Lonely Planet Best Day Hikes Italy 1

By Gregor Clark and Brendan Sainsbury

Lonely Planet's Best Day Hikes Italy is your passport to 60 easy escapes into nature. Stretch your legs away from the city by picking a hike that works for you, from a few hours to a full day, from easy to hard. Hike the Dolomites, explore the Italian Lakes, and stroll Sardinia's coast. Get to the heart of Italy and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet's Best Day Hikes Italy Travel Guide: 

Color maps and images throughout

Special features - on Italy's highlights for hikers, kid-friendly hikes, accessible trails and what to take
Best for… section helps you plan your trip and select hikes that appeal to your interests
Region profiles cover when to go, where to stay, what's on, cultural insights, and local food and drink recommendations to refuel and refresh. Featured regions include:
Italian Lakes, Campania & the Amalfi Coast, Abruzzo, Tuscany, Sicily, Dolomites & Stelvio, Sardinia, Umbria & Le Marche, Liguria and Western & Maritime Alps

Essential info at your fingertips - hiking itineraries accompanied by illustrative maps are combined with details about hike duration, distance, terrain, start/end locations and difficulty (classified as easy, easy-moderate, moderate, moderate-hard, or hard)

Over 60 maps

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Best Day Hikes Italy, our most comprehensive guide to hiking in Italy, is perfect for those planning to explore Italy on foot.

Looking for more information on Italy? Check out Lonely Planet's Italy guide for a comprehensive look at what the country has to offer.

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Dec 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781838693145

Gregor Clark

A Gregor Clark, un escritor afincado en Estados Unidos, la pasión por los idiomas y el guto por lo desconocido le han llevado a docenas de países de los cinco continentes. Además, su ansia permanente por viajar ha hecho que visite los 50 estados de EE UU y casi todas las provincias canadienses, en innumerables viajes por carretera a través de su Norteamérica natal. Desde el 2000 colabora regularmente con las guías Lonely Planet, con un énfasis especial en Europa y América y títulos como Italia, Francia, Brasil, Costa Rica, Argentina y Uruguay, Portugal, y New England's Best Trips, y también libros ilustrados de gran formato como Food Trails, The USA Book y The LP Guide to the Middle of Nowhere.

Book preview

Contents

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Contents

Highlights

Best For

With Kids

Accessible Trails

Essentials

Walking in Italy

BY REGION

ITALIAN LAKES

Orrido di Sant’Anna

Greenway al Lago di Como

La Strada del Ponale

Monte Isola Loop

The Slopes of Monte Grona

Monte Baldo: Sentiero del Ventrar

Also Try

CAMPANIA & THE AMALFI COAST

Passeggiata del Pizzolungo

Punta Campanella

Sentiero degli Dei

Valle del Sambuco

Le Tre Marine

Valle delle Ferriere

Santa Maria del Castello Circuit

Also Try

ABRUZZO

Santo Stefano di Sessanio to Rocca Calascio

Above Pescasseroli

Campo Imperatore Ridge

Rocca Ridge

Monte Mileto

Sentiero della Libertà

Also Try

TUSCANY

Panzano to Radda

Castellina to Radda

Certaldo to San Gimignano

Chianti Classico

Tuscan Hill Crests

Medieval Towns & Villages

Also Try

SICILY

Stromboli

Necropoli di Pantalica

La Rocca di Cefalù

Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro

Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari

Fossa di Vulcano

Punta Troia

Also Try

DOLOMITES & STELVIO

Hans & Paula Steger Weg

Passo Gardena to Vallunga

Sassolungo Circuit

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Alpe di Fanes

Pragser Wildsee

Percorso delle Segherie

Adolf Munkel Weg

Also Try

SARDINIA

Cala Goloritzé

Gola di Gorropu

Tiscali

Cala Sisine to Cala Luna

Monte Corrasi

Also Try

UMBRIA & LE MARCHE

Passo del Lupo

Gola dell’Infernaccio

Monte Subasio

Around the Pian Piccolo

Bosco di San Francesco

Also Try

LIGURIA

Levanto to Monterosso

Portofino to San Fruttuoso

Manarola to Corniglia

Sentiero Azzurro

Porto Venere to Riomaggiore

Also Try

WESTERN & MARITIME ALPS

Tour du Mont Blanc

Sella-Herbetet Traverse

Gran Balconata del Cervino

Vallone di Grauson

Rifugio Garelli

Also Try

LANGUAGE

BEHIND THE SCENES

BY DIFFICULTY

OUR WRITERS

The country that gave the world Michelangelo and the Pantheon might not be everyone’s first choice for a walking holiday. But, escursionismo (hiking) is one of the latent delights of the bel paese (beautiful country) better known as Italy. With enough trails to ring the globe, and diverse landscapes that oscillate between stark volcanoes, cleaver-sharp alpine ridges and gentle Tuscan hills, the walking potential here is unlimited – and surprisingly untapped. While Venice and Rome heave with tourists, the beech forests of Abruzzo and the balmy coastal enclaves of Sardinia are invariably ‘hear-a-pin-drop’ quiet. Adding to the feeling of detachment are semi-abandoned mountain villages, off-the-radar family-run restaurants, and rutted country lanes where farmers in old Fiats nod a cursory buongiorno. Welcome to Italy, uncensored, uncrowded and devoid of tourist trimmings. It’s all yours, if you’re happy to undertake a bit of footwork.

MARCIN KRZYZAK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Highlights

TOUR DU MONT BLANC, WESTERN & MARITIME ALPS

Explore the Italian side of Europe’s highest peak on this one-day segment of the legendary 170km Tour du Mont Blanc.

MONTE MILETO, ABRUZZO

From ancient beech woods to high mountain meadows in a land once roamed by medieval hermits, this is rural Italy at its best.

STROMBOLI, SICILY

Join a sunset climb to the summit of Sicily’s favourite volcanic island and get a close-up look at its eternal fireworks.

CHIANTI CLASSICO, TUSCANY

From vine to winery, this oenological voyage through the dells and swells of the Tuscan countryside has the making of an all-time classic.

CALA SISINE TO CALA LUNA, SARDINIA

Immerse yourself in the stunning beauty of Sardinia’s coastline on this adventurous jaunt between two remote coves.

GREENWAY AL LAGO DI COMO, ITALIAN LAKES

Advertising the true essence of the Italian Lakes amid the finely manicured gardens and villas of Lago di Como.

PASSO GARDENA TO VALLUNGA, DOLOMITES & STELVIO

Thread your way through the Dolomites’ rocky spires, traversing the wild highlands of Parco Naturale Puez-Odle and descending into an idyllic green valley.

ALPE DI FANES, DOLOMITES & STELVIO

Cross through the ethereal high country of Parco Naturale Fanes-Sennes-Braies, setting for many a Ladin legend.

PORTOFINO TO SAN FRUTTUOSO, LIGURIA

A wild coastal trail linking a swanky Riviera resort with a tiny monastic beach hamlet.

SENTIERO DEGLI DEI, CAMPANIA & AMALFI COAST

The scent of lemons, the braying of cliff-side goats, the distant sparkle of the Mediterranean: Italy’s most famous day walk contours the splendid Amalfi Coast.

Best For...

DADO DANIELA/GETTY IMAGES ©

v HISTORY & CULTURE

Beyond historical heavyweight Rome lie smaller but equally compelling snippets of Italy’s past.

MEDIEVAL TOWNS & HAMLETS, TUSCANY

Peel off medieval layers in this rustic rollercoaster of tiny settlements (San Gimignano pictured) that embellish the landscape.

NECROPOLI DI PANTALICA, SICILY

Explore this honeycomb of 5000 prehistoric chamber tombs cut into the limestone canyon walls.

SENTIERO DELLA LIBERTà, ABRUZZO

Re-enact the exploits of escaping Allied prisoners as they forged a path across the Appennines.

MONTE SUBASIO, UMBIRA & LE MARCHE

Make a pilgrimage to this mountain hermitage near Assisi, a favourite spiritual retreat for St Francis in the 13th century.

TISCALI, SARDINIA

Climb to a mysterious abandoned village in a collapsed mountaintop cave in Sardinia’s rugged Supramonte region.

p SPECTACULAR COASTLINES

Italy’s most famous trails contour the precipitous segments of its coastline, revealing traditional villages that practice geography-defying methods of agriculture.

SENTIERO DEGLI DEI, CAMPANIA & THE AMALFI COAST

The ‘path of the gods’ is indeed a heavenly experience, traversing crags, grottoes and terraces.

SENTIERO AZZURRO, LIGURIA

This ancient path is a heady melange of terraced gardens, medieval fishing villages and sparkling sea.

PASSEGGIATA DEL PIZZOLUNGO, CAMPANIA

Capri’s top hits packed into 4km of paved paths, tree-draped staircases and coastal splendour.

RISERVA NATURALE DELLO ZINGARO, SICILY

Weave along the supremely scenic shoreline (pictured) in Sicily’s original nature reserve.

CALA GOLORITZé, SARDINIA

Descend past ancient oaks to the blue-green waters of this idyllic cove.

JACKBOLLA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

- QUAINT VILLAGES

Atmospheric borghi (hamlets) and villages abound.

MANAROLA TO CORNIGLIA, LIGURIA

Cliff-clinging medieval villages unchanged by modernism.

GRAN BALCONATA DEL CERVINO, WESTERN & MARITIME ALPS

Wander through hamlets and glimpse the Matterhorn.

GREENWAY AL LAGO, ITALIAN LAKES

Follow an old Roman road along the shore of Lago di Como.

LA ROCCA DI CEFALÙ, SICILY

Gaze down over the alleys of this seaside village (pictured).

SANTO STEFANO DI SESSANIO TO ROCCA CALASCIO, ABRUZZO

Wander between two villages undergoing an eco-inspired renaissance.

JENIFOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

B AVOIDNG THE CROWDS

It’s possible to go an entire day without seeing a single person.

MONTE MILETO, ABRUZZO

It’s peaceful amid the peaks.

TUSCAN HILL CRESTS, TUSCANY

You’ll have these rural trails all to yourself

AROUND THE PIAN PICCOLO, UMBRIA & LE MARCHE

Commune with animals on this solitary odyssey.

PUNTA TROIA, SICILY

Escape to the turquoise seas of Marettimo.

PORTO VENERE TO RIOMAGGIORE, LIGURIA

The less crowded extension of popular Sentiero Azzurro (Riomaggiore pictured).

QQ7/GETTY IMAGES ©

m MOUNTAIN VIEWS

Some of the highest and most handsome mountains in Europe.

SELLA-HERBETET TRAVERSE, WESTERN & MARITIME ALPS

View the Alps from Parco Nazio–nale Gran Paradiso.

CAMPO IMPERATORE RIDGE, ABRUZZO

Marvel at Corno Grande.

TRE CIME DI LAVAREDO, DOLOMITES & STELVIO

Circumnavigate this magnificent massif.

THE SLOPES OF MONTE GRONA, ITALIAN LAKES

Exhilarating taste of the Italian pre-Alps (pictured).

SASSOLUNGO CIRCUIT, DOLOMITES & STELVIO

Watch hang gliders soar.

WWW.TONNAJA.COM/GETTY IMAGES ©

With Kids

IMGORTHAND/GETTY IMAGES ©

THE BASICS

Many Italian families enjoy walking together. Some carry babies in specially designed backpacks and it’s not unusual to see children as young as six skipping around happily at high levels. However, it you have never taken your child walking before, don’t expect the introduction to be trouble-free. It may take some time and it demands lots of patience to ‘train’ a child to go on walks of any duration.

If you’re bringing along inexperienced youngsters, choose areas where it’s easy to find short, undemanding walks, such as Tuscany, Liguria, the Amalfi-Sorrento area and parts of the Italian Lakes. It may also help if you make your trip multifarious, interspersing a day or two of walking with time spent pursuing more traditional sightseeing. The Amalfi is within easy striking distance of Naples with its ruins, interesting street life and world-class pizza. Tuscany is adjacent to Florence and Siena. The Italian Lakes have an abundance of villas, castles and botanical gardens to explore.

For slightly older kids of 10 and up, it’s worth injecting a bit of adventure into proceedings. Staying in a rifugio (hostel) halfway up a mountain in the Dolomites is a great way to embrace the great outdoors, meet other families and enjoy basic comforts while still feeling like you’re living a little apart from the rest of civilisation. Most rifugio accept children. Some have family rates and special kids activities. All count on direct access to numerous trails.

In flatter climes, consider staying in an agriturismo or farmstay where kids may be able to interact with farm animals, wander the grounds, and – in the posher places – enjoy swimming pools or cooking classes. Tuscany is blessed with a wide variety of agriturismi.

CHOOSING A TRAIL

Italy isn’t Alaska. There is little true wilderness and wild animals (chamois, ibex) are invariably an interesting distraction rather than a dangerous menace. Additionally, you’re never far from a village or hamlet with a least one basic bar, deli or restaurant, along with a communal fountain dispensing potable water.

Choosing a trail largely depends on your kids’ age, walking experience and interests.

Kids of two and under can be carried in a ‘baby-carrier’ by a fit adult. At the other end of the age scale, growing teenagers can usually endure the same physical rigours as their parents. For the in-betweeners, err on the side of caution by picking short trails with scheduled stops and other potential points of interests en route. Castles and beaches are ideal (and abundant in Italy). And who hasn’t ‘bribed’ their wilting offspring with a post-hike ice cream from one of Italy’s ubiquitous gelaterias? Older and fitter kids might get a kick out of climbing the smouldering volcanoes of Stromboli and Vulcano in the south.

With younger kids, avoid ‘expert’ trails labelled EE that sometimes incorporate steep and exposed sections of path, but don’t write off mountainous areas altogether. Italy has a broad selection of mountain trails that can be reached by cable car – an entertaining start/finish to any high-country hike. Boat access is another fun overture and/or finale to a day of walking. Plenty of trails in Liguria, the Amalfi Coast and the Italian Lakes are accessible by boat.

f Other Outdoor Activities

Kids can quickly tire of walking, so it pays to choose an area where you can diversify your trip with some alternative outdoor activities.

Aeolian Islands Seven tiny volcanic islands off Sicily with everything from spewing lava to black-sand beaches.

The Dolomites Cycle through orchards and farmland on family-friendly trails in Val Venosta and Val Pusteria.

Lago Maggiore & Lago di Garda Lakeside beaches, water sports, climbing, mountain biking, canyoning (from Riva del Garda; pictured), swimming, horse riding and kilometres of cycling paths.

Abruzzo Take to central Italy’s first zipline ( iconphonegif 366 7279724; www.ziplinemajella.com; Piazza del Popolo 13; single ride €40-45; iconhoursgif 10am-6.30pm daily, Sat & Sun only Sep-Jun) for a thrilling ride over the village of Pacentro in the Parco Nazionale della Majella. Kids can use it if their parents agree and they’re over 35kg.

EATING OUT & PICNICS

Eating is one of the joys of travelling in Italy and kids are welcome pretty much everywhere, especially in the kind of casual, family-run trattorias that populate the less-touristed towns and villages located close to trail networks. These places are usually pretty informal with friendly, indulgent waiters and menus of simple pasta dishes and grilled meats. Pizzerias are another option, offering food that’s easy to eat, quick to arrive and beloved by children the world over.

Italian families eat late and few restaurants open their doors much before 7.30pm or 8pm. Some serve a menu bambino (child’s menu), but if not it’s perfectly acceptable to order a mezzo porzione (half-portion) or a simple plate of pasta with butter or olive oil and Parmesan. High chairs (seggioloni) are occasionally available, but if your toddler needs to be strapped in, bring your own portable cloth seat.

Picnics are half the essence of an elongated day-walk. Pizza al taglio (sliced pizza), panini from delicatessens, and gelato are perfect on-the-walk snacks. And markets everywhere burst with salami, cheese, olives, bread, fruit and other inspiring picnic supplies. Some of the more popular hiking paths in coastal areas and natural parks have picnic areas – if not, there are always the beaches.

bBest Walks with Kids

Adolf Munkel Weg Work out the wiggles in a wide-open meadow and munch on Kaiserschmarren (sweet South Tyrolean pancakes) at an alpine hut.

Orrido di Sant’Anna Short, flat walk with a natural pool for swimming en route.

Percorso delle Segherie Watch the workings of a water-driven sawmill and stop for a trailside playground break in the verdant Val di Rabbi.

Accessible Trails

BENEDIKT JUERGES/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

CHOOSING A TRAIL

To the surprise of many, Italy has a huge network of efficiently organised trails, most of them clearly waymarked and lightly trammelled. The almost total lack of dangerous wild animals along with the abundance of towns, villages and rifugi (mountain huts) en route mean that day or multi-day hiking is safe, easy to plan and anxiety-free (a hot cappuccino or cold beer is refreshingly close at hand at the end of most hikes). Public transport in Italy is similarly comprehensive and even the most obscure hikes to the most out-of-the-way villages have regular rural bus and/or train connections.

Trails maintained by the Club Alpino Italiano are marked with red-and-white signposts or blobs of paint emblazoned on rocks, walls or trees. Point-to-point journeys are usually defined by duration (hours), rather than distance (kilometres). While trails fan out countrywide, they are more ubiquitous and better-marked in the north of the country.

Trails labelled as ‘expert’ or EE (Escurionisti Espert) can be challenging and exposed, with scrambling sections and cables provided for balance and support. Walkers who are prone to dizziness or unsure of foot should not attempt these trails.

Older footpaths in coastal regions – particularly Amalfi and Cinque Terre – often include hundreds of stone steps which can be debilitating in hot weather (avoid July and August).

Outside of big cities, wheelchair accessible paths are hard to find. For walkers looking for relatively gentle terrain on wide gravel or paved roads, Tuscany makes a good starting point.

On occasion, due to adverse weather conditions and lack of maintenance, key signposts can be missing. If you go for over 15 minutes without seeing a trail marker, retrace your steps to the last marker and re-evaluate. It is wise to always carry a map.

GETTING TO & FROM THE TRAILS

Italy has an excellent pubic transport system and almost all the trails in this book are accessible without a car. However, due to the sometimes sporadic nature of local transport in more emote villages, it’s wise to plan ahead.

TRAIN

Trains in Italy are relatively cheap compared with other European countries and the better categories of train are fast and comfortable. Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com) is the partially privatised, state train system that runs most services. There are several types of trains. Some stop at all or most stations, such as regionale or interregionale trains. Intercity (IC) trains are fast services that operate between major cities. Eurocity (EC) trains are the international version.

All tickets on regionale trains must be validated before boarding by punching them in the yellow or green and silver machines at the entrance to train platforms. If you don’t validate, you risk an on-the-spot fine.

Visit the information page of Trenitalia (www.trenitalia.com/en/purchase/info_contacts/disabled_passengers.html) for full details of services offered to the elderly, pregnant women or people with disabilities.

If travelling by train, you can arrange assistance through SalaBlu (https://salabluonline.rfi.it) online or by calling 800 90 60 60 (from a landline) or 02 32 32 32 (from a landline or mobile).

M Agencies for Accessible Travel

Accessible Italy (www.accessibleitaly.com) A San Marino–based nonprofit company that runs guided tours and provides services for people with disabilities.

Rome & Italy (www.romeanditaly.com/tourism-for-disabled) A mainstream travel agency with a well-developed accessible tourism arm that offers customised tours, including walking tours of Volterra and San Gimignano.

Sage Traveling (www.sagetraveling.com) A US-based accessible-travel agency that offers tailor-made tours to assist mobility-impaired travellers in Europe.

BUSES

Within Italy, bus services are provided by numerous companies and range from local routes linking small villages to fast, reliable intercity connections, making it possible to reach just about any location throughout the country. Buses can be a cheaper and faster way to get around if your destination is not on a main train line.

Bus timetables for the provincial and intercity services are usually available online. For smaller local services, you may have to enquire at the local tourist office or bus station.

In some smaller towns and villages, tickets are sold in bars – ask for biglietti per il pullman – or on the bus.

Many urban buses are wheelchair-accessible; however some of the stops may not be – ask before you board.

BOAT

Navi (large ferries) service the islands of Sicily and Sardinia; all vessels carry vehicles. Ferries and hydrofoils ply the waters of the three big lakes in the Lake District, and offer a relaxing alternative to buses or cars as you move around the area. There are also popular passenger ferries serving towns on the Amalfi and Ligurian coasts and providing access to many of this book’s walks.

B Best Trails

Greenway al Lago Straightforward lakeside ramble through a string of beautiful villages.

Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari Enjoy a leisurely afternoon amidst the flamingo-rich wetlands of this Sicilian coastal nature reserve.

Pragser Wildsee Explore the shores of a sparkling emerald lake (pictured) high in the Dolomites.

Castellina to Radda Tuscan hike that’s 90% on gravel or paved roads with easy gradients.

Essentials

ANDREW MAYOVSKYY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

MAPS

Despite plenty of trail signage, it is surprisingly easy to get lost in Italy. The sheer density of the trail network, plus the abundance of wonderfully distracting views have led many a walker gallivanting down the wrong path. While you’ll rarely be lost for long, adding an extra kilometre to the 5km you’ve already walked can be a frustrating experience. Hence, it is always beneficial to carry a local trail map.

The best places to buy maps in Italy are newsagents, bookshops and tabaccherie (tobacconists). Major city bookshops (such as those of the Feltrinelli chain) have map sections but the range is usually limited.

The most useful walking maps are the 1:25,000 scale series; they contain an enormous amount of detailed information, including waymarked paths, although the numbering may not be entirely accurate or up to date. Different publishers specialise in different parts of the country. Austrian publisher, Kompass, has the most comprehensive selection.

SAFETY & PRE-PLANNING

• Allow plenty of time to accomplish a walk before dark, particularly when daylight hours are shorter.

• Don’t overestimate your capabilities. Study the route carefully before setting out, noting the possible escape routes and the point of no return (where it’s quicker to continue than to turn back).

• Monitor your progress during the day against the time estimated for the walk, and keep an eye on the weather.

• It’s wise not to