Sorrento Coast Attractions
Massa Lubrense
Massa Lubrense is an ideal place for a great holiday, more than 100 km of marked trails in the country side, country landscape, famous for its cuisine (7 restaurants in the top 20 of Campania, one of the best 3 in Italy), a coastline almost 20 miles long in the middle of the Protected Marine Area of Punta Campanella. The shores of Massa Lubrense are the closest to Capri (only 3 miles away) and you can reach Positano (13 miles), Amalfi (25 miles), Pompeii (21 miles), Ercolano (28 miles), Vesuvius (30 miles) and obviously Sorrento (3 miles) in less than one hour.
Massa Lubrense is an extremely charming spot located in the heart of the Sorrentina Peninsula. Its still intact natural assets, age-old olive groves, a gentle climate and the intense azure sea have been fascinating travelers from all over the world for centuries. Wooded hills rise all around, crossed by ancient paths, and inlets, bays and coves, both gentle and wild.
The weather is beautiful practically all year round: a characteristic that makes this area ideal for vacations in any season. During the year there are numerous fairs centered on typical gastronomical products and many religious events, evidence of a folk culture with very ancient roots.
A stay in Massa means having all this within reach in addition to the possibility of visiting not to be missed tourist destinations such as Sorrento, which is a few minutes away, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Pompeii, Ercolano, Vesuvius and Naples.
The park of the natural marine Reserve at Punta della Campanella: the enchanting promontory that divides the waters of the Gulf of Naples from those of the Gulf of Salerno. There are many paths to walk in the Park that wind throughout pristine nature to access archeological sites immersed in landscapes of unequal beauty.
From Massa Lubrense you can continue along the coast and arrive at the headland of Punta Campanella or to choose the road that goes to the higher hamlets, where you can enjoy an incomparable panorama over both the gulfs of Naples and Salerno, as testified also by the name of the most importante village in the territory of Massa Lubrense: Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi (St. Agatha on Two Gulfs). It was a traditional summer resort for Neapolitan middle-class of the 19th century, for the fresh and healthy air that was enjoyable here thanks to the position exposed to all the winds.
Book here - Massa Lubrense excursion
boat excursion Sorrento 1/2 day
Sorrento boat excursion full day
Regina Giovanna
On the outskirts of Sorrento walls, it is possible to rediscover historic memories; archaeological finds and the clear Bagni_of Regina Giovanna uncontaminated beauty that is a mysterious mythological earth legend. One of the places rich in magical stories and soaked with fascination of another time unlike any other is The Bagni of Regina Giovanna. From the head of Sorrento there is a narrow road with walls covered in ivy, go along the path in the shade of the of grapevines and orange trees you approach a slope which goes down towards the sea, reaching the baths of Queen Giovanna. The eyes of the visitor are presented with a spectacle of exceptional beauty: A large natural basin connected to the sea by a narrow fissure in the rocks. The space infront of the headland is occupied by the ruins of a majestic Roman Villa, built at the time of the Emperor Domiziano (81 / 96 AD) and belonged to Pollio Fellice. The spectacle offered is splendid and it is possible to see the entire coast from Punta Scutolo to the other Roman Villa at the top of Massa Lubrense. If you continue to look you can see La Solara, an expanse of cliffs kissed by the sun in a blue sea, an uncontaminated environment. It is possible to enjoy an unforgettable rest. On the cliffs that define the basin of Queen Giovanna, you can admire the ruins of the majestic roman construction, furnished with landing points, terraces and cisterns ascribed by the Latin poet Stazio and the historic Pollio Fellice. Adjacent to this villa is the outline of a natural swimming pool, which you approach through a natural arch. Ex Roman nymphaeum (Baths of Diana). According to the legend it was here that they frequently came away from indiscreet eyes. Giovanna II D Angio Durazzo, Hungarian by birth lived from 1371 to 1435, one of the most scandalous sovereigns to ever sit on the throne of Naples. These ruins are one of the most charming features of the Sorrento Peninsula, uncovered in 1624 by Giovanni Vinaccia, they are what remains of the splendid villa built by Pollio Fellice. A partially uncovered underground conduit links the annexe with the villa rising above. No other villa of this period has been described in such detail as this of Pollio Felice in Sorrento; which we can find in verses sung by Stazio. Like the other maritime Roman villas, the villa of Pollio Felice has a landing place by the sea. The fishermen brought up fish for the banquets and a nymphaeum, drawn from the sheet of internal water, communicating with the open sea through the fissure in the rocks. How grand were parts of this noble villa. The villa of Pollio Felice was immense with pavilions sunk into the gardens, thermal baths, rustic pavilions for the production of oil and wine. A deep cistern fed the fountains in the park through a siphon. The system Domus; the principle entrance to the villa was acomplex of monumental structures, long and sinuous steps permitted you to reach the various seashore landings. From the top of the villa there is a long passage above the rocks which passes a bathing place on the side of the cliffs outside the top of Sorrento, between these rocks it is possible to bathe in the clear crystal water. The sheet of water closes inthe arch of the Bagno della Regina Giovanna, and divides the point of the headland from the ground. A path winds round the sidewall of the natural basin and unites the extremities of the Punta del Capo di Sorrento, similar to an island, the territory. On the headland lie the ruins of the ancient Roman villa; the sea almost seems to watch. When the day declines in silence and the clouds are still in the sky, fix your eye on the small movement of a wave, you can imagine a Greek ship ploughing through the seas, gladdened by the song of the Sirens and a fissure of light reveals through the Roman lattice work the Angovin profile of Giovanna II D'Angio. The magic gone, leaving the intense perfume of the broom bush which colours the passage yellow and the gentle breaking of the waves on the cliffs.
Book here - Regina Giovanna (Queen Jean's) excursion
boat excursion Sorrento 1/2 day
Sorrento boat excursion full day
Marina Grande Sorrento
In summer, there is nothing more pleasant than to wander through the Marina Grande fishing village; Borgo di Marina Grande especially if the path allows you to merge into this timeless world with its own pace and traditions. It seems almost to be a small universe of its own, not easily allowing itself to be touched by the often frenetic development animating nearby areas. Here life has its own rhythm, the strongly united community tenaciously anchored to its family principles and working and religious traditions; it loves the sea and lives in symbiosis with it, here time seems to move more slowly than anywhere else! This characteristic fishing village lies at the mouth of the valley which once closed, to the west, the old town; above, it was crossed by the Parsano bridge, where Via Minerva commenced and led to the temple dedicated to the goddess Athena located at Punta Campanella. A long series of stone steps of a mediaeval flavour links the old centre of Sorrento with Marina Grande. At the end of thesteps is the arch of the charming Marina Grande Gate, dated to the end of the XV century, the only means of access to the town from the sea. Time has covetously maintained most of the aspects of the old Greek gate and the walls that lines the path to the gate. Tradition relates that on 13 June 1558, the Turks entered and plundered the town of Sorrento by passing through the Marina Grande gate, opened in secret by a slave of the Correale family. After the Saracens left, the inhabitants constructed a solid town wall, and the gate was restored and incorporated into the wall. Walking along Via Marina Grande, we meet an old villa overlooking the sea, Villa Tritone, surrounded by a garden rich in extraordinary exotic plants. Constructed close to an old convent, it owes its fame apart from to its position and undeniable beauty, to a sojourn there by Benedetto Croce who, during the 1942 bombardments, found refuge in this small paradise and met many political characters here, such as Togliatti, De Nicola,King Umberto of Savoy and General Clark. A commemorative stone near the main entrance informs passers-by that Croce once stayed there. On reaching the end of the path, the eyes of the traveller are presented with an extraordinarily beautiful canvas, almost from times gone by: a tiny bay nestling a delightful and characteristic fishing village, a narrow beach and bathing establishments.This is Marina Grande. Here the beach is common ground, used for both work and free time for the entire community. Passing through, it is possible to meet the fishermen sitting in the shade of the boats hauled up to the beach, repairing by hand, their nets and telling stories, to the children and curious visitors, of fantastic adventures of the courageous seamen, stories handed down by their grandfathers in a longstanding oral tradition.On this beach, in an open air dockyard, the famous gozzi sorrentini were produced, wooden sailboats, easy to handle and reliable, created by real artists and maestros of wood craft, and adopted by fishermen across the entire gulf.At the heart of the Marina is the Church of Sant'Anna, patron saint of the village, constructed by the fishermen of the San Giovanni in Fontibus Brotherhood, at first dedicated to thesouls in purgatory and then to St. Anne. On the Sunday following 26 July, day dedicated to the saint the village is decorated in festive mood, the bay fills with boats and the sea is illuminated by highly colourful fireworks. Traditionally the festival had a pagan flavour, with fireworks from the sea and boats arriving in Marina Grande from nearby harbours, bringing typical products; the fiesta ended with music and dancing on the beach, continuing throughout the night. Nowadays Marina Grande covetouslypreserves the flavour of olden day traditions blending, in delightful union, with the sea breeze, tiny houses,traditional boats and charming small restaurants by the sea, fitting into the tissue of the harbour without modifying its original vocation as a fishing village. A step back in time, to discover the forgotten traditions and flavours, and to admire, relaxing on the sand, a sunset rich in sheer magic.
Book here - Marina Grande Sorrento excursion
boat excursion Sorrento 1/2 day
Sorrento boat excursion full day
Marina di Puolo
Marina di Puolo, is a delightful small fishing village with a population of about 150 people. A vibrant and alive, thanks to its marvellous and repaired position, that helps to feel it's almost summer even when is not. The water, enlightened by the full day sun, looks even more crystalline and clear then ever. In those sunny days bars and restaurants are open and it's easy to find someone to hang around with enjoying their friendly company, their stories and jokes made special by a glass of red or white local wine.
Book here - Marina di Puolo excursion
boat excursion Sorrento 1/2 day
Sorrento boat excursion full day
Cala di Marciano
This is the successive beach after Marina del Cantone. Recommone is reachable by walk in 10 minuti from a path through a characteristic panoramic way from the beach of Cantone, along which you can admire a tower of coastguard build in XV Century. This area offers one of the most renowned restaurants of the coast.
Book here - Cala di Marciano excursion
boat excursion Sorrento 1/2 day
Sorrento boat excursion full day
Cala di Mitigliano
At the Souter point of the Sorrentine Peninsula there is Cala di Mitigliano, between the gulf of Naples and the Salerno. This famous beaches of Massa Lubrense have been awarded in 2009, for their cleanliness, the (Bandiera blu d'Europa) Fee award, the most prestigious prize when it comes to quality of the waters, of the coast, security measures, environmental education and information..
Book here - Cala di Mitigliano
boat excursion Sorrento 1/2 day
Sorrento boat excursion full day
Punta Campanella
Punta Campanella in Massa Lubrense, the point farthest south of the Peninsula Sorrentinae overlooking the island of Capri Spring, with its profusion of scent and colour, has arrived; in the morning the sun rises earlier each day and in the evening it seems it doesn't want to set. This is just the right Vista da Punta Campanella time to go for a lovely walk in the peace and quiet of nature, along one of our peninsula scenic itineraries of natural, historical and archaeological interest. Our walk begins in the square in Termini. To the right of the parish church, we take Via Campanella and, after about 400 metres, we reach a fork in the road; turning left takes us to Monte San Constanzo (another delightful spot), turning right we start the descent towards Punta Campanella. Following a road which on certain stretches seems to be carved into the rock, the landscape undergoes an extraordinary metamorphosis right before our eyes, making us forget the buildings, streets and heavy traffic of the town. Noise gradually fades into silence and the voice of nature to the left is the white rock of the mountain with its typical vegetation, to the right the sea, the small bays and inlets glimpsed through the rocks. Until we reach the cove of Mitigliano we see typical Mediterranean flora; near Campanella, however, there is an amazing change: the vegetation turns into less luxuriant flora, with an abundance of wild olive trees, myrtle, juniper, rosemary, everlasting, samphire and sea lavender, which seem to grow out of the rock; they are shaped by their exposure to sea breezes, modelled into unusual forms. It is here that the herring gull breeds, and in this area you may catch sight of peregrine falcons or kestrels. Reaching the very end of Punta Campanella, in a wild isolated point we can spot the remains of a 16th century tower, built where once there was a Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva. Over the centuries, either for cult purposes or to control access to the gulf, this tip of the Sorrento Peninsula, known as the Ateneo Promontory, has been the site of temples and trading stations, defence works and patrician villas. Arriving at the tower, on both sides we can see two ways down to the sea: the more modern path on the right is still easy to follow, whereas the older path to the left is unsafe. At the end of this long descent, protected by a rock stack, we can just spot a vast hollow, known as the Sirens cave, and here the sea, reflecting the sun rays, creates a thousand hues that change from one moment to the next. The scene it offers us is amazing in front of us there is Capri, so close that it seems you could almost reach out and touch it; behind is the bare and rugged Monte San Costanzo, and then the small bay of Ieranto. It is all incredibly beautiful, and if we are lucky enough to stay until evening, we can admire a display of fiery magnificence: the sun setting behind Capri, creating a magical exhibition of light, shade and reflections which even the greatest artist might not be able to capture on canvas. Now it is time to head back, all uphill so it takes more than an hour to return to the square in Termini. But the spectacle we have enjoyed makes the journey less tiring. It was certainly worth defending this untainted environment by its inclusion in a marine reserve, created to safeguard this area rich in history, culture, marine environments unique in the world, an unadulterated expression of geological events, Mediterranean ecology and astonishing scenery. Near Torre di Fossa Papa we find olive trees with splendid dry stone walls and coloniesof the rare plant, (Lithodora Rosmarinifolia), similar to rosemary, which grows naturally only on the Sorrento Peninsula and in Sicily. We have almost reached Termini, and it is worth a last backward glance to fix this splendid picture in our minds: Capri, the sea, the white rock, the call of the seagulls and the melodic voices of the Sirens inviting us to return
Book here - Punta Campanella excursion
boat excursion Sorrento 1/2 day
Sorrento boat excursion full day
Read More of Sorrento
Sorrento to Capri TourSorrento Shore Excursions
Hotels Sorrento
Cooking Class Sorrento
Copyright © 2009 Capitanoago, all rights reserved.