Bay of Ieranto

The path leading to the picturesque Bay of Ieranto shows the most savage and enchanted side of the coast; the sea is one of the most crystalline.

You can view this trail in the AllTrails app or you can use the track:

The Bay of Ieranto is a rocky cove between Punta Campanella and Punta Penna, it is the pearl of the Marine Protected Area, and can only be reached on foot or by kayak. With its unspoiled beauty, it is one of the most evocative places in Massa Lubrense.

The bay is protected by the FAI (Italian Environment Fund) which offers guided tours and activities in nature.

The path that leads to the enchanting bay starts from the square of Nerano, after a few meters along the road towards Marina del Cantone.

After about 50 meters uphill, take via Jeranto on the left: the old mule track passes next to the Villa Rosa, where the writer Norman Douglas stayed, and then in front of a small votive shrine. In the first section, you cross cultivated vegetable gardens, citrus groves, and olive groves.

From the left side, the view opens onto the beaches of Marina del Cantone and the islands of Li Galli and Vetara. Looking up, under the spike from which the chapel of San Costanzo overlooks, you can see a large opening in the mountain: it is the entrance to the Grotta delle Noglie, with a wide but shallow mouth, with stalactites on the ceiling.

The trees gradually begin to thin out and make way for the typical vegetation of the Mediterranean scrub. Continuing the journey, you reach the Sprito ridge from where you can admire a scenery of incomparable beauty: on the right, Punta Campanella and Capri with its Faraglioni; on the left, the Gulf of Salerno up to Punta Licosa, with the Amalfi Coast and the islands; in the center, the Bay of Ieranto.

At this point the path forks: on the left, a dirt path leads to Punta Penna and to the Torre di Montalto. From the top of the tower, the gaze can range from Capri to Li Galli and get lost in the Gulf of Salerno. The old premises of the former Italsider quarry are now the headquarters of the FAI, which offers guided tours and various activities.

The descent on the right leads instead to the small beach of Ieranto via an old staircase; this small beach, also known as Marinella, is set among limestone rocks, with a backdrop of white pebbles reflecting the colors of the surrounding vegetation. The large beach is not accessible by land, it can be seen from the sea (swimming, canoeing or with authorized boats), but it is not possible to stop there due to the danger of falling rocks.

From Marina del Cantone you can visit the bay by kayak.