The San Nilo Trail

The San Nilo Trail

Where:
Cilento
Description:

The San Nilo Trail is a spectacular multi-day hiking trip where the deepest soul of the Cilento region emerges in all its beauty.

Covering just over 100 km on foot, at a slow pace, the trail starts from the sea and ends at the sea.

However, it first crosses mountains, forests, gorges, and canyons, through pristine and breathtaking landscapes.

It crosses several villages that are centuries-old keepers of history and stories, tiny dots on the map that become magnificent treasure troves of art, featuring palaces, portals, and frescoed churches that are as precious as they are unexpected.

It winds through paths and mule tracks, retracing routes used for millennia in an exchange that has been a meeting point for ages: between the coast and the hinterland, but above all between East and West, which have continuously blended here for centuries.

Saint Nilus of Rossano - or Saint Nilus the Younger, the Basilian founder of the Abbey of Grottaferrata, was tonsured as a monk right here in Cilento, at San Nazario — a stage of this journey.

Today, he still unites East and West, being venerated by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians: a perfect symbol of this cultural encounter.

In the heart of Cilento, a UNESCO World Heritage site, this trail reveals more than just magnificent places.

Its true, great strength lies in human connection, in meeting the people who live in these places with their doors and hearts wide open, the authentic root of a twice-Greek Cilento, where by culture hospitality is a duty.

Above all, it proves that John Steinbeck was right: "People don't take trips, trips take people."

The 8 official stages of the Cammino di San Nilo:

  • Stage 1: Sapri – Torraca – From the sea to an extraordinary historic village.
  • Stage 2: Torraca – Casaletto Spartano – Featuring the famous Capelli di Venere (Hair of Venus) waterfall.
  • Stage 3: Casaletto Spartano – Morigerati – With the WWF Oasis of the Bussento Caves.
  • Stage 4: Morigerati – Caselle in Pittari – Between medieval villages and karst landscapes.
  • Stage 5: Caselle in Pittari – Rofrano – The mountainous hinterland of Cilento, with an optional route to Mount Gelbison.
  • Stage 6: Rofrano – Montano Antilia – A mountain route through beech forests and centuries-old chestnut groves.
  • Stage 7: Montano Antilia – San Nazario – A descent passing through Futani and Cuccaro Vetere, leading to the abbey where Saint Nilus received his tonsure.
  • Stage 8: San Nazario – Palinuro – The final scenic descent toward the Myth Coast and the award-winning sea of Capo Palinuro.

 

Anyone wishing to organize their journey can contact us to book all the necessary services.

Through a single portal, we offer full support for both individuals and groups:

  • Accommodation booking
  • Luggage transport service
  • Transfer organization
  • Dinner and restaurant reservations

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