Furore.. The Forgotten Town Between Positano and Amalfi!
Furore is a small forgotten town located between Amalfi and Positaqno with a population of about 900 people. The main tourist attraction is the dramatic 'Fiordo' or fiord, where a cluster of old fishermen's houses cling to the side of the rocky gorge.
Furore became 'il Paese Dipinto'; the painted village. Every September, artists from around the world are invited to a festival to add to the murals now decorating the local buildings. These are colourful affairs with Bacchus featuring heavily, cheerful nudes clutching generous bunches of grapes, sea scapes inspired by the beautiful setting. Even the railings and lamp posts are decorated in bizarre and bright colours: lilac, pink, blue, green. Few drivers could now fail to notice that they are driving through a destination with a character all of its own.
Investments by the commune and private people, as well as co-operation between local business, has given Furore a well-marketed range of enterprises to welcome visitors: restaurants, pizzerias, and accommodations ranging from farm-based agriturismo to a five-star hotel and spa. The small settlement also has its own wine, white and red (to learn more visit the winemakers' website in Italian:www.granfuror.it.
Furore is a good base for Amalfi Coast walks, whether you fancy pleasant strolls or a more serious trek along the famous Sentiero degli Dei. There are several walks in the Furore area which are mapped and marked by the Club Alpino Italiano, including the 'Sentiero dei Nidi di Corvo' (Crows Nests Path), which leads from the Agriturismo S. Alfonso (see below) to join the Sentiero degli Dei and continues towards Positano. From the Furore Inn Resort, another path, difficult in places, leads to Praiano. A leaflet, available at Furore Fiord, contains information on two of the village's nature trails and is published in English.
The two superbly named paths both begin at the Fiord (although starting at the higher end would make an easier walk). 'La Volpe Pescatrice' (The Fishing Vixen) Path heads up through the rich natural surroundings separating the fishing village from the higher, agricultural settlements. And the Path of 'I Pippistrelli Impazziti' (the Crazed Bats) leads behind the lime kiln upwards along a botanical trail, past caves and cliffs where peregrine falcons nest. Through woodlands and past abandoned mills, the path leads to a spot called Punta Tavola (Table Point), above Conca dei Marini. From this path you can rejoin the upper Furore road, or follow lanes down to Conca dei Marini.
There are terraces where the olive trees and the grape vines run between the bushes and the mountain sides, there are little stairs which seem to fall into the sea, the imagery, the intact village, the few houses excaveted in the cliff side, and the sea which runs through alongside all are part of the fantasy like atmosphere of Furore.
It is the secret face of the Amalfi Coast that you have just started to discover. Furore!
Hotel Furore
Via dellŽAmore Contrada S. Elia 84010 - Furore (SA) Tel.: (+39) 089 8304711
Below is a picture of this resort.
Agriturismo Sant'Alfonso
A delightful farmhouse accommodation up in the mountainous top half of the village. Accessed via a flight of steps passing the resident goats and peacocks, you arrive at a historic building on a green terrace which boasts its own little chapel. There are just nine rooms, with antique furnishings combined with modern comforts. The owner has lovingly restored the property, retaining fascinating period features like a well with wind-up handle, and a huge kitchen furnace. A walk marked by Club Alpino Italiano leads directly from the property, and joins up with the Sentiero degli Dei. www.agriturismosantalfonso.it (only in Italian at present; however the owner speaks English).
Bacco Inn
The three-star Bacco is an inn and restaurant which dates back to 1930, when the road to village was first built, and has been run by the same family ever since. It is famed for its warm hospitality and excellent cooking; the Times described it as 'wonderful'. Rooms all have a bathroom and a private terrace. www.baccofurore.it
Casa del Melograno - Bed and Breakfast
All the rooms, which still retain the charm of times past, have TV, telephone, fridge mini-bar, hairdryer, safe, air conditioning; they are tastefully furnished and knowingly enriched by magnificent ceramics and chandeliers in wrought iron. Each room occupies an enviable location, in fact, from the small balconies, it is possible to reach out and practically touch the crystal-clear blue waters of one of the most beautiful seas in the World, and to lose oneself in an indefinite horizon, giving restoration to one's body and soul.
See picture below of one of their bathrooms.
There are two fine restaurants in the Furore Inn Resort, Italian touch Restaurant and La Volpe Pescatore Ristorante.
Hostaria di Bacco
(Via G.B. Lama 9, ph. 089-830360) a famous trattoria with a panoramic view (also a small hotel) which features, among its many specialties, a meal consisting completely of lemon dishes--you must try it to believe it!
I will add more soon.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge... " |
