With its pastel hued villages perched on rocky outcrops overlooking the turquoise blue of the Mediterranean and dramatic views along miles of spectacular coastline, the Amalfi coast is incomparably beautiful. It is also an area of outstanding cultural and historical interest.

On a vertiginous terrain with a shortage of arable land, generations of ingenious farmers have built up a series of breath-taking stone walls to support terraced vineyards and  lemon orchards.    This is a walker’s paradise, as the ancient network of routes leads across a range of stunning landscapes. The crowds and hustle and traffic of the coast are left quickly behind, and in their place are soothing green landscapes, wildflowers and magnificent views in almost every direction.

The journey has been specially designed to mix six days of walking along some of Europe’s most spectacular coastlines with visits to several of Italy’s most important historical sites at Paestum, Pompei and Herculaneum. These marvellous sites offer an unparalleled glimpse into ancient Roman and Greek society and architecture. There are also two nights in the high-octane city of Naples with its tangled layers of history and culture.

The journey is accompanied by Dr Alex Koller and local guide Ms Lucia Ferrara (known to all as Zia Lucy or Aunt Lucy) who comes from a family of fishermen in Positano. Her grandmother was a seamstress and is someone who entertained writers and artists from all over the world. Lucy’s family and friends made her passionate about the coastal mountains and the Mediterranean flora and her mother has passed on legends and folk tales about these enchanted lands and about the secrets they hide. The Amalfi Coast and this region of Italy, Campania, is known for its food, wine and restaurants many of which have been carefully chosen by Lucy and there will be opportunities for food and wine tastings. For on the Amalfi Coast one eats and walks well!

The walks are varied and involve about three to seven hours walking over uneven and in places steep ground.