The Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods, the Amalfi Coast high-trail from Agerola to Nocelle above Positano) is the most dramatic coastal walking route in Italy — and one of the most specifically located trails in Europe, running along the limestone ridge at approximately 500–650 metres above sea level with continuous views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Li Galli archipelago (the three islands said to be the site of the Sirens in Homer's Odyssey), and the Amalfi Coast from Positano to Conca dei Marini below. The trail name: the specific 'Path of the Gods' name derives from the local tradition that the mountain ridge was so high above the human world that only gods could walk there — and from the specific difficulty (the narrow limestone path with drop-offs on the coastal side) that made it inaccessible to casual walkers before modern trail maintenance. The trail reality in 2026: the Sentiero degli Dei is well-marked (red-white CAI trail markers at regular intervals), the surface is predominantly packed gravel and loose limestone with some rock steps, and the gradient is gentle in the central section but steep at both the Agerola start and the Nocelle descent. The trail is not technically difficult — it requires hiking footwear and care on the wet stone sections, not rope skills or technical equipment. Amalfi Coast guide
Plan my Italy trip →Route: Agerola (Bomerano) → Nocelle → Positano; approximately 8 km one-way | Duration: 3–4 hours walking; 4–5 hours with stops | Altitude: 500–650 metres above sea level | Difficulty: Medium–Difficult (CAI E, Escursionistico); suitable for fit walkers with hiking shoes | Season: April–October; wet winter conditions make the trail dangerous | Access: SITA bus to Agerola from Amalfi (1h) or Positano (45 min)
The Sentiero degli Dei (CAI trail 327) begins at Bomerano in the municipality of Agerola (reached by the SITA bus from Amalfi or Positano — the Agerola bus stop is the Piazza Paolo Capasso, the town square; the trail head is signposted from there). The initial section from Bomerano descends slightly before rising to the main ridge — the first 20 minutes are in a chestnut and oak forest that gives no view and feels like any Apennine walk. Then the ridge opens and the specific Sentiero degli Dei view appears: the Tyrrhenian coast from east to west, the vertical limestone cliffs of the Lattari mountains dropping to the sea below, and on a clear day the Li Galli islands (the Sirenuse archipelago, where Greek mythology placed the Sirens who tried to lure Odysseus) floating in the gulf to the southwest. The middle section of the trail (roughly km 2–6 from Bomerano) is the most open and most photographed: a narrow limestone path on the coastal side of the ridge, with the cliff drop to the sea on the south face and the more gentle inland slope on the north face. This is the section where the specific altitude feeling is most intense — 600 metres is not high for an Alpine standard, but above a vertical sea cliff it creates a specific sensation of exposure. The Nocelle descent (the last 2 km of the trail): a steep descent of approximately 300 steps cut into the limestone cliff, descending from the trail level at approximately 400 metres to the Nocelle hamlet (an isolated village of approximately 50 residents, no road access, on the cliff face above Positano). From Nocelle, a further 15 minutes descent on steps reaches the Positano road. Amalfi Coast guide
The Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods) is an 8-km hiking trail along the Lattari mountain ridge above the Amalfi Coast, running from Agerola (Bomerano) to Nocelle above Positano at approximately 500–650 metres above sea level. Duration 3–4 hours walking. The trail gives continuous views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Amalfi Coast, and the Li Galli islands. CAI difficulty rating: E (Escursionistico — suitable for fit walkers with hiking shoes; not technical climbing). Best season April–October; dangerous in wet winter conditions due to slippery limestone.
Sentiero degli Dei difficulty: the trail is rated CAI 'E' (Escursionistico) — medium difficulty by Italian hiking standards, meaning: suitable for walkers in reasonable physical condition wearing appropriate hiking footwear (not flat-soled trainers); no technical equipment required; some exposed sections require care. The specific difficulty factors: the loose limestone gravel that can slide underfoot on the steeper sections; the exposed ridgeline in wind or rain; and the steep 300-step descent at Nocelle (the most technically demanding single section). The trail is NOT suitable for sandals, flip-flops, or smooth-soled trainers. It IS suitable for fit adults and older teenagers with good hiking boots and a reasonable stamina level.
Sentiero degli Dei access: from Amalfi, take the SITA bus to Agerola (Bomerano stop — the Piazza Paolo Capasso; approximately 1 hour, EUR 1.30; buses run approximately every 2 hours in summer, check horarii.it for current times). From Positano, take the SITA bus in the opposite direction to Agerola (approximately 45 minutes). The specific logistics for a one-way walk: take the morning bus from Amalfi to Agerola; walk the Sentiero degli Dei (3–4 hours) ending at Nocelle above Positano; descend to Positano (15 minutes from Nocelle); take the ferry from Positano back to Amalfi (approximately EUR 10–15 one-way in summer). This gives the most efficient one-way circuit without retracing steps.
Footwear for the Sentiero degli Dei: hiking boots or trail running shoes with good grip are required — the loose limestone gravel and the wet rock sections in early morning or after rain are the specific surfaces where inadequate footwear creates a fall risk. The specific shoes to avoid: flat-soled trainers (no grip on the limestone), sandals (ankle protection needed), and rubber-soled shoes without tread (slides on the polished rock steps). The minimum acceptable footwear: a trail running shoe with a lugged rubber sole (the standard trail running shoe is adequate for the Sentiero degli Dei in dry conditions). Trekking poles are useful but not mandatory.
Best season for the Sentiero degli Dei: April–June and September–October. The spring season (April–May): the Mediterranean maquis is in flower (wild rosemary, thyme, broom) and the path edges have the specific perfumed quality of the Amalfi spring; temperatures are cool (18–24 degrees); relatively few walkers on weekdays. The autumn season (September–October): the most photographically rewarding light (the lower autumn sun angle emphasises the cliff geometry and the sea colour); temperatures comfortable for walking. Avoid July–August on hot days: the south-facing exposed limestone sections of the trail absorb heat and the temperature on the trail can reach 35–40 degrees on a hot August day; walk early morning only in summer.
SITA bus Amalfi-Agerola morning + Sentiero degli Dei 3–4 hours + Nocelle descent 300 steps + Positano ferry return to Amalfi.
Plan my trip →Other Amalfi Coast walking trails: the Valle delle Ferriere (the ravine walk from Amalfi town into the inland valley — approximately 5 km round trip, passing through the only surviving wild papyrus forest in continental Europe, the Amalfi paper mill ruins, and the specific Mediterranean forest of lemon, chestnut, and fern; 2 hours round trip; moderate difficulty); the Sentiero dei Limoni (the Lemon Trail, connecting Maiori and Minori along the terraced hillside above the coast through lemon groves — approximately 3 km, 2 hours; the most fragrant walk on the coast in spring when the limoni sfusato amalfitano are flowering); and the Bomerano–Santa Maria del Castello–Conca dei Marini trail (a less-hiked loop trail from the Agerola plateau giving a different perspective on the coast than the Sentiero degli Dei; approximately 10 km, 4–5 hours).
The specific best viewpoints on the Sentiero degli Dei: the ridgeline section between approximately km 3 and km 5 from the Bomerano trailhead gives the most open 180-degree view of the coast — the full Amalfi coastline from Positano to Conca dei Marini, the Li Galli islands (the Sirenuse), and on clear days the profile of Capri at the far south. The specific mid-trail photography viewpoint: a series of flat limestone rock outcrops on the coastal side of the trail at approximately the trail midpoint give the clearest unobstructed coastal view without trail infrastructure in the frame. The early morning light (7–9am from Bomerano) illuminates the coast from the east and gives the most specific atmospheric photography conditions — the morning haze over the sea and the light on the white-and-pastel house facades of Positano below.
The Li Galli (also called the Sirenuse — the Siren Islands) are three small rocky islands visible from the Sentiero degli Dei trail: the Gallo Lungo (the largest, approximately 450 metres long), the Rotonda (round), and the Castelluccio (small). In ancient mythology, the Sirens (the creatures who lured sailors to their deaths with their song) were placed on these specific islands by later commentators on the Odyssey — the islands' rocky isolation and the specific maritime danger of the waters between them suggested the Siren habitat. The Li Galli were privately owned in the 20th century by Rudolf Nureyev (who bought the islands in 1988 and is buried on the Castelluccio island); they are now a small private hotel and not generally accessible. Visible from the Sentiero degli Dei as three dark shapes in the gulf, approximately 7 km offshore from Positano.
Sentiero degli Dei car access: the Agerola plateau (where the trail begins in Bomerano) is accessible by car from Amalfi (the SP41/SP21 mountain road, approximately 16 km, 35 minutes — the road is narrow and winding; rental cars with a small footprint are strongly recommended; larger vehicles have difficulty at some points). Parking in Bomerano: a small public parking area near the trailhead; spaces fill quickly on summer weekends. The return from Nocelle/Positano: if you have left a car in Bomerano, you must return to the start (either retrace the trail, approximately 4 hours additional walking, or take the Positano-Agerola SITA bus back to the start, approximately 45 minutes). The most efficient car strategy for the Sentiero degli Dei: leave one car in Positano and take the SITA bus to Agerola; walk the trail to Positano and retrieve the car. Two cars (one in each location) requires two drivers.
Sentiero degli Dei food and water: the trail has no water sources and no food stalls along the route (the Bomerano trailhead has a small bar; the Nocelle village has one bar restaurant). Carry: 1.5–2 litres of water per person (the summer heat and the exposed ridgeline sections create significant fluid loss; July–August hikers typically need 2+ litres per person); energy snacks (the 3–4 hour hike is within a single meal period for most people — a pre-hike breakfast in Agerola and a post-hike lunch at Nocelle or Positano is the standard Sentiero degli Dei food structure). The specific Nocelle bar restaurant (Bar Il Rifugio, at the end of the descent from the Sentiero degli Dei into the Nocelle village): the post-hike lemon granita or the lemon sorbet with prosecco (the granita di limone sfusato amalfitano, made from the specific large Amalfi lemon variety) is the most specifically rewarding end-of-trail food in Italy.
The specific Sentiero degli Dei photography hotspot: the limestone rock platform at approximately the trail midpoint (km 4 from Bomerano) where the path widens and a series of flat rocks on the coastal edge give an unobstructed south view of the full Amalfi Coast. From this point: Positano visible on the left (west), the Li Galli islands floating in the gulf to the southwest, the Capri profile visible on clear days at the far south, and the limestone cliff dropping approximately 500 metres to the sea below. The morning light (7–9am from Bomerano) illuminates the coast from the east, giving warm side-lighting on the vertical white-and-ochre cliff faces. The afternoon light (3–5pm from Nocelle direction) gives the haze-gold late Mediterranean light that the specifically southern Italian summer produces. The most characteristic photograph: looking back westward from the ridgeline toward the Li Galli and Positano with the trail winding ahead, taken from approximately 3 metres off the main path on the coastal rock edge.