Agerola → Positano · Amalfi Coast · Italy
The Path of the Gods
The Sentiero degli Dei runs along the mountainside hundreds of metres above the Amalfi Coast. This guide explains how to walk it, how to reach the start, and how to get down again.
The Path of the Gods is an old mule track linking the farming village of Bomerano, up in Agerola, with Nocelle on the slopes above Positano. For about two hours you walk past terraces, caves and abandoned stone houses, with the sea far below and Capri out on the horizon. The Italian Alpine Club (CAI) looks after it as trail 327, so you follow its red-and-white waymarks the whole way.
Plan your hike
Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0 The route, step by step
From the square in Bomerano, past the cliffs and old farmhouses, to Nocelle and the choice of how to get down to Positano.
Photo: Stiflele, CC BY-SA 4.0 Getting to the trailhead
The bus up from Amalfi to Bomerano, connections from Sorrento and Naples, driving, and how to get back at the end.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY 4.0 Staying in Positano?
The trail ends in Positano, not starts there. Two buses to the start, walking it in reverse, or a guided hike.
Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0 Guided or on your own?
The trail is well marked, but a guide solves the transport. Here’s who a tour is worth it for, and which ones run.
Photo: Wolfgang Moroder, CC BY-SA 3.0 When to go & what to bring
The best months, beating the summer heat, footwear, water, and staying safe on the trail.
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Common questions
Where does the Path of the Gods start and finish?
The classic route (CAI trail 327) starts at Piazza Paolo Capasso in Bomerano, a village of Agerola, and ends in Nocelle, a hamlet high above Positano. From Nocelle you take a local bus or walk down roughly 1,700 steps towards Positano.
How long does it take?
CAI puts the Bomerano to Nocelle section at about 2 hours. Add stops for photos, and the descent to Positano if you walk it, and most people spend 3–4 hours door to door.
Is it hard?
CAI grades it E: a proper hiking path, not a technical route. It’s mostly downhill in the usual direction. The challenges are uneven stone, some exposed stretches without railings, and the heat.
Do I need a ticket or a guide?
No. The trail is free and open all year, and the waymarking is good. A guided tour is optional: its main value is transport to the start and back. See guided or self-guided.
Which direction should I walk?
From Bomerano to Nocelle. It starts higher, so you descend more than you climb, and you have the coast and Positano in front of you the whole way.