walking the paths ” Of the Mad Bats ”, ”of the Fish Fox ” e ” of the Agave in Bloom”
Duration: 6,5 km
Travel time: 4h 30′
Route – No particular difficulties. Not excessive difference in height and easy path. With a maximum difference in height of 300 meters, only the length must be well evaluated. It is possible to stop the route at the fjord of Furore (2.6 km) or at Sant’Elia (3.7 km).
Approach – Both from Naples/Sorrento and Salerno/Amalfi.
Logistics – Parking for the car near the church of San Pancrazio (take the slope next to the Hotel Belvedere at km 26.0) .The bus also stops near the hotel). Return from Marina di Praia or Furore (Sant’Elia or Fiordo) by bus to the Hotel Belvedere. The path can also be covered only in part with the beginning or end of the walk to the fjord of Furore (bus stop).
Rest stops – Bars and restaurants in Marina di Praia.
Between Conca dei Marini and Praiano the coast is very steep and makes part of the route a real “walk on the sea” which includes three paths: the Path of the crazy bats, the Path of the fisher fox and the Path of the Agave in bloom.
Reference for the departure is the Hotel Belvedere, located between Vettica di Amalfi and the Fiordo di Furore (at Km 26.00 of the coastal road). To its left, a staircase leads to the village of Marina di Conca (until a few years ago a settlement of fishermen) whose visit is always advisable. In front of the hotel a short climb leads to the church of San Pancrazio and to the belvedere called “Punta Vreca” from which the view extends to the Faraglioni of Capri. On the left side of the church a staircase rises parallel to the road. At the bottom of the staircase, turn left and, after a few steps, resume the pedestrian path that begins at the first bend.
The street soon turns into a stairway which, after 230 meters, meets the rolling stock again. Go left for another 150 meters to the stairs on the left. You are on a pedestrian path, parallel to the road, which leads to the church of San Giovanni (known as “di Sant’Antonio”). A short climb takes you back to the road, to be followed for another 200 meters, up to the pedestrian street San Michele, which leads to the church of the same name. After the church, continue along a small road at the end of which, after an asphalted stretch, uphill, you reach a short staircase. At the end of the staircase, take another stretch of road up to the first bend. Here, to the right of the chapel of the Madonna delle Lacrime, take the wide path that leads downwards into the Vallone di Furore “la Vottara”. The stretch of walk known as the Path of the mad bats begins (in the valley there are numerous ravines that are home to these unique flying mammals). Arriving almost at the bottom of the valley, there are two detours which, towards the right, lead to an ancient paper mill. Continue without deviating until you pass a mill; upstream you can see sections of the canalizations that conveyed the water that provided the driving force to the machinery of the paper mill, to the millstones and to the mills that testify to the ancient industrial activity of the fjord.
Even more suggestive is the seaside village that rises on the beach. Here you can find | “monazzeni (fishermen’s depot houses) recently restored, a small rock chapel, an ancient mill, a paper mill and a limestone. The paper mill conserves equipment used for the manufacture of bambagina paper.
The fjord, due to its unique environment declared a protected natural oasis, is home to rare species, both plants and animals. The director Roberto Rossellini chose this enchanting scenario as the setting for the film II Miracolo and bought a monazzeno that, restored, renamed Villa de La Storta e del Dottore, a romantic refuge during happy days with Anna Magnani.
The next part of the walk starts from the beach: the Path of the monkfish, the path of the peasants-fishermen, who cultivated the land during the day and the nets lowered in the evening. A long staircase leads to Sant’Elia, a hamlet of Furore (the difference in altitude from 30 meters above sea level reaches 250).
Along the way there are numerous panoramic points of Praiano and the Gulf of Salerno. At the top is the 14th century Church of Sant’Elia Prophet. If the church is open, it is worth going in for a moment to admire a small masterpiece: a triptych by Angelo Antonello da Capua dating back to 1482.Once past the church, heading west, follow the section called Passeggiata dell’Amore and then take the Path of the agave in bloom that leads to the first houses of Praiano. After a first stretch with a paved surface, the path plunges into the “patches”, the terraced areas cultivated with vineyards and olive groves that survive the abandonment of places now considered “not very convenient” to reach.
Even the inexperienced eye quickly realizes from the fact that this stretch of the path is a real botanical garden. The variety of the vegetation is striking but mainly the beauty of the individual specimens of agave, prickly pear, olive, carob and many other species of the Mediterranean scrub. After passing the recess of the valley that ends with Marina di Praia, you come to a flight of steps that leads to an isolated house at the foot. After this, ignore the deviation to the right that leads to the Blackbeard Path (located higher up) and continue to a crossroads between the first houses of Praiano. Turning left you return to the valley to reach the state road near Marina di Praia, the end of the route and the ideal place, if time and desire permit, for a refreshing swim.
