The Sentiero degli Dei — Path of the Gods — was not built for tourism. Carved by shepherds and farmers between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, the narrow limestone route connected mountain villages above Positano to the hamlet of Nocelle, 600 metres above the Tyrrhenian Sea. For centuries it remained a working trail, used to move livestock and goods between the coastal towns and the high pastures of the Lattari Mountains. Today it is the most walked route on the Amalfi Coast, traversed by 200,000 hikers annually, its ancient flagstones worn smooth by boots and sandals. Amalfi Coast walking tours follow a network of trails that predate modern roads. The coastal highway — Strada Statale 163 — was only completed in 1853, before which the primary routes between villages were footpaths etched into cliffs and terraced slopes. Valle delle Ferriere, a canyon trail above Amalfi town, passes the ruins of medieval paper mills and iron forges that once powered the Republic of Amalfi's economy. The trail to Punta Campanella, at the peninsula's southern tip, follows a Roman road used by legionaries travelling between Sorrento and Capri. These paths were engineered for function, not beauty, but their alignment along ridgelines and through chestnut forests has made them some of the most dramatic trekking routes in southern Italy. The terrain is steep and unforgiving. Most trails gain between 400 and 700 metres in elevation over distances of five to eight kilometres. The Path of the Gods climbs from Bomerano at 650 metres to a high point of 650 metres before descending sharply to Nocelle at 450 metres, with gradients that reach 15 per cent on switchback sections. Stone steps, some original and some restored by local municipalities in the 1990s, make the steepest passages navigable. The trails are open year-round and require no permit or fee, though summer heat — regularly exceeding 30 degrees Celsius between June and August — makes early morning departures advisable. The clifftop exposure means wind can be strong, and winter rain renders flagstones slippery. Guided walking tours typically follow the Path of the Gods or combine shorter segments of Valle delle Ferriere with boat transfers along the coast. Private groups hire licensed mountain guides from Positano and Praiano, who provide context on the trails' agricultural history and point out endemic flora including the rare Woodwardia radicans fern, a Tertiary-period relic found only in the Valle delle Ferriere's microclimate. Self-guided walkers rely on SITA bus connections between trailheads, though schedules are irregular outside peak season.