Whether it was the crisp sea air or the ability to relax and enjoy time away from the tourists and crowds, visiting the Amalfi Coast was the best part of our travels in Italy. If you plan to visit the cities on the coast, be prepared for a lot of walking and stair climbing. Whether you are taking a trip from the boat dock or going to the beach, it requires several stair steps to reach your destination. If you are not physically fit, grab yourself a nice place with a balcony to soak up the beautiful views.

Positano’s Waterfront Views

Like most places on the Amalfi Coast, Positano buildings curve around the water’s edge to give every building a view of the sea. We stayed in a one bedroom studio in Positano with a delightful balcony. It was located on the West side, which is known for where the locals live. The east side is more for the tourists, and its valley is lined with shops.

Although it was tempting to sit and stay forever on our balcony, we did get out and walk the entire town. From our apartment, we walked down about 1000 steps to take a peak at the beach. We didn’t think to pack a change of clothes and towels to test the chilly water. Once we made it down there, we knew there was no going back up to get our things.

Not only plentiful in seafood, the Italians of this region have mastered farming on inclines. They offer fresh produce and the largest lemons you will ever see in your life. With its fresh seafood and farm-to-table options, Positano was at the top of our list of favorite meals in Italy. I ordered linguine all’astice twice, which is lobster with a side of fresh linguine tossed in a butter, wine sauce flavored with sautéed garlic, onion, and lightly cooked tomatoes. Prawns and mussels were other seafood options we endulged.

For a day in paradise, we took a ferry from Positano to Capri. Capri is an island destination for tourists, but it still has its unique charm and is not overly crowded. They cleverly have restaurants along the boat dock who serve alcoholic beverages and snacks as you wait for your ferry to arrive. There was no other place in Italy that would allow us to sit without ordering a full meal; otherwise, we were rudely treated by the owner and waiter staff.

Around the boat dock and the main street in the town’s center, there are several souvenir shops to explore. I collected a few treasures, like a hat and an ‘Attenti al Gato (Beware of the Cat)’ ceramic tile. Brad got to pick out a lemon larger than his hand. After our stair climb to the town’s center, we stopped to take pictures of the gorgeous view from high above and picked a lunch spot with a balcony.

Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei)

Our hike on the Path of the Gods was life changing, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. The 9km hike from Agerola to Positano took about three and half hours to complete. I was running and training for multiple half marathons, but with the climbing and sunburn of this hike, I was even exhausted!

At dinner one night, we met a couple that had completed the Path of the Gods. They claimed it was an easy hike, so we decided we would try it the next day. To get to the starting point, we found a taxi to bring us east from Positano to the small town of Agerola. What should have taken an hour, our taxi driver sped through windy turns and got us there in forty-five minutes.

After our exhilarating cab ride, we hiked from the town to a fork in the path. At this point the trail split, south for Praiano and west for Nocelle and Positano. We chose the path to Nocelle and Positano, but later realized this was not the route the couple from the day before chose. We hiked a total of five and half kilometers of rugged terrain and near cliff’s edges. The views were beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

When we reached the small town of Nocelle, we stopped at Lemon Point and refreshed ourselves with Italian lemon ice. From there, we had to descend 1,700 steps to get to the nearest neighboring town of Arienzo. Once we reach Arienzo and the main highway, we walked west to Positano.