The Mountains Behind the Sea
When visitors picture the Amalfi Coast, they imagine vertical cliffs plunging into a turquoise sea, pastel-colored villages clinging to precipitous slopes, and winding roads carved into the rock face. What many do not realize is that all of this drama exists because of what lies behind: the Lattari Mountains, a rugged limestone range that forms the spine of the Sorrentine Peninsula and creates the spectacular backdrop to everything the Amalfi Coast is famous for. Exploring the Lattari Mountains behind the Amalfi Coast reveals a completely different world — one of alpine meadows, ancient forests, hilltop villages, and panoramic trails that offer some of the most rewarding outdoor experiences in southern Italy.
Understanding the Lattari Range
The Monti Lattari extend roughly 30 kilometers from east to west across the Sorrentine Peninsula, separating the Bay of Naples to the north from the Amalfi Coast to the south. The highest peak, Monte Sant’Angelo a Tre Pizzi, reaches 1,444 meters — a substantial altitude that creates dramatic elevation changes within remarkably short horizontal distances. It is not uncommon to start a hike at sea level and find yourself at over 1,000 meters within just a few hours.
The mountains take their name from the Latin word “lac” (milk), a reference to the dairy farming that has been practiced on their slopes since antiquity. Today, the Lattari are part of a regional park (Parco Regionale dei Monti Lattari) that protects their forests, biodiversity, and traditional agricultural landscapes.
The geology is predominantly limestone, which accounts for the coast’s dramatic karst features: sea caves, natural arches, deep gorges, and the underground springs that powered Amalfi’s ancient paper mills. The limestone also creates the distinctive white and grey cliffs that contrast so strikingly with the blue sea below.
The Best Hiking Trails
The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei)
The most famous trail in the Lattari, and one of the most celebrated in all of Italy, the Path of the Gods traverses the mountains between Agerola (Bomerano) and Nocelle, high above Positano. The roughly 7-kilometer route follows ancient pathways along the cliff edge, offering vertiginous views of the coast far below. Despite its fame, much of the trail passes through genuinely wild terrain, with rocky outcrops, fragrant Mediterranean maquis, and occasional glimpses of peregrine falcons circling on the thermals.
Monte Tre Calli from Agerola
For a more challenging and far less crowded experience, the trail from Agerola to Monte Tre Calli (1,118 meters) rewards hikers with 360-degree panoramas encompassing both the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast simultaneously. The ascent takes approximately two hours from the trailhead in San Lazzaro, passing through beech forests and open alpine meadow. In spring, the mountain meadows are carpeted with wildflowers.
Valle delle Ferriere
This protected nature reserve occupies a deep, shaded gorge behind Amalfi town. The trail descends through lush subtropical vegetation, including giant ferns and moss-covered waterfalls, to reach an environment that feels more like a tropical rainforest than the Mediterranean. The Valle delle Ferriere takes its name from the iron foundries (ferriere) that once operated here, powered by the same mountain streams that later drove the paper mills. The trail is approximately 5 kilometers each way and is moderately challenging due to the steep return climb.
Monte Faito
Accessible by cable car from Castellammare di Stabia on the northern side of the peninsula, Monte Faito (1,131 meters) offers extensive trail networks through beech and chestnut forests. The summit provides exceptional views across the Bay of Naples toward Vesuvius, Ischia, and Capri. It is notably cooler than the coast even in midsummer, making it a welcome escape from the August heat.
The Mountain Villages
Scattered across the Lattari slopes are villages that seem barely touched by the tourism that dominates the coast below. These settlements offer a glimpse into a way of life that has changed remarkably little over the centuries.
- Agerola: Perched at around 600 meters, this farming community is famous for its dairy products, particularly fior di latte mozzarella and a local blue cheese called provolone del monaco. It is also the starting point for the Path of the Gods and several other trails.
- Tramonti: A scattered municipality of 13 small hamlets spread across a hidden valley behind Ravello and Maiori. Tramonti is known for its wine production — it is one of the few areas on the coast that produces significant quantities — and for its wood-fired pizza tradition, which some claim predates even Naples.
- Scala: The oldest settlement on the Amalfi Coast, Scala sits on the mountainside directly across the valley from Ravello. It offers extraordinary views and a profound sense of history without any of the crowds.
- Pontone: A tiny hamlet above Amalfi, Pontone is the gateway to the Torre dello Ziro, a ruined watchtower offering one of the most spectacular viewpoints on the coast.
Food from the Mountains
The cuisine of the Lattari Mountains is distinctly different from the seafood-dominated menus of the coast. Here, the emphasis is on dairy, charcuterie, wild herbs, chestnuts, and the produce of mountain gardens:
- Fior di latte di Agerola: Often considered the finest cow’s-milk mozzarella in Italy, made from the milk of cows grazing on mountain pastures rich in wild herbs
- Chestnut dishes: In autumn, the Lattari forests produce abundant chestnuts, used in soups, desserts, and the production of chestnut flour for bread and pasta
- Wild herb foraging: Local cooks gather wild fennel, oregano, mint, and dozens of other herbs from the mountain slopes, infusing their dishes with intense, aromatic flavors
- Mountain wines: The vineyards of Tramonti and other mountain villages produce distinctive wines from local grape varieties grown on steep terraces at elevation
Getting to the Lattari Mountains
The mountain villages are connected to the coast by narrow, winding roads that can be challenging to navigate independently. Local bus services exist but are infrequent, particularly on weekends and in the off-season. For hikers and visitors who want to explore the mountains without the logistical headaches, a private transfer with Positano Style Limo is the most practical solution. Your driver can drop you at the trailhead, wait in the village, and collect you after your hike or lunch — a level of flexibility that public transport simply cannot match.
A Different Amalfi Coast
The Lattari Mountains are the Amalfi Coast’s best-kept secret — the wild, green, and ancient counterpart to the glamorous seaside below. They offer solitude where the coast offers spectacle, rural tradition where the coast offers tourism, and physical challenge where the coast offers relaxation. For travelers who want to understand this region fully, the mountains are not optional — they are essential. The Amalfi Coast is not just a coastline. It is a landscape shaped by the dramatic meeting of mountain and sea, and to experience only one half is to miss half the story.