Hiking the “Path of the Gods” on the Amalfi Coast from Agerola to Positano, Italy
After a few days in Naples, Italy, we headed down the coast to Sorrento. While there, we hiked the “Sentiero Degli Dei” or the “Path of the Gods” – a 6 kilometer trail along the Amalfi coast starting in Agerola and ending in Nocelle. From Nocelle, we walked an additional 3 kilometers to end our hike in the gorgeous seaside town of Positano. With a name like “Path of the Gods,” this trail set expectations sky-high. Happily it did not disappoint – the trail has heavenly coastal views practically the entire way.
What: | “Path of the Gods” Trail on the Amalfi coast Agerola to Nocelle to Positano, Italy Trail head: Piazza Paolo Capasso, 7, 80051 Agerola NA, Italy Right next to the Agerola (Bomerano) bus stop |
Taxi/Bus: | From Sorrento, Italy to the trail head in Agerola: Taxi – About 1 hr 10 min Bus – About 2 hrs |
Skill: | Path of the Gods Medium – There are some steep drop offs and rocky scrambles but nothing too difficult 9 Kilometers total (6 kilometers from Agerola to Nocelle and a further 3 kilometers from Nocelle to Positano) Note: There is a public bus available from Nocelle to Positano. Trail markers: Agerola to Nocelle Red and white trail signs for “Sentiero Degli Dei” and “Nocelle” Note: At one point in the trail there are two signs pointing to “Nocelle” in opposite directions and “Sentiero Degli Dei” is not officially on either sign. Fortunately, someone has helpfully painted it on the sign and on the rocks nearby to let everyone know the correct direction to go. If in doubt, go in the direction of the coast. Nocelle to Positano Square signs marked “Sentiero Per Montepertuso/Positano” or “Pathway to Montepertuso/Positano” |
Map: | Here is a picture of the helpful trail map found posted along the trail. |
Additional Info
“Path of the Gods” on the Amalfi coast – Sorrento Insider – Information on the trail including how to get there using public transportation |
Getting There from Sorrento
The “Path of the Gods” trail head is located next to the Agerola (Bomerano) bus stop. To get there from Sorrento, we looked at a few different options – bus, taxi, and private tour. Private tours are the most expensive option and as we like to do things on our own schedule, it was the first option I ruled out. While the bus was the least expensive option, it was also the most time consuming – getting to Agerola (Bomerano) would require more than two hours to get to the trail head (with a bus change in Amalfi). So, as it turned out, our best option was a taxi. The taxi from Sorrento was EUR 80 and took about 1 hour and 10 minutes. (The “Path of the Gods” page on the Sorrento Insider website provides the information you need to compare these options for yourself.)
After the driver dropped us off at the trail head, we quickly found the trail signs and were on our way.
The Trail – Agerola to Nocelle
After about 10 minutes wending our way through the town, we came to the big welcome sign for the “Sentiero degli Dei” trail. And right from there, we knew we were in for a great hike.
And the view just kept getting better and better.
This trail had both dramatic, expansive views and smaller pleasures, like the blooming pink flowers in the third picture below. The pictures in the bottom row give a sense of what I meant in the trail detail summary by “rocky scrambles and steep drop offs.”
The picture below is from one of my favorite points along the trail – just an amazing view of the coastline and of the town of Positano. I imagine the goat enjoyed the view, too.
Just as we reached Nocelle, we came to “Il Chiosco del Sentiero degli Dei” or “The Kiosk of the Path of the Gods.” We stopped here for sandwiches and a super tasty lemon granita. If you do this trail, even if you have lunch elsewhere, get yourself a lemon granita from this kiosk. It was the absolute perfect blend of lemon and ice. The view from the kiosk’s balcony was also pretty terrific.
You can end the hike in Nocelle by taking a bus to Positano. We considered it, but decided we would rather keep walking.
The Trail – Nocelle to Positano
To get to Positano from Nocelle, we followed the signs for “Sentiero per Montepertuso/Positano”.
Many of the tours for the trail end at Nocelle rather than continuing the hike to Positano. Our taxi driver also recommended ending in Nocelle. And as we walked along, I found out why – a good portion of the time, we were walking along the same twisty narrow mountain road the bus takes. While there were some gorgeous views along the way, it was nerve-racking walking on the road. There is so little room for both hikers and crazy drivers.
Oh and when you are not on the road, there are many, many, many steps to get down to Positano. But, I must admit there were also some pretty perfect views of Positano.
To end our hike, we went down to the beach in Positano. I loved the view here of the seaside and of Positano’s tumble of buildings crowded on the cliffside.
It was an incredibly windy day, and we were tired so we didn’t linger as long as we might have. If it had been warmer, this would have been a fantastic place to swim.
Getting Back to Sorrento
To get back to Sorrento, we walked to the taxi stand and got a taxi back (EUR 90). The “Path of the Gods” hike is spectacular and I recommend it, but I think if I did it again, I would take the bus from Nocelle to Positano and spend a bit more time exploring Positano.
Leave a Reply