Three Hikes, Three Life-Changing Meals: A Guide to the Best Hikes on the Amalfi Coast

Most visitors to the Amalfi Coast come for the views, the Instagram shots, the pastel-painted cliffside villages cascading into impossibly blue water. And those things are magnificent — but they're only the surface.

The real Amalfi Coast reveals itself on foot: along ancient mule tracks through terraced lemon groves, up stone staircases worn smooth by centuries of use, and at tables where the meal waiting at the end of the trail is every bit as extraordinary as the journey itself.

What follows is a guide to three of the coast's most remarkable hikes, each paired with a life-changing Italian dish to crown the experience. These are not theoretical recommendations. I lived in Naples for four years while my husband was stationed there with the military, and the Amalfi Coast became a second home. I've walked every trail on this list, eaten every dish, carried my 16-month-old in a hiking carrier while our dog trotted beside us, and — on more than one occasion — learned the hard way what happens when you don't plan ahead. I made those mistakes so you won't have to.

As your travel advisor, my role is to take everything I learned during my years living on the coast, from the hidden hiking trails to the hard-to-get reservations, and weave it into an itinerary that feels effortless from the moment you arrive.

And of course, to make sure there's something delicious waiting to reward you at the end of a long hike.

Hike One: The Hidden Trail from Nerano to Punta Campanella

When most people think of Amalfi Coast hikes, the Path of the Gods comes to mind first. That hike is absolutely on this list, but the trail that lives most vividly in my memory begins in Nerano — a town you won't find on most tourist itineraries, and one you absolutely should not miss.

Getting to Nerano can be a challenge, as it doesn't have a major ferry port like other towns along the coast. This is where I come in: I can arrange a private car transfer, or even better, a private boat transfer directly to the village. From there, the hike from Nerano to Punta Campanella and the Bay of Ieranto is a spectacular three-to-five-mile round-trip that takes roughly two to three hours to complete.

Starting just below Nerano's main square, you descend along ancient mule tracks through terraced olive groves and fragrant Mediterranean scrub, enjoying continuous panoramic views of Capri's Faraglioni rocks.

The terrain consists of uneven stone steps and exposed dirt paths with no facilities along the way, with a total elevation loss of roughly 200 meters (650 feet) from the trailhead to the bay. Wear sturdy shoes and pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and a swimsuit for a dip in that turquoise cove. We brought our dog and carried our 16-month-old in a hiking carrier, so families can definitely do it, though you'll want to come well prepared. The best time to go is early summer, particularly June, or early fall in September, when the weather is still warm enough to swim but not punishing. Avoid July and August if you can — the midday heat on exposed, shadeless cliff paths is genuinely punishing.

The Reward: Lo Scoglio, Marina del Cantone

After completing the hike and returning to Nerano's main square, follow the winding road of Via Marina del Cantone heading south toward the sea, using the steep public stone staircases — the scalinatelle — to bypass the lengthy vehicular switchbacks. After about ten to fifteen minutes of steady downhill walking past limestone walls and lemon groves, the path opens into the seaside hamlet of Marina del Cantone.

At the center of the bay, in Piazza delle Sirene, you'll find Lo Scoglio, a hidden gem built entirely on a wooden pier jutting right over the water. Here you can trade your hiking shoes for open-air seaside dining and reward yourself with their internationally famous Spaghetti alla Nerano. Stanley Tucci put the restaurant on the global culinary map during the first episode of his CNN series Searching for Italy, declaring the dish "life-changing" and one of the best things he'd ever eaten.

The legendary pasta is deceptively simple: perfectly al dente spaghetti with thin rounds of local zucchini, fried until golden, tossed vigorously with starchy pasta water, fresh basil, and a generous blend of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino — creating a remarkably silky, creamy sauce without a drop of actual cream. Beyond the famous zucchini pasta, the menu celebrates the family's dual heritage of land and sea. Every morning, the family patriarch brings in buckets of peak-season vegetables and basil from their nearby hillside farm, served alongside just-caught Mediterranean seafood — linguine alle vongole, fritto misto, whole roasted sea bass.

Lo Scoglio books up completely, but as your travel advisor, I can arrange your reservations as well as a private boat transfer back to your hotel directly from the restaurant's private dock.

Hike Two: The Sentiero dei Limoni — Path of the Lemons

The Sentiero dei Limoni (Path of the Lemons) offers one of the most sensory hikes on the Amalfi Coast. Walking it feels like stepping into a living, fragrant piece of Mediterranean history. What hits you first is the smell: a heady blend of ripe citrus, warm earth, crushed leaves, and salty sea air carried by the coastal breeze.

As you wind along paved stone paths, you step underneath heavy wooden pergolas holding up massive sfusato amalfitano lemons — some as big as a small football. Sunlight breaks through the canopy in golden beams, illuminating whitewashed walls, terraced groves built into the cliffside, and sudden, jaw-dropping panoramas of the Tyrrhenian Sea opening up below.

The atmosphere is quiet and deeply peaceful compared to the bustling coastal towns — filled with the soft rustle of leaves, distant church bells, and the occasional creak of a wooden frame holding up lemon branches. You walk past the hamlet of Torre and traditional family estates where farmers still tend to the groves by hand, keeping centuries of coastal tradition alive.

The path connects the seafront towns of Maiori and Minori, approximately 2.5 to 3 kilometers one way. Starting in Maiori near the Church of Santa Maria a Mare and finishing in Minori is the popular direction, as it leaves you just steps from the food pairing that makes this hike legendary.

At a leisurely, photography-friendly pace, expect one to one-and-a-half hours. The terrain is a fully paved historic mule track with roughly 400 to 800 stone steps and little elevation change — mostly downhill when walked from Maiori to Minori. Active travelers, casual hikers, families with older children, and photographers handle it beautifully. Those with severe knee issues or limited mobility may struggle with the uneven stone stairs, and parents should leave strollers behind in favor of backpack carriers.

Both Minori and Maiori have ferry ports accessible by public ferry, or I can arrange private boat transport to and from the start and end of your hike. Timing-wise, the Sentiero dei Limoni is a lovely year-round trail — but June and September are the sweet spot, when the lemons are heavy on the pergolas and the light through the canopy is at its most extraordinary. Midsummer works too, though I'd strongly recommend an early morning start to beat the heat on the stone steps.

The Reward: Pasticceria Sal De Riso, Minori

As you descend into Minori, the scent of wild lemons gives way to the sweet aroma of toasted sugar and fresh pastry at Pasticceria Sal De Riso. The star of the menu is Sal De Riso's signature creation: the Delizia al Limone, a soft sponge-cake dome soaked in delicate limoncello syrup, filled with silky lemon pastry cream, and bathed in a light, velvety glaze made with local PGI Amalfi Coast lemons.

It's subtly sweet yet bright and zesty, balancing rich creaminess with the vibrant, natural acidity of the region's celebrated lemons. Taking that first spoonfulful of chilled cream after miles of warm stair climbing, while sitting on the seaside terrace with a view of the water — this is the moment where environment, physical effort, and flavor align completely.

Hike Three: The Sentiero degli Dei — Path of the Gods

This is the grand finale of hikes on the Amalfi Coast.

The Sentiero degli Dei is one of Europe's most dramatic cliffside treks, suspended roughly 600 meters above the Tyrrhenian Sea. The classic route begins in the mountain hamlet of Bomerano in Agerola and traverses west toward Nocelle, high above Positano. Walking it feels like floating between the sky and the sea: ancient limestone paths carve through wild rosemary and oak, passing dry-stone terraces, cliffside caves, and sweeping vistas that stretch toward the Faraglioni rocks of Capri.

The main trail runs approximately seven to eight kilometers and takes three to four hours at a steady pace, dropping around 600 meters (roughly 2,000 feet) in elevation from Bomerano down to Nocelle. For timing, May, June, and September are ideal — the trail is exposed for much of its length, and the summer sun at altitude is relentless. If you do go in July or August, start at dawn. Spring carpets the limestone ledges with wildflowers that make the views feel even more otherworldly.

Hiking east to west keeps the route mostly downhill while facing the iconic sea views. Once in Nocelle, you can catch a local bus down into Positano or take on the steep, famous descent of roughly 1,700 stone steps to the main coastal road.

We made the stairway descent to the beach, and it was intense but worth it for the views. At the bottom was a refreshing dip in the sea — the kind of earned, full-body reward no infinity pool can replicate. And then came the reckoning: we had chosen to drive and park rather than arrange private transfers, so we hiked all the way back up. All 1,700 steps.

The locals, of course, handled them with ease, breezing past us as we contemplated our life choices. Learn from my mistake — the easiest route is to start in Bomerano and descend into Positano, where you can catch a ferry from the main port or arrangeave a private boat transfer waiting for you.

The Reward: Collina Positano Bakery

After finishing the hike and descending into town, Collina Positano Bakery offers the ultimate reward for tired legs: their signature lemon sorbet served inside a hollowed-out, frozen local Amalfi lemon shell.

A massive, fragrant Sfusato Amalfitano lemon is hollowed out and filled to the brim with smooth, icy sorbet, often garnished with fresh citrus leaves. The taste is exceptionally bright, tart, and intense without being overly sugary. Because local Amalfi lemons have a naturally aromatic, thick rind, the frozen shell slowly releases natural citrus oils into the sorbet as you eat it.

Sitting on the bustling terrace after hours of trail walking, digging into that super-chilled, tart sorbet while watching the pastel houses cascade down into Positano's bay — it is a classic Amalfi Coast moment, and one you will never forget.

Your Base Camp: Two Ways to Stay on the Amalfi Coast

After days of cliffside trails, stone staircases, and life-changing meals, you need a place that feels like an exhale. The Amalfi Coast offers that in more than one form — from an 11th-century palace above the clouds to a perfectly positioned boutique retreat in the heart of the action.

For the Luxury Traveler: Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, Ravello

Caruso, A Belmond Hotel, is an 11th-century palace perched roughly 1,200 feet above the Tyrrhenian Sea in the peaceful town of Ravello — suspended between sea and sky, and perfectly positioned as a luxurious home base for all three hikes. The property is renowned for its aristocratic history, frescoed salons, terraced gardens, and a world-famous heated infinity pool that bleeds seamlessly into the horizon.

For adventurous couples, Caruso serves as an exceptional base camp to experience the coastline beyond typical sunbathing: private guided treks along the vertiginous hillsides by day, followed by romantic seaview couple's wellness therapies in an outdoor gazebo or private candlelit dining on the terraced gardens of Ristorante Belvedere by night.

Families will find the property remarkably child-friendly, with interactive, upscale programming woven throughout the stay — including the hotel's signature children's cooking classes where young guests learn to make fresh pasta with the kitchen team, and guided nature walks through the hillside gardens led by the hotel's resident naturalist.

The hotel features La Piscina, a lively pool club with a custom, oversized Belmond edition of Monopoly designed for families to play together by the water. For those requiring extra space, the property offers Belmond Villa Margherita, a secluded two-suite guesthouse within the main gardens, complete with a private chef and butler.

Because the hotel sits high on a cliffside ridge, it does not have direct water access, but it bridges the gap seamlessly through an exclusive coastal transportation network. Every guest receives access to a complimentary daily cruise aboard the Ercole — the hotel's traditional wooden Gozzo boat — departing from the harbor below for swim stops in secluded grottos and journeys toward Positano, with a complimentary luxury shuttle to the pier. For private travel between coastal points like Positano, Capri, or Sorrento, the hotel concierge partners with premium local boat charters, allowing travelers to bypass the winding traffic of the Amalfi Drive entirely.

Ground transfers from Naples Airport require roughly 75 minutes via a Mercedes E-Class or private luxury minivan arranged by me or the hotel. For the ultimate arrival: the hotel's private helicopter service flies guests from Naples directly to a landing pad in the adjacent village of Scala, paired with a five-minute private car connection to the lobby.

As a member of the Belmond Bellini Club, I'm also able to arrange resort credit, complimentary daily breakfast, top priority for room upgrades, and early check-in and late checkout when availability allows — the kind of details that make a stay feel like it was designed entirely around you. Like it should be.

For the Active Couple or Family: Palazzo Gargano, Amalfi

For travelers who want a central, stylish base without the full Belmond commitment, Palazzo Gargano, a boutique property with private terraces nestled in the heart of Amalfi's historic center near Piazza dello Spirito Santo, is an exceptional choice.

Waking up to the sounds of the old town — church bells ringing, the morning ferry horn, the smell of espresso from the café below — felt more authentically Amalfi than any view from a hillside terrace. Its location is a true strategic advantage: within a few minutes' walk, you have access to ferries, SITA buses, and private drivers, making it one of the best-connected launch points on the entire coast.

Guest rooms are comfortable and thoughtfully designed, with private balconies that offer welcome breathing room between full days on the trail. The central location also means immediate access to neighborhood trattorias, bakeries, and grocery spots for stocking up on early morning trail snacks. It won't have the infinity pool or the Gozzo boat, but it will put you exactly where the coast's transportation network converges — and that, for the active traveler, is its own kind of luxury.

Planning Your Trip to the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast rewards those who want to go beyond the postcard. These three hikes and their life-changing food pairings represent the kind of deeply personal, richly textured itinerary that transforms a vacation into a story you'll tell for years.

As your dedicated travel advisor, I'm here to make sure every detail — from the private boat transfers and hard-to-get reservations to the helicopter arrival and the perfect dinner table overlooking the sea — is handled seamlessly, so all you have to do is lace up your hiking shoes and follow the trail.

Connect with me below to start the conversation.