Amalfi / Island of Capri / Ferriere Nature Reserve

Community Highlights Europe Amalfi / Island of Capri / Ferriere Nature Reserve

Island of Capri

Tuesday, May 28

Today we took an early bus to Amalfi where we caught a boat to the island of Capri. The view from the ferry ride gave us an unobstructed panorama of the coast where you could see clusters of villages clinging to the dramatic cliff face. Capri has been high up on holiday bucket lists since the Roman times when it was visited as a coastal resort. Capri is petite, measuring just seven kilometres long and 3 kilometres wide with 600-metre-high cliffs.

We did about a three-hour island walk winding through the vibrant streets with boutiques and cafes towards the coast and heading to less populated parts of the island to climb the limestone cliffs for a spectacular view of the mainland and the Mediterranean that separates us. That covered 10 kilometres/6.2 miles and had a total ascent and descent of 400 metres/1,312 feet.

After our walk, we had some free time to explore Capri's main town before heading back to the mainland. A few of decided to have a drink in the main square which was extremely busy. We took the funicular back down which was not very impressive. The walk was much nicer. With only a bit more time to spare, a few of us went for a quick swim in the sea which was extremely refreshing.

It was time to catch the ferry back to the mainland. It was a nice, hot sunny day and the boat ride was very enjoyable. Back in Amalfi, we took the bus back to our hotel.

Ferriere Nature Reserve

Wednesday, May 29
Today's walk started at our hotel and more stairways took us high above San Lazzaro, rewarding us with views towards Salerno and Campania's scattered villages and towns. We worked our way past woodlands and valleys before crossing the Vallone di Ferriere. Surrounded by limestone cliffs, this valley has a unique microclimate, creating a habitat for plant species not commonly found in southern Italy.

We stopped for lunch at a beautiful waterfall before working our way out of the valley. This path had great views of the coast as we descended down 1338 steps to Amalfi. I became assigned the official "step counter" on our walks. It was a good distraction for me. After five hours of walking, covering 13 kilometres/8.1 miles with a total ascent of 360 metres/1,181 feet and descent of 1,015 metres/3,330 feet, we were back in Amalfi.

Claire and I treated ourselves to the decadent lemon delight dessert at one of the posh cafes in the main square. It was just nice to rest our legs and people watch for awhile.