Amalfi Coast Path of Gods: from Bomerano to Nocelle surrounded by the incredible beauty of the Amalfi Coast hiking across Lattari Mountains
Mythology, mountains, views, nature, sky and sea: step after step you will conquer the Path of Gods and embrace the beauty of this panorama
According to Greek mythology, Ulysses was traveling around the three small islands of Li Galli, in front of the Amalfi Coast, when the dangerous sirens tried to lure him and his mates with their enchanting singing, wanting his boat, like that of many other unfortunate sailors, to crash against the deadly rocks. The gods of Olympus ran to help him but miscalculated the distances and instead of getting close to Li Galli, they got there by treading on the coast and created a path with their footsteps. From mythology to reality, this path took the name after the myth and is now called the Path of Gods or Sentiero degli Dei. Ulysses, by the way, saved himself and kept on sailing.
The Path of Gods links Bomerano with Nocelle and crosses the Lattari mountains whose name means rich in milk as they are lands of pastures. Here nature is at its best and in the past this way was the only way for local farmers living in the area to walk from one village to another.
Trying this trekking has always been a sort of siren that was tempting us with her singing, so instead of holding ourselves back like Ulysses, we have decided to embark on the path and release the adventurer within us. Words fail to describe the beauty of this trail. Even if we could describe it properly, you would have to use your imagination and we can guarantee that reality is more stunning. Let’s just say that is all about nature: the sky is getting married to the sea, which is wearing a cape of Mediterranean bush. Even better, human intervention has been limited: apart from trekking signs, the path is as the one farmers used to walk on, and you will still meet some of them with their donkeys going up and down.
The trail crosses the Amalfi coast from the top and going from Bomerano (in the municipality of Agerola) to Nocelle (near Positano) you’ll walk along a coastal landscape where the ridge of the Lattari mountains slides and sinks into the blue sea towards the island of Capri. The path can be started at both ends and done both ways, but the starting point of Bomerano is preferable; on one side, it is considered easier since it goes mainly downhill, on the other side the panoramic views will always open in front of you as you walk instead of being at your back. The time needed to complete it is around three to four hours, depending on stops and training, and the length is almost 8 kms.
As with all trails, it goes without saying that some recommendations have to be taken into account before starting the walk. Nino, a qualified guide who is deeply in love with this territory and just the right guy to take you through the Path of Gods, gives us some: the path is not difficult in itself but requires, even if not to be an athlete, just to be used to walking for some hours and the equipment must be of appropriate shoes and attire, water bottle, hat, sunscreen and some snacks are necessary. It is not recommended for people who suffer a fear of heights because the walk is on tracks 500 meters above sea level, and it is not suitable for prams or strollers. Nino can offer his experience to take people with limited mobility on some parts of this path or other trails in the area, a special mountain chair called Joȅlette or electric scooter can be provided once agreed in advance. After all these nice little pieces of advice, please do not be the one that decides to do it in your sandals or flip flops anyway; a moment of boldness will ruin the rest of your holiday because of your sore feet.
Bomerano, the starting point, is 650 meters above sea level. It can be reached by bus from Salerno, Naples or Amalfi; if you are driving there the parking lot is near the square. If you are considering having an early start and avoid the heat, or if you are planning walking the trail back and forth, you can think of sleeping in the area and enjoying the nice pleasant morning peace. The bakery there offers many delicious delicacies and because it’s important to be equipped for a later snack, experience a local cold cut or try the famous mozzarella, stock up on some sandwiches and plenty of water, with that you cannot go wrong.
The path will take you to the Biscuit’s cave (Grotta del Biscotto), unfortunately it is a rock formation not a giant cookie, and from there your way will show you two directions. They are called the sentiero alto and sentiero basso, the upper path and the lower one. They both go in the same direction, the upper is a bit more difficult and the lower easier, but they will reconnect at one point. The lower it is the most chosen one because some of its parts are downhill, but you can even take the lower one going there and the upper one (in case you want to go back and forth) on your way back. Once you choose the lower path you will find a fountain to refill your water bottle and then the first majestic view of the Peninsula Sorrentina will open up to you: the mountains of Lattari, the small islands of Li Galli where Ulysses was crying for help and far away the island of Capri. The hues of sea blue, turquoise sky and green all around basking in the sunlight make for an unforgettable sight.
While you take in the view, it will be quite common to meet farmers with their donkeys or see the terraced cultivations kept in places by dry stone walls, some sparse houses and the remains of rural villages. The locals are quite happy to have photos taken, but do not expect to find proper pit stops, as in bars or coffee places, plenty of benches along the way though. The reason is simply that this is a proper experience, not just a turistic stroll. This is where our guide Nino was once more helpful, not only because he is an endless source of knowledge about local plants and fauna, about the past history and present remains found on our way, but also because he took us to visit some local farms and we enjoyed delicious cheese, homegrown tomatoes and refreshing lemonade.
In the last part of the path the landscape will change and rocks, grottos, mediterranean bush will lead you to Nocelle. Nocelle is the elevated part of Positano, if you are still good on your legs you could reach the center of Positano with a staircase of 1500 stairs, and also enjoy a plunge into the sea of Positano’s beach, Arienzo. The alternative is reaching Positano’s center by bus. The way back to Sorrento, Amalfi or Bomerano is by bus or ferry. It will require a bit of an effort and it takes two to three hours unless you are with a guided tour or taking a taxi. Being with Nino, it goes without saying that he drove us back to the starting point and we were simply thankful for the whole experience, for his company and knowledge and for this last treat as well.
In case you want to plan your own experience and stretch it for a longer time, there are deviations to the Sentiero degli Dei, as for example if you start from Vettica Maggiore; if you are taking the trail from Praiano consider that there is a long staircase from there to Passo Serra that takes you then to this path.
When Ulysses was passing in front of this coastline, he asked his mates to fill their ears with wax and tie him to the pole of his boat, because he wanted to be the only one to hear the sirens singing. We would suggest you not to don’t do any of this, just surrender and come here and experience the Path Of Gods. You may run into some risks, like meeting the most dominating goddess that is Mother Nature, you might hear the sound of the waves and of the wind, you could be kissed by the sun and your eyes may have to withstand the beauty of the view. It’s a risk we recommend you take!