Kayaking and the Amalfi Coast

Our itinerary begins in Vietri sul Mare, under the careful and almost strict gaze of the 'Two Brothers', the undisputed symbol of the village. The two large, almost identical rocks, located between the coast and the sea, are the protagonists of famous legends, one of a more historical nature and the other, more romantic.

The first refers to the war between the Salerno and Saracen pirates, of 871-872 AD, when a large fleet of Saracen ships arrived in the gulf and besieged the city, now reduced to misery. Prince Guaiferio, leader of the Salernitani, summoned the Great Council and, tired of seeing his people reduced to starvation, proposed resolving the conflict with a duel between the strongest of the Saracens, Prince Rajan, and the strongest of the Salernitani knights, Umfredo. In the middle of the fight, the Saracen prince fled and arrived at Vietri sul Mare, probably afraid of the opponent's strength. Reached by the valiant Umfredo, the two continued the duel, but exhausted and bleeding, they died with the desire to embrace and make peace, and then slipped down into the sea and turned into the two rocks.

The second legend, on the other hand, tells of two young shepherds who were captured by the charm and beauty of a mysterious girl who slept in the middle of the sea in front of the beach of Vietri. At the outbreak of a storm, the two young men threw themselves into the water in an attempt to save the young woman, but without success and drowned. The maiden, who was actually the sea nymph Roda, daughter of Poseidon, god of the sea, on the other hand, was saved and Poseidon, impressed by the courage and generosity of the two young men, decided to turn their bodies into the 'Two Brothers' and the sheep of their flock into small rocks surrounding them in the sea.

After dreaming of the myths of Vietri sul Mare, we arrive slowly, letting ourselves be carried away by the waves of the sea, in Erchie, a very small village bordered by two Saracen towers. Erchie is famous for its small beaches that can only be reached by sea, its caves and its crystal-clear waters. From the magnificent waters that embrace Erchie, we move our gaze towards the verticality of the coast, to admire the sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Avvocata, a Marian place of worship that rules over Maiori from Monte Falerzio. On the other side, following the trail of the waters, the eye rests on the headland of Capo d'Orso, so called because of its shape that refers to the head of a bear. Leaving Capo d'Orso behind, you reach Atrani where you can also 'park' your kayak on the beach and visit one of the smallest villages in Italy, whose architecture, with its alleys, was a source of inspiration for the artist Mauritius Cornelis Escher.

After getting back in your kayak, continue along the coast in the direction of Conca dei Marini, where you can admire the ancient Monastery of Santa Rosa, today a luxurious hotel. From here, you will immerse yourself in one of the most instagrammed and visited sceneries of the Amalfi Coast, the Fjord ofFurore, with its small beach and colourful fishermen's boats. After leaving the fjord, head towards Praiano, and its Marina di Praia, and then continue towards Positano. Despite the village's popularity, few people know about the many small sand oases, which can only be reached on foot or by water. To see them up close, you have to pass the Clavel watchtower and head towards the Punta Germano headland, dotted with numerous caves. The view is unique and allows you to contemplate the island of Li Galli and Capri in the background. After a short break, the journey continues to the small cove of Marina di Crapolla, where Saint Peter is believed to have embarked to reach Rome.