Walkers Britain | Walking in Amalfi & Cilento: A Travellers' Tale

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My husband and I love a good adventure! We live in the beautiful state of Arizona with the majestic Grand Canyon just 3 hours away. We have hiked to the bottom of the Canyon over a dozen times and even completed the round trip in one day* on my 50th birthday.
We have years of long distance cycling in our backgrounds and have toured by bicycle for over 20 thousand miles in the United States. Our favourite tours were done on our tandem bicycle with over 50 pounds of camping gear attached! We always rode long days averaging 120 miles per day. Those days are behind us and we have now taken to self-guided walking tours and have thoroughly been enjoying this type of travel.

In October 2021 Cindy and her husband were lucky to be able to travel to Italy from the USA and complete our Cilento and Amalfi Highlights self guided walking holiday. Read the interview with them about their trip.

Why did you choose Amalfi & Cilento for your walking holiday?

We chose Italy for our recent walking tour for the reasons that most people have who want to see Italy: the scenery, the culture and the FOOD! We love to travel coastlines where we can enjoy views of water and the Walkers’ Britain 10-day Cilento and Amalfi Coast tour fitted our desires perfectly. I had always wanted to swim in the Mediterranean Sea!

Cindy and her husband on one of their many tandem rides | <i>Cindy S.</i>

Traveller Cindy and her husband taking a selfie with the Amalfi Coast | <i>Cindy S.</i>

All the villages in the Cilento area were less crowded with tourists and the people were so inviting and friendly.

How did you prepare for your walking trip in Italy?

We keep our fitness by hiking the beautiful Sonoran Desert. It is the only place in the world where the Saguaro Cactus grows. The winter months are best for this, but as we live local, we hike in the wee hours of the morning in summer to beat the 120-degree days. We have mountains in the desert that can challenge us and afford hours of solitude away from the noise of our city.

>> Find out more about the trip that Cindy & her husband did

Which was your favourite destination in this part of Italy?

Our favorite destination was the climb up Mt. Stella in Cilento. We enjoyed the view of the Mediterranean from such a high vantage point and the challenge of the climb [the walk follows the Alte Via, or High Way and passes chestnut woods, the historical site of Castelluccio and a chapel]. The area is so quiet and beautiful. All the villages in the Cilento area were less crowded with tourists and the people were so inviting and friendly.

Walking into one of the stunning villages along the Amalfi Coast

Do you like to say anything about your accommodation?

Our stay in Rocca Cilento at the L’Antico Convento was spectacular for many reasons. Our hosts Paulo and Connie could not have made our trip any better. We had a view from our room of the mountains and villages below. We woke up to the sound of church bells on our first night and it set a beautiful tone for our three days there. We were fed the best meals both morning and night, with the delicious olive oil and organic wine from this region. Roasted vegetables slathered in the local olive oil were my favorite.

Hikers in Cilento with host Connie | <i>Cindy S.</i>

One of the reasons to visit Italy is the food - buon appetito! | <i>Cindy S.</i>

The organic Italian wine served in Rocca Cilento on our walking holiday | <i>Cindy S.</i>

What was the biggest surprise of walking along the Amalfi Coast or in Cilento?

Training for the steps along the Amalfi coast is a good idea | <i>Cindy S.</i>

The Amalfi Coast surprised us with the sheer amount of stairs. The hike up to Ravello through the “Valle dei Mulini” was magical with the terraces of olives and lemons.
The “pathway to the Gods” or Sentiero degli Dei was the most challenging, but the view was worth all those stairs! We enjoyed our picnic at the monastery San Domenico before the long descent into Positano.

I highly recommend this trip and look forward to our next walk with Walkers’ Britain.

*Park rangers strongly advise against completing the round trip of Grand Canyon in one day as they rescue many people who attempt this.