Me and my wife will be staying in Amalfi next Sunday (end of March). On Tuesday noon we must be at Naples train station. What would be the best place to stay for the night along the way from Amalfi to Naples, if we would like to do the Path of Gods trail in between?
One option, is probably Positano. Then on Monday we would need to get there, drop luggage there, head for Nocelle and do the trail, taking buses back or just going the same direction back. But this means that one the Tuesday we will have to get up pretty early to get to Sorrento and then via Train to Naples.
Second option is to sleep at Sorrento. But then on Monday, we need to get from Amalfi to somewhere near the start of the trail, store the luggage, then walk Path of the Gods, and then claim the baggage and continue to Sorrento. Where would be OK to leave the suitcase for those 3-4 hours?
Which one is easier? Or maybe some third option?
P.S. Thanks for the fast and informative reply on the previous topic!
Path of the Gods (Sentiero Degli Dei) can be done in both directions: Nocelle - Agerola or Agerola - Nocelle. That is, to do it in its full length as there are options to do it halfway and get down to Praiano or start from Praiano and go either in the Nocelle or Agerola direction.
I would advise for Agerola - Nocelle direction. This way you will always be looking towards the tip of the Costiera Sorrentina and a bit further away you will see the Isle of Capri and then from the middle of the path onwards you will also be facing some breathtaking views of Positano. Doing it in the Nocelle - Agerola direction feels a bit like walking backwards as the most interesting scenery will be behind you. If you already did the Agerola - Nocelle direction, then by all means I recommend going in the opposite direction the 2nd time for a change of perspective/scenery.
Staying in Amalfi would be the easiest in terms of logistics:
Take the Amalfi - Agerola bus (~40 minutes ride) and get off in Bomerano (Agerola is a very spread out town with lots of frazioni, Bomerano being one of them). Usually the driver will announce the Bomerano stop as it’s a popular stop for tourists. When you board the bus you can politely ask him if he can announce the Bomerano stop for the Path of the Gods just to be sure and he will oblige.
Once in Bomerano, there will be signs signaling the trail in the opposite corner of the piazza where you get off.
Take your time, have the camera on full battery, stay safe and enjoy the path.
When you reach Nocelle at the end of the path you have 2 options after a well deserved break in the piazza:
I concur with everything @Dan said above, only that I would suggest to take the ferry from Positano back to Amalfi instead of the bus. You will get to see from the sea the trip up in the mountains you just did.
Doing the Path of the Gods from Sorrento is not very appealing, due to the distance involved (at least an extra ~2 hours bus ride one-way), unless there’s no other alternative. So, just extend your stay in Amalfi, do the path on Monday and leave on Tuesday for Naples.
Thank you! Great idea with the ferry we are going to use it. And thank you Dan!
So now a more detailed question. Getting from Positano to Bomerano via buses.
One site (pathofgods.com) mentions: “Just after Grotta dello Smeraldo lays the crossroad to Agerola. Ask the driver to stop at the crossroad and wait the other bus to Agerola – Bomerano”.
But looking at movit app paths of the SITA buses, it seems that I need to get off and then on on the Bivio Lone station. So which one is true?
Bivio Lone station is after the Grotta dello Smeraldo, indeed, but not quite “just after”, as there’s still some distance until the intersection with the road to Agerola that the SITA bus from Amalfi will take. Do not get off at the Grotta dello Smeraldo.
You should be able to see in this screenshot I took from Google Maps where Grotta dello Smeraldo is (lower left of the picture) and where Bivio Lone is (upper right of the picture).
This “getting off early business” is worth doing if the bus to Amalfi is late on time (you haven’t arrived in Amalfi and the bus towards Agerola already departed). This way, you save a few minutes (Amalfi is really close from this point) and might catch the already departed bus from Amalfi by meeting it in the middle that otherwise you wouldn’t.
if you get off at the Agerola intersection, make sure to wait for the Amalfi - Agerola bus on the right side of the road (on the mountainside). Also, be sure to signal it to stop even if you are waiting right in the station;
otherwise, simply get off in Amalfi and board the Agerola bus;
