Baia di Ieranto

Facing Capri at the south-western tip of the Sorrentine peninsula, Baia di Ieranto is a rocky cove within the Punta Campanella marine protected area. FAI has managed the bay since 1987, when Italsider donated the land to prevent speculative development.

Why it matters

Ieranto combines limestone geology, coastal vegetation and a long history of human use. It lies within the Natura 2000 network and in Zone B of the marine protected area. Ancient tradition associates the bay with the sirens; Pliny the Elder's account places Ulysses' encounter with them in this part of the coast.

What to notice

The limestone slopes preserve traces of the quarry that closed in the 1950s, including former service buildings now used by FAI. Rosemary, tree euphorbia and juniper grow in the recovered Mediterranean scrub. Underwater, Posidonia seagrass meadows signal the quality of the marine habitat. Torre di Montalto stands above the cove, and the shallow Grotta delle Noglie opens below the hillside chapel of San Costanzo.

Context and history

Terraced agriculture once extended down the slopes toward the sea, with citrus and olives among the crops. Limestone quarrying continued through the first half of the 20th century. Italsider held the land until the 1987 donation to FAI, which has since managed the bay and its natural and cultural heritage. The coastal towers of Montalto and Campanella preserve evidence of the defensive system developed against corsair raids.