Amalfi coast small group walking holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

On this walking trip we have endeavoured to minimise our transport carbon footprint by staying in a single centre for the duration of the holiday. Some of the walks start directly from our agriturismo and we catch a public ferry to the island of Capri which we explore on foot.

This holiday has a fixed joining and ending time at Naples airport. This means all our customers travel between the airport and our agriturismo (a journey of around 70 km) on one private chartered bus together, cutting down on what might otherwise be a large number of individual transfers and minimising fuel consumption.

Staying in a small village that's 650 metres above the Amalfi Coast means that it's a little cooler and we can avoid the need for air conditioning at our accommodation.

Much of the food we consume during the week is grown on the farm and for other items the owners strives to use seasonal, local produce where feasible, thus minimising the carbon footprint of our Italian dining experience.

As a travel company we are acutely aware of our impact on the environment. All of our tours display a carbon footprint, and we strive to reduce our emissions by regularly reviewing our tours and embracing low-impact styles of travel such as trains, public buses or walking – which offer the added benefit of getting a closer connection with the destination and local community.

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

The trails we hike on along the Amalfi coast pass through a mix of cultivated landscapes but also protected reserves such as the Valle delle Ferriere Natural Park. Many of the paths are ancient mule trails that link the small inland villages along the coast. The interest of travellers in hiking here has stimulated the local authorities interest in keeping these ancient footways preserved and thus maintaining alternative routes to driving. Our tour leaders always brief our customers on the importance of protecting the environments we walk through, sticking to the paths to avoid erosion, not interfering with any animal or plant life and carrying all rubbish home.

We strive to support nature and biodiversity through protection and regeneration projects, and for every customer that travels with us we make a donation to Rewilding Britain and Cool Earth.

We encourage customers to avoid single-use plastic on tour, and our leaders give advice on refill points each day. Where tap water isn't safe to drink we recommend Water-to-Go bottles, a filtration bottle allowing you to drink water from any source.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

This trip stays in San Lazzaro, a small and sleepy village which sits at approximately 650 metres above the Amalfi Coast. Staying away from the crowded coastal towns such as Amalfi and Positano where most tourists stay, enables the economic benefits of our visit to spread further afield into a less wealthy rural community. During our stay in the village our tour leaders encourage customers to visit the villages' few bars, shops and small family-owned restaurants.

This holiday stays at an agriturismo - a small family farm that also takes in guests and which is a very sustainable form of tourism. Started in the 1950s as an initiative to reverse the abandonment of small non-profitable farms and depopulation of the countryside, Italy's agriturismo movement encourages farmers to redevelop their properties for paying guests by converting parts of the farm, such as old barns and outhouses, into guest accommodation to supplement their agricultural income. Since developing a close relationship with the Acampora family and sending our customers to their farm, they have been able to grow it from a simple small farmhouse into comfortable holiday accommodation with a beautiful restaurant, securing economic stability for future generations of their family. The farm is organic and the family engage in traditional practices, working in harmony with nature to produce organic vegetables such as the grapes for their homemade wine and olives for their oil. By supporting the farm, this holiday helps to support organic farming practices and preserve rural traditions. Staying here is a wonderful opportunity to engage with this local family and see how three generations of one family work as a team.
Located on the cliffs above the main tourist centres of the Amalfi Coast, many of our walks take us through rural communities, helping to spread some of the economic benefits from tourism outside of Amalfi's traditional seaside centres.

Our local leaders are the heart of tours. They bring passion and unrivalled knowledge of the destinations and communities that we visit. Their guidance ensures we observe the cultural norms in a destination, they act as a bridge between travellers and the local community and ensure that tourism is a positive experience for both host and guest. We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY

Our local Italian leaders were born and brought up in the region and have helped in the design of our trip.