Long before the famous coastal drive was carved into the cliffs of the Costiera Amalfitana in the nineteenth century, the only way to travel between the towns of Maiori and Minori on foot was a narrow route of stone steps and mule tracks running high above the sea. It was a working road, built for one purpose above all others: moving lemons.
Today that route is known as the Sentiero dei Limoni (the Path of Lemons) and it remains one of the most rewarding short hikes on the Amalfi Coast. It is not the longest trail in the area, nor the most demanding. What it offers instead is something more interesting: a walk directly through the terraced lemon gardens where the famous Sfusato Amalfitano is grown, with the scent of citrus in the air and the Tyrrhenian Sea below.
Everyone knows the Path of the Gods. Fewer know this one, which comes with fewer crowds and many more lemons.
A Road Built for Lemons
The Sentiero dei Limoni connects Maiori and Minori, two neighbouring towns on the eastern stretch of the coast, separated by a rocky promontory. For centuries, this path was their main link, a route used daily by farmers, mules, and the extraordinary women known as the formichelle.
The formichelle — literally "little ants" — were the lemon carriers of the coast. During the harvest, they would climb up and down these steps with woven baskets balanced on their heads, each loaded with as much as 50 kilograms of freshly picked lemons. The fruit travelled from the high terraces down to the shore, where boats waited to carry it across the Mediterranean and beyond. It is difficult to walk this path today, in trainers and with a bottle of water, without thinking of them.
The formichelle left their mark on more than one route in the area. A separate trail in the hills above the coast still carries their name, and we have written about it in our guide to the Sentiero delle Formichelle. But the path between Maiori and Minori is where their story feels most present, because the lemon gardens they served are still there and still producing.
When the coastal road — the Strada Statale 163 — was completed in the mid-1800s, the old path lost its practical purpose almost overnight. Traffic moved to the tarmac below, and the route between the two towns slipped into oblivion. It was local residents, particularly in Minori, who worked from the early 1990s onwards to restore and promote the trail, recognising it as a piece of shared heritage rather than a forgotten shortcut. Thanks to them, the Sentiero dei Limoni is today well maintained, well signposted, and entirely free to walk.
The Route: From Maiori to Torre
Most walkers begin in Maiori, at the Collegiata di Santa Maria a Mare, a thirteenth-century church whose majolica-tiled dome is the town's most recognisable landmark. From here, the path climbs immediately via the stone staircase of Via Vena, cutting up through the town's upper alleys.
This first tract is the steepest part of the entire walk, so take it slowly. The reward comes quickly: within fifteen minutes or so, the houses give way to open countryside and the path opens onto a terraced valley. This is where the lemon country really starts. Alongside the citrus trees you will notice olive trees, vines, and carob trees, which around here are called sciuscelle — all part of the mixed Mediterranean agriculture that has shaped these hillsides for centuries.
The path then levels out and leads to the small village of Torre, which sits on the promontory between the two towns and belongs to the municipality of Minori. Torre is tiny, but it is old. Its heart is the church of San Michele Arcangelo, whose origins are traced back to the year 936. The village square makes a natural spot to pause, and in season you may find a stall or an open gate offering fresh lemonade or granita made with the lemons growing a few metres away.
The Belvedere and the Descent to Minori
Beyond Torre, the trail continues along the ridge towards one of its most beautiful parts: the Belvedere della Mortella, a panoramic terrace named after the myrtle that grows around it. From here the view opens across the Gulf of Salerno, with Minori directly below and, in the distance, the towns of Amalfi and Atrani further along the coast.
Here is where the path finally lives up to its name. The route runs between old stone walls, and on both sides sit the terraced lemon gardens — the giardini — where the Sfusato Amalfitano grows under its characteristic wooden pergolas. In spring, when the trees are in blossom, the air carries the scent of zagara, the citrus flower. During the harvest, the terraces turn from green to gold.
The descent into Minori is gentle by Amalfi Coast standards, winding down through steps, alleys, and gardens until you reach the town centre. The full walk from Maiori to Minori covers roughly three kilometres and involves around 400 steps. Consider around two hours of walking — closer to three with breaks, and on this path, you’ll want an excuse to stop.
The Lemons You Are Walking Through
It is worth knowing what surrounds you on this walk, because these are not ordinary lemons. The terraces along the Sentiero dei Limoni produce the Sfusato Amalfitano, the tapered, intensely fragrant variety protected under the Limone Costa d'Amalfi IGP designation. Only thirteen towns on the coast are permitted to grow it, and both Maiori and Minori are among them.
The gardens you pass are working farms, most of them family-run and many of them reachable only on foot. Everything here is maintained by hand, exactly as it has been for generations. The dry-stone walls supporting the terraces, the chestnut-wood pergolas shading the trees, and the steps connecting one level to the next. This is what makes the Sentiero dei Limoni different from a scenic viewpoint or a postcard: you are walking through the very infrastructure of lemon cultivation.
A note of courtesy, then. The lemons hanging over the path belong to the farmers who grow them, and picking fruit from the trees isn't allowed — however tempting the low-hanging branches may be. Decades ago, when the path saw few visitors, gates stood open and fruit was often shared freely. The growers remain generous and welcoming, but the large number of walkers today means the gardens are now mostly enclosed. If you want to taste the lemons, and you should, buy them from a stall along the way or book one of the Amalfi Coast lemon experiences offered by local families.
The Detour to Ravello
Just past Torre, a junction offers an ambitious option. Instead of descending to Minori, you can turn uphill towards the Convento di San Nicola and continue climbing to Ravello, the elegant hilltop town famous for Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. On clear days, the higher parts of this path offer views reaching as far as Capo d'Orso and, beyond it, the long line of the Cilento coast.
Be honest with yourself before choosing this route as it turns a gentle two-hour walk into a considerably longer and steeper walk. But if your legs are willing, arriving in Ravello on foot, through lemon terraces rather than by bus along the hairpin bends, is a genuinely special way to reach one of the coast's most refined towns. From Ravello, a long staircase leads back down towards Minori via Torre, allowing you to close the loop.
When to Walk It
The Sentiero dei Limoni can be walked year-round, but the path is exposed to the sun for most of its length, and the stone steps radiate heat in summer. The most comfortable months are April to early June and September to October. Spring brings the added gift of the lemon blossom; autumn brings softer light and fewer crowds.
Whatever the season, a few practical points apply. Wear proper shoes (trainers at a minimum) as the steps can be uneven. Carry water, especially outside spring. Start early in the morning or in the late afternoon during warmer months. And of course bring a camera.
The walk is genuinely accessible: it is regularly recommended for families with children, and it requires no hiking experience. The initial climb out of Maiori is the only demanding section. If steps are a concern, consider walking the route in reverse, from Minori to Maiori. Opinions on which direction involves less climbing differ locally, but either way the effort is modest.
Reaching the trailheads is simple. Maiori and Minori sit next to each other on the eastern side of the coast, and both are served by the SITA buses that run along the coast from Amalfi and Salerno. In the warmer months, ferries also stop at both towns, which makes for an appealing round trip: arrive by sea, walk the path, and sail home from the other end. Because the walk is point to point and the towns are so close, there is no need to retrace your steps unless you want to. A short bus ride or an even shorter boat trip can close the loop.
The Reward in Minori
Every good walk deserves a proper ending, and Minori provides one of the best on the entire coast. The town is considered the Costiera's capital of taste, and its pastry shops are famous well beyond Campania. The classic order is a delizia al limone — the dome of sponge and lemon cream that is one of the finest Amalfi Coast lemon cakes.
If you have energy left, Minori also holds a surprise from a much older era: the remains of a Roman maritime villa from the first century AD, discovered beneath the modern town. It is a reminder that people have been choosing this part of the coast for a very long time, first for its beauty and later for its lemons. Today, happily, for both.
The Sentiero dei Limoni will not exhaust you and it will not take your whole day. What it will do is show you the Amalfi Coast as it actually works: a landscape built by hand, terrace by terrace, around a single golden fruit. Some paths lead to a view while this one leads through a living tradition, and it smells wonderful all the way.
