There is a fabled valley in the hearth of the Lattari mountains and the park protecting them. A valley where the richness of water creates an ideal environment for the rarest plants, in a green unspoiled frame.
It is the Valley of the Ferriere, connected directly to the center of Amalfi, socketed between the mountains, it’s marked by the course of the Canneto stream, that with its numerous tributaries and its frequent jumps in altitude is fundamental for shaping this natural wonder in the Amalfi Coast.
One of the accesses to the valley is from Pontone, a fraction of the Municipality of Scala, the other, uphill, from the center of Amalfi, but it can also be reached from S. Lazzarus, in the Municipality of Agerola and from Minuta, where one can visit the ruins of the basilica of S. Eustachio. The most usual route for trekking enthusiasts starts from the unique hamlet of Pontone, surrounded by lemon trees. The itinerary, which is largely identified with the CAI path 23, follows the course of the Canneto stream, with climbs and descents among the rocks covered by a varied and luxuriant vegetation. 
Along the way there are brooks feeding the main stream, which at a certain point can be admired thanks to a large trunk that acts as a bridge. In the central part of the valley, there is an imposing building in ruins, now completely colonized by vines and shrubs. It is what remains of the ancient ironworks that gave its name to the valley. There, in medieval times, nails were built for the ships of the Amalfi Republic with iron imported from the island of Elba and transported to the factory by mule.
The factory was powered by the water of Canneto which, for both production of iron and paper, has played a decisive role in the Amalfi economy for centuries. The large building presents a characteristic arch that seems to dominate that part of the valley, under which the Canneto passes and immediately forms a waterfall. The first of an incredible series of waterfalls, culminating with the most beautiful and amazing, about twenty meters high.
In the innermost part of the valley, where the waterfalls guarantee constant humidity and the mountains protect from the cold north winds, while those coming from the south avoid sudden temperature changes, a microclimate has been created, favorable to the growth of a rare plant, a plant fossil of the Tertiary, the Woodwardia radicans, the giant bulbiferous fern that now grows naturally in a few sites of very high environmental value. To make its presence in the Valley of the Ferriere even more interesting is the association with other botanical rarities such as Pteris cretica, Parnassia and Pinguicula hortiflora.
After the waterfalls, the walk continues along the CAI path 25, up to the so-called Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the windmills), where the water of the Canneto used to fed the mills used for the production of the renowned Amalfi paper. In a landscape characterized by lush and fragrant citrus groves, the excursion ends in the very center of Amalfi.
The valley, with its precious ecosystem, is a state nature reserve within the Monti Lattari Regional Park.
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