Walks in Sorrento

Excursions and walks in Sorrento and the Sorrento Peninsula

The Sorrento Peninsula, with Sorrento in particular, has been a popular and much-loved tourist destination for Italians and foreigners since the days of the Grand Tour; who also favour it as a base for fantastic excursions and walks to Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples, Vesuvius, Salerno and the Amalfi Coast.

Today, it is also the expression in the world of Neapolitanism and the sunny nature of Italy and the Italians of the South; much praised with the songs ‘Torna a Surriento’ and ‘O’ sole mio’.

In addition to postcard-perfect images and suggestive coastal views where the sea and the sun are the absolute protagonists. For lovers of walking and trekking, the Sorrento Peninsula offers countless paths and excursions for all levels of difficulty.

Monte Faito dominates and is all to be explored. Its name derives from the dialect term ‘faggeto’ (beech wood) precisely because the area is mainly rich in beeches, as well as holm oaks and chestnut trees. Its paths among the beeches lead into the heart of the mountain to its peaks, almost touching the sky. At 1131 metres high, Monte Faito is one of the peaks of the Monti Lattari chain, the mountain group of the Campanian Pre-Apennines. The ascent offers spectacular views of the Sorrento Peninsula and the Gulf of Naples with its Vesuvius, the island of Capri, the Amalfi Coast and the Gulf of Salerno.

For lovers of the sea, however, the ideal walk is that from Termini (a hamlet of Massa Lubrense) to Punta Campanella on the remains of the ancient temple of Minerva; inside the Marine Nature Reserve of Punta Campanella. It then reaches the small beach of Jeranto from where you can enjoy a splendid view of Punta Campanella and the Faraglioni of Capri. The area is a Protected Nature Reserve and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and luxuriant stretches from a natural, terrestrial and underwater point of view.

The famous Sentiero degli Dei (Gods’ Path) has become a classic of hiking in Campania; well known also to walkers of other nationalities, it is among the best known and most beautiful hikes in Italy.

The mule track joins the western hamlets of the Agerola plateau with the high hamlets of Positano; (Nocelle and Montepertuso, where a branch goes up to the Forestry Barracks; and then continues west to Vico Equense in the hamlet of Santa Maria del Castello).

It runs here along the boundary between the province of Naples (Agerola) and Salerno (Positano, the westernmost of the Salerno municipalities); in a continuous unravelling of evocative scenery that unfolds at every step, at every glance.

This name for the path is recent and is often extended to the ‘high’ stretch (Bomerano – Pendola – Paipo – Capo Muro…); and to the ‘western’ one (Caserma Forestale – S. Maria del Castello), all already part of the ancient network of local connections.

In actual fact, it is the Bomerano – Nocelle mule track, coinciding with CAI path no. 327, that should be given the name ‘Path of the Gods’; an appellation that probably dates back to the 1980s.
Until the construction of the nineteenth-century carriage roads (and until a few years ago, in the case of some hamlets of Positano and Agerola); the mountain paths and mule tracks were the only connecting arteries for these villages; situated hundreds of metres above sea level; through which men, animals and merchandise passed. We still remember the women of Positano who, carrying wicker baskets full of goods; walked along the steep paths.

One of the major tourist resources of the Sorrento Peninsula is its territory; characterised by Mediterranean scrub, typical crops and coastlines facing the sea. One of the activities promoted with this in mind was the identification and demarcation of a series of pedestrian routes.

In 1990, in the municipality of Massa Lubrense alone, as many as 22 pedestrian itineraries were identified, for a total length of about 110 km, far from carriage roads and large urban agglomerations. Along these paths, clearly and legibly signposted today; one can rediscover enchanted places rich in historical memories, panoramic viewpoints, ancient farmhouses. All this through lemon groves, olive groves, oak forests, sunny coastlines and through lush evergreen nature; typical of the entire Sorrento peninsula.

At La Terrazza Family Holidays, detailed guides on the area’s trail network are available for fantastic hikes in Sorrento, as well as conventions with expert local hiking guides and tour operators.