from Termini (Massa Lubrense) to Punta Campanella and Monte San Costanzo
Durata: 6,4 km
Travel time: 4h 30 ‘
Route – Not very demanding walk. Consider, however, just over 400 meters in altitude from Punta Campanella to the summit of Monte San Costanzo exposed entirely to the sun.
Approach – Departure and arrival from the Termini square. Reachable by car or public transport both from the province of Naples (via Sorrento) and from Salerno (via Positano).
Refreshment points – There are no refreshment points along the route. There is a bar in the square of departure and arrival of the route.
Punta Campanella segna la fine della Costiera Amalfitana. Oltre il capo, inizia il Golfo di Napoli. Anticamente il promontorio portava il nome di Punta(o Capo) della Minerva per la presenza in epoca romana di un tempio dedicato alla dea Minerva.
This walk, the last only in order of listing, has as its distinctive feature the almost constant visibility of the island of Capri and, along various stretches, the contemporary view of the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno.
Place of departure is Termini, a hamlet of Massa Lubrense. Near the church of Santa Croce (easily identifiable) are concentrated: the possibility of parking, a bar for a short break for comfort, the bus stop for those arriving by public transport, a panoramic terrace with a beautiful view of Capri and the starting point of the walk. With your back towards the entrance of the church, proceed to the left for a few meters, to take the narrow road that goes down to the right. A little more than a hundred meters and you will come to a crossroads where you continue to the right. From here on, up to Punta Campanella, the road continues downwards with a barely perceptible slope, and the route does not include any detours.
Once again it is not easy to replace the suggestion of the place with words. Just think of the amount of sailors who passed with their ships between here and the island of Capri. If they ever existed, Ulysses and Aeneas themselves have crossed the waters of the strait. Certainly the ships of the Roman Empire (the rock wall of Capri, which faces Punta Campanella is the seat, on the top of the villa of the Emperor Tiberius), the Saracen fleets observed and kept at bay by the Aragonese tower of the fifteenth century and, up to the nowadays, ships of all nationalities and sizes. On the southern slope of the tip an ancient staircase, carved into the rock, leads to a cave and to a landing place that ancient ships used to supply the local temple.
The way back includes the ascent to the summit of Mount San Costanzo. Go back a few tens of meters and take the crossroads that leads upwards to go up along the ridge of Pezzalonga. At the top there is a military installation and you reach the asphalted road that takes you back to Termini. Before going down to the “starting point, we suggest a detour to the chapel of San Costanzo to admire the view towards the two gulfs and the underlying Marina del Cantone.
Some hairpin bends of the road to go back towards Termini can be “cut” by shortcuts.
