Tom`s travels: Amalfi Coast Walk (02/07/2016)

After reaching my aunt's house in Salerno in southern Italy on the 30th of June, I decided to walk along part of the Amalfi coast and reach the small town of Cetara. So waking up relatively late in the morning, I started my walk around 11am. Leaving the house, I followed the road that went uphill from Salerno to the town of Vietri sul Mare, and after about 30 minutes walk I reached the aforementioned town. I decided not to stop and visit it since I would probably do so on the way back, instead I continued my walk and took a right turn a few hundred meters later up towards the town of Raito. I walked through its small but pretty center, and stopped at probably the only bar in the whole town, to have something to eat. I got a hamburger with fries for only 2,5 eur, and decided to eat it while admiring the beautiful scenery from the main church's entrance over the gulf of Salerno and Vietri. Moving on I then reached the small town of Albori, part of the club the most beautiful villages in Italy. Its narrow streets were really picturesque and mostly empty as it was the hottest part of the day and lunchtime, so I just enjoyed walking through them alone. I then took an off road path leading through olive groves and vineyards overlooking the splendid waters of the Amalfi coast, and then heading back down to the main road. Once on the asphalt I continued walking past curves overlooking amazing beaches and cays, eventually reaching my destination; the town of Cetara. Being it at water level, the town sported an impressive medieval watchtower and a small marina for boats, and I was also able to enter the pretty main church with a baroque interior, a lavish dome made of majolica and a 12th century bell tower. I then decided to spend a few hours relaxing at the local beach, west of the marina, where I sunbathed and swam for a while. It was then time to head back, as I started my walk in the direction of Salerno. Without stopping I reached once again Vietri sul Mare about 1 hour later and decided to walk around it for a while. The main church was unfortunately still closed so I decided not to wait and maybe come back to visit it another day. So after seeing most of it I went back to the main road and concluded the day by reaching Salerno after a long and tiring but thoroughly enjoyable 25km walk.