‘Faito’. The name ‘Faito’ refers to the extensive beech forests. The area is known for its ‘neviere’, where snow was stocked to supply the court in Naples with sorbets during summer. Along the edge of the plateau, you walk down to the area known as ‘Belvedere’, offering great views of the Bay of Naples. Here you settle in a welcoming mountain inn. In the evening you will dine at the hotel.

From the high plain of Mt. Faito, you hike to the highest peaks of the peninsula. Before reaching the ‘Alta Via’ you walk along the edge of the high plain, with stunning views over the Bay of Naples. Through the beech forests, you climb up towards the highest peak of the area, Mt. San Michele (1444m above sea level – at only a mile from the seashore). After enjoying the best view on the Amalfi Coast, you follow one of the most scenic paths in the western direction, with views from the Cilento National Park to Capri & the Bay of Naples. Then you descend into a nice wooded park-like landscape with cypresses and olive groves. A beautiful, easy last stretch brings you to Santa Maria al Castello, the old fortress defending the narrow valley between the Amalfi and Sorrento sides of the peninsula, with views to both sides. Dinner is on the premises of the Agriturismo.

Today your trail starts directly from your agriturismo. At first, you walk to a spectacular viewpoint with Positano at your feet. Then, along the edge of the plateau, overlooking Positano, you walk up to some of the most beautiful pastures in the area, green and covered with wild orchids, the high plain of Monte Comune. Then you continue to the ‘beacon’ of Monte Vico Alvano, after which a long descent brings you to the Colli di San Pietro and Colli di Fontanelle. From here you take a little path along the southern side of the ridge, now fully immersed in the Mediterranean colours and the lovely smells of the Mediterranean herbs. The path runs parallel to the seashore with spectacular views over the ‘Islands of the Sirens’. Through the olive groves you then reach the little hamlets of Monticelli and Torca. From here, you walk up along well-maintained paths to your beautiful agriturismo in the middle of the orchards, where you will have a lovely meal made from local organic produce tonight.

Today you’ll make a circular walk over the ridge dividing the Bay of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno, discovering the very different landscapes and some charming small hamlets. Through pine woods, olive groves and orchards, you walk down to the picturesque inlet of Marina di Crapolla (where Saint Peter is alleged to have disembarked on his way to Rome), where you can swim. Then continue along well-maintained paths to the charming little seashore village of Marina del Cantone, on the south side of the Sorrento Peninsula. The landscape is spectacular, you walk in the beautiful scenery, dominated by dry-stone walls and olive groves, all the time overlooking the sea. A spectacular path running along the impressive cliffs brings you to the tip of the peninsula, where, according to legend, Ulysses erected a temple in honour of Athena. In some parts, the path can be a bit demanding, though never too difficult. The return, between Punta Campanella and Termini, is on an easy trail, the old Roman Via Minerva, with great views of Capri and many medieval watchtowers, which once protected the coast. From Termini, you then take the local bus back to Sant’ Agata sui Due Golfi, to have another night in your agriturismo.

After breakfast, you can easily return by boat or by bus and train to Naples, and then by shuttle bus to the airport.