The Path of the Gods is the most famous hike along the Amalfi Coast, spanning 9km and offering stunning views of the expansive coastline over 500m below. The main starting point of the trail originates near the town of Bomerano and ends in Positano. The trek provides incredibly scenic views of the coastline and distant Capri as it winds around the mountain tops.
History of the trail. The Path of Gods was originally created to connect the two coastal towns and despite its name referring to the deities, it is actually an extraordinary testament to the boundless tenacity of the humans that were able to colonize even the most impossible places on the Amalfi Coast. This internationally famous path is by far the area’s most popular hike, but there is a lot of conflicting information that does not provide details of the logistics for how to do the hike. After reading a lot of information and receiving detailed instruction from my air bnb host, here is the detailed information of exactly how I did the hike with friends.
What you need to know before hiking: There is limited parking around the start of the trail which is just past Bomerano’s main square. There are a lot of Air Bnbs in the small city though which are reasonably priced and typically include a parking spot. It is easiest to leave your car in Bomerano or take a local SITA bus there if you are staying in Amalfi or one of the other local towns.
The start of the trail is just off the main square and is clearly marked as several trails pass through the area. The Path of the Gods is 9km long and it took us about three and a half hours to complete at a leisurely pace with plenty of stops for photos. It is mostly a level dirt path but gets slightly rocky in some points. The trail itself is well maintained and is an easy hiking grade making it suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. At the end of the trail there are several hundred stairs for the descent into Positano.
Of note there are not water points along the trail, so be sure to bring water and snacks with you. However, before the climb down there is a small lemonade slushy stand in Nocelle that offers refreshing fresh squeezed lemon and fruit drinks and slushies with a beautiful view of the water below. There is also a small public restroom available here which is quite a relief (literally) after the long hike. After heading down the several hundred stairs that lead into the city center, we spent the afternoon eating and relaxing on the beach before taking the ferry and bus back.
The Ferry tickets can be purchased for 8 euro at the small port and run every 30 min after 1500 from Positano back to Amalfi. They drop passengers off only a two-minute walk from the bus center. Tickets for the local SITA bus are sold at the local ticket stand on the street corner immediately in front of the bus stop or at the Tobacco store and cost only 2 euro from Amalfi back to Bomerano.
My friends and I did the hike the beginning of September and started about 0900, avoiding the high temperatures in summer. It was mostly sunny with only a few clouds, but the weather was basically perfect weather staying about 75 with a light breeze.
Overall this is an easy and very scenic route with gorgeous panoramic views every few hundred meters as the trail winds through spectacular terraced filled cliffs and around various gorges. There are many trails throughout the area, but this is highly recommended and definitely worth spending an afternoon to do!
