Valley of the Mills

The best choice for a naturalistic excursion on the Amalfi Coast, immersing yourself in the history and rurality of a place hidden by a "Natural Reserve" in the heart of Amalfi.

DESCRIPTION OF THE WALK

Starting from the small square of Pontone you follow the signs to the Valle delle Ferriere, also known as "Valley of the Mills". You will pass through the small medieval village hamlet of Pontone (Scala), the oldest town on the Amalfi Coast. Along the first part of the path you can enjoy the view of Amalfi from a differente point of view walking through the lemon groves, typical cultivation of these places. After about an hour's walk you reach a junction where you must turn right towards the strict nature reserve.Walking Along the river Canneto, you get to the place most famous with its waterfalls and its rare plants.
On rainy days it can be easier to meet the rare "Salamandrina" (Salamandra terdigitata), fascinating endemic amphibian or maybe some other endemic newts.
From the reserve you walk back untill the junctions and take the downhill path in the direction of Amalfi. Here you go through the ruins of the old paper mills where they use to produce the famous "Carta d'Amalfi" (paper made by a medieval system). After about an hour of walking you will arrive near the Paper Museum. From the museum it take five minutes to reach the Duomo and the adjacent piazza Flavio Gioia where you can take a SITA bus: 10 minutes back to Pontone. Otherwise you can end the way reaching the starting point along the ancient staircases uphill next to the high school of Amalfi.

USEFUL INFORMATIONS

• hike in a fairy-tale atmosphere, surrounded by waterfalls.
• discover Amalfi industrial archeology and the anciet history of the Marinary Republic
• walk along the Medieval alleys of the oldest settlement of the Amalfi Coast;
• Round walk, so starts and ends at same place, Amalfi centre !
• Easy to reach with public transport, from both palces, Amalfi or Sorrento.
• path very cool and always in the shade, excellent scleta for summer walks on the Amalfi Coast !
• easy and quick walk to do in a few hours.