Today we walked the Path of the Gods, and for me this was definitely a highlight of the whole trip. The walking excursion took the full day. We drove out to Agerola through the forested Milky Mountains, so nicknamed during their heyday as a center for the dairy industry in Italy. Today, the local economy is based on the production of chestnut wood, which is used for infrastructure and for artisan woodwork that can be found in all the Amalfi Coast towns.
The Path of the Gods is the most challenging walk on this trip—it is really a hike. Walkers should be ready for tall stone steps, uneven, rocky paths and steep mountainside views. That said, it has the most incredible views of the area and offers a diverse range of scenery, from farms and lemon groves to dramatic fjords and picturesque hamlets.
We were lucky to make the trek in May because the route was pretty empty, except for a few hiking groups, and the temperature was ideal in the high 60s. After our 4-hour walk, we made our way down to bustling Positano and I relaxed over the most amazing dish of linguini with pesto and zucchini (a must-try dish in Amalfi!).
Path of the Gods Walk
Location: The Path of the Gods is a winding, hilly cliffside walk through the Milky Mountains. It starts in the Amalfi Coast town of Agerola and ends in Nocelle, a tiny “lost village” that sits above the harbor of Positano.
Length: The distance of the Path of the Gods is a bit debated due to its twisting-turning nature, but 4.5 miles seems to be the consensus.
Time: It took our group 3.5 hours, but I’ve heard it can take anywhere between 2 and 7 hours (the latter if a group is daring enough to go without a guide).
Terrain: The terrain was diverse, and definitely the most difficult of all our walks, with lots of rocky steps and narrow passageways. It was really interesting to see it change throughout the route, from grassy dirt roads and paved streets to gravelly paths and canopied forests. However, the majority of the walk was on rocky cliffside paths.
Best view: Too hard to choose! The views were spectacular from start to finish.
Favorite moment: Coming around a bend to see Positano. Positano is the most picturesque Amalfi Coast town, with layered houses perched on top of each other up the mountains. It looks like a painting with homes and villas color-washed in pinks, peaches and whites, all topped with ruddy red terra-cotta roofs. The walk gave us the perfect view of this iconic landscape.
