Itineraries in Cilento

Walking by the sea, leave the small harbour of San Marco and follow the directions to the legendary Punta Licosa. The first section of the itinerary is on a shady path with accommodation facilities surrounded by nature. At first, the path is a paved road but then turns into a dirt road the closer you get to Punta Licosa, proceeding through the Mediterranean scrub woods with the beach constantly on the right.

The plant life is rich in Aleppo pines, lentisks, myrtles and olive trees.

Along the sides of the Monte Stella there is the path that leads to Acciaroli. The tour starts in Casal Velino, at the “I Moresani” farm holiday, about 1 km from the city centre. Proceeding along a comfortable and well-signposted country road you will reach the small hamlet of Celso, north of Pollica.

From Celso follow the directions to Pollica until you reach the Convento Francescano di Santa Maria delle Grazie (Santa Maria delle Grazie Franciscan Monastery), that overlooks the Tyrrhenian sea blue horizon. Along the downhill road that leads to the town, you will get to the Castello dei Principi Capano (Capano Princes Castle) and the picturesque three-storey square plan tower that overtops all the buildings of the town. After the visit, keep walking towards the coast, until you reach the hamlet of Cannicchio,  a nice place with steep terraced streets, and the Chiesa di San Martino, a church on the main street.

Keep walking along the downhill road towards the sea, through hills rich in Mediterranean scrub and farmed fields: you will eventually reach the sea hamlet of Acciaroli, famous for its harbour that is very important for fishing and tourist activities.

Leaving from Marina di Pisciotta, you can either walk or ride a horse to reach the upper side of the Cilento town, keeping the sea behind you. The tour starts in via Matteo Sabino, near the “Alici di Menaica” shop, that overlooks the local harbour.

The path crosses the old railway, not operating anymore, and goes under the railway bridge. At first, the path is a paved road but then turns into a dirt road. You will proceed along via Marina, enjoying the sight of the famous centuries-old Pisciotta olive trees, and will eventually reach via Giardini in Pisciotta.

The springs of the Sammaro river, one of the main sub-affluents of the Calore river, are not far from the town of Sacco. To reach the Sammaro springs, walk along the steep paved road that goes through the beech trees and oaks wood.

After about 1 km, you will see the road signs to the springs: turn right, taking a wide dirt road that goes to the iron bridge. Keep walking towards the concrete bridge that appears in the distance and you will reach the gorge that houses the springs. The Sammaro springs are formed right under this bridge, that is about 150 metres tall and connects Sacco to Roscigno, among red cliffs that create a breathtaking view.

Along the hiking route that leads to Roscigno Vecchia be very careful, for within the springs area there are slippery rocks and stone chippings that might fall. After you pass the iron bridge, you have to walk uphill towards the “bella addormentata” (sleeping beauty). Proceed along a little-visited path, just be careful as you may walk among brambles and scrubs (even if lately the local authority is taking care of these paths). Once you get to the road, you will see the charming and folk build up area of Roscigno Vecchia.

The Sentiero sacro di San Michele (Saint Michael Sacred Path), a path very dear to the citizens of Caselle, leads to the grotto of the same name on the Pittari Mount, 690 metres above sea level, the core of the mass religiousness.

After a 1 hour walk from the city centre, you will reach the highest point so you can enjoy a breathtaking view on the Bussento valley. Here, a grotto houses the sanctuary dedicated to the Archangel Saint Michael, with an exquisite low relief dating back to the 12th century. This grotto recreates a 10 metres long church’s nave, that is between the rocks and protected by an iron gate. You can enter the sanctuary by a brickwork entrance that was built in the 18th century.

Once you are back to the city, you can have some rest and some food at the local pinewood, before proceeding towards the Rupe (Cliff). The tourist path, surrounded by wild nature, will take you in less than half an hour in front of a 150 metres high cliff, among the calcareous rocks. The inghiottitoio del Bussento (Bussento Chasm), also known as the Rupe, is a deep chasm where the river’s water flows under the Pannello Mount to spring up 6 km after in the Morigerati town. The entire area is rich in significant karst examples.

The Bulgheria mount has been inhabited since paleolithic and was named after the Bulgarian soldiers that used to live here during the 5th century AD. Its many grottoes used to house the basilian monks as well, that spent their lives working and taking advantage of  the natural vegetation growing on the slopes of this beautiful mountain. Nowadays there are beautiful plants growing here, such as lavender (very common on the whole plateau), oregano, liquorice, dog rose and several wild orchid species.

Leaving from via Asti in Celle, proceed crossing the Agropoli-Policastro expressway (also known as Cilentana) and reach the path that leads to the top of the Bulgheria mount. The path is dirt and rocky; you can have a walk, ride a horse or even drive a off-road vehicle to get to the top.

Along the path you might meet foxes, boars or hawks up in the sky. After a 3 hours walk you will reach the top of the mount, close to the lodge (the facility can host at least 10 adults).