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2012 Active: Amalfi Coast Local Living (EIAL)
Countries Visited: Italy
Trip Style: Active - Challenging physical adventure meets fully immersive exploration-our Active trips are made for outdoor enthusiasts. From trekking and biking to whitewater rafting and kayaking, work up a sweat as you venture off the beaten path.
Service Level: Standard - authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home
Physical Demands Rating: 3 - May include outdoor endeavours like hiking, biking, rafting, or kayaking. Requires an average level of fitness.
Group Size: Min 4, Max 12
Meals Included: 7 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 6 Dinners
Accommodations: Small locally-owned guest house/agriturismo (7 nts)
Highlights
Hiking beautiful trails including the famous Walk of the Gods, learning about the fate of Pompei from your expert local guide, exploring chic resort towns and historic villages.
Description
Charming hilltop towns, acres of lemon groves and vineyards, mile after mile of stunning cliffs kissed by cobalt-blue watersâ?¦ its official name is the 'Amalfi Coast,' but this magical land answers to 'heaven.' On this trip, you'll live like one of the region's (incredibly lucky) locals, discovering the small towns, mountain trails and local customs of this uniquely beautiful place. Explore the ruins of Pompeii in the morning, hike the coastline of the Med by afternoon, and tuck into bed at your sixteenth-century monastery home base at sundown. Paradise incarnate.
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| Call (202) 584-3700 for more information or to book today! Mention code 10409448 | | G Adventures | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Naples | Day 1 Naples
Welcome to Naples, ready for the best pizza of the world!
Please make every effort to arrive in time for this important meeting. If you are delayed and will arrive late, please inform the hotel or us directly- contact numbers are provided in these notes. Your Tour Leader will then leave you a message at the front desk informing you of where and when to meet up.
Why not take the chance today to join your group leader after the welcome meeting at an optional group diner to eat the dish Naples is famous for - pizza! | | Day 2 | Sant Alfonso | Day 2 Pompei day trip, Sant Alfonso (B,D)
Today we head off by private transport to our accommodation in Sant Alfonso. Enroute we will visit the famed site of Pompeii, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, near Naples. One of Italy's best-known sites, this unique visit is truly an amazing experience. After our guided tour with an expert local guide, there will be some free time to explore on your own, before heading to our accommodation.
For the duration of our trip we stay at the Agriturismo Saint Alfonso. Located in the tiny village of Sant Alfonso, our accommodation was formerly a 16th century monastery - the friendly and hospitable staff are unsurpassed. The monastery is surrounded by colourful gardens, open terraces and endless staircases leading out to lemon tree groves and grape vines. Enjoy your meals in an open-air dining area that overlooks the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Estimated Travel Time: 1hr to Pompei and 1.5hrs Pompei to Sant'Alfonso | | Day 3 | Sant Alfonso | Day 3 Valle delle Ferriere hike, Sant Alfonso ( B,L, D)
Walk through meadows to the lush verdant flora and beautiful waterfalls of the Valle delle Ferriere National Park. The bustle of the Amalfi Coast is only a few miles away as the crow flies, but away from the throng we have the chance to savour the quieter surrounds.
Valle delle Ferriere is a Unesco-listed natural wonder, with sparkling waterfalls, and renowned for its rare and beautiful flowers. It is also home to the oldest remaining paper mills in Europe. Paper manufacture is one of the traditional crafts of this area and there are two remaining working paper mills, which you are welcome to visit. Amalfi also has a Paper Museum where you can learn more about this ancient craft and the local people who made their living from it.
We will picnic on our walk today - you may even have the chance to have a go at making your own pizza or calzone to take with you!
Note - we may swap the picnic lunch to another day, depending on the weather and other logistical factors
**Check walk does in fact go past the mills**
**Check length of walk in hours** | | Day 4 | Sant Alfonso | Day 4 Ravello, Amalfi, Sant Alfonso (B,D)
We set off early on the steep but delightful walk along the many stone steps to the town of Amalifi and then onwards to the lovely hilltop town of Ravello.(You may choose to walk the whole way or you may wish to catch the local bus for part of the journey)
**Check the details of this hike**
Ravello is famous for the beauty of its situation, perched high above the azure Mediterranean with stunning views in all directions, and for its musical associations. The scenery here inspired many poets, artists and musicians, most prominent amongst them Wagner.
After free time for you to to visit the Villa Rufolo and the Cathedral if you wish, we walk down a quiet footpath to the tiny coastal village of Atrani. From here we follow back streets and improbably tiny alleyways to return to Amalfi and thence our agriturismo home.
Tonight we will enjoy a real treat for our Local Living experience. Our local hosts will show us how to make some delicious dishes to traditional regional recipes, using local produce. Indeed, depending of course on the season, you may well be selecting and picking your own dinner from the vegetable patch and orchards before cooking it! | | Day 5 | Sant Alfonso | Day 5 Tre Calle hike, Sant Alfonso ( B,D)
Today's hike takes us to the mountain slopes of Mount Tre Calli. We begin from Bomerano and hike uphill through woodland and then open slopes with magnificent glimpses down to the sparkling Mediterranean sea.
**Check length of walk. Also can we start direct from the agriturismo or do we need to take a bus?** | | Day 6 | Sant Alfonso | Day 6 Free day, Sant Alfonso (B,D)
Today is a free day for you to enjoy more sites of your choice along the Amalfi Coast.
Perhaps a visit to the famous resort islands of Capri or Ischaia, with their stunning scenery, entices you. There is a regular boat service from Amalfi to Capri and it is a very pleasant and popular day trip. We also have details of more beautiful walks in the area if you would like to do another day's hiking. Amalfi's famous historic Cathedral should not be missed, or simply hit the beach for some R&R. | | Day 7 | Sant Alfonso | Day 7 Walk of the Gods hike, Sant Alfonso (B,D)
Probably the most famous walk of the Amalfi region, the trail climbs along ridges high above the coastal towns of Positano and Praiano, we hike the ancient trails, once the only road connecting these two villages. The path can be rough underfoot and a little exposed, but well worth it for the spectacular scenery and the chance to be so close to nature and "the Gods".
The outstanding beauty of the Amalfi Coast can only be fully appreciated on foot. Follow ancient paths and trails linking isolated farms, villages, churches and monasteries. Most of the walking offers amazing views to the rugged coastline below with wonderful vistas from village to village. There are plenty of opportunities to visit ancient villages and exquisite churches.
We take a morning bus to the small town of Bomerano, perched in the hills high above the sparkling sea. Then we follow a delightful path , narrow and with sensational views down to the sea far below, on our walk to the village of Montepertuso and down to Positano. We will walk past abandoned farmhouses and lemon groves, across high mountain pastures and through woodland, and finally down to holltop villages and then steeply down to the coast again.
The walk finishes in Positano, from where we catch a bus (regular public service) back to Amalfi. You will have time if you wish to explore the bustling resort town of Positano before heading back to our base in Amalfi.
**After working up an appetite you will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy fresh seafood caught daily, fine wines, delicious home cooked Italian cuisine, and spectacular pastries and ice creams** - should this sentence be here??
Estimated Travel Time: 45 minutes (one-way) ** check whether we need a transfer to start, and how long the bus back from Positano takes**
Estimated Walking Time: 5-6 hours | | Day 8 | Sant Alfonso | Day 8 Sant Alfonso (B)
Depart any time. |
| | Local Flights: If required all local flights are included in the cost of your tours unless otherwise noted. It is important that we have your passport information at the time of booking in order to process these tickets. Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to the flight departure.
Dossier Disclaimer: The information in this trip details document has been compiled with care and is provided in good faith. However it is subject to change, and does not form part of the contract between the client and the operator. The itinerary featured is correct at time of printing. It may differ slightly to the one in the brochure. Occasionally our itineraries change as we make improvements that stem from past travellers, comments and our own research. Sometimes it can be a small change like adding an extra meal along the itinerary. Sometimes the change may result in us altering the tour for the coming year. Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with the most rewarding experience. Please note that our brochure is usually released in November each year. If you have booked from the previous brochure you may find there have been some changes to the itinerary.
VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure that you print a final copy of your Trip Details to review a couple of days prior to travel, in case there have been changes that affect your plans.
Itinerary Disclaimer: While it is our intention to adhere to the route described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The Trip Details document is a general guide to the tour and region and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Aboard expedition trips visits to research stations depend on final permission.
Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances. |
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