Baia di Ieranto

Ieranto Bay curves around a white-pebble cove at the southern tip of the Sorrento Peninsula, facing the Faraglioni of Capri across the water. Once a limestone quarry, the bay was donated to the FAI by Italsider in 1987 and is now part of the Punta Campanella marine protected area.

Why it matters

Ieranto faces the strait between the Sorrento Peninsula and Capri rather than either gulf. Its protected landscape combines coastal limestone, Mediterranean scrub and marine habitat. The FAI's stewardship followed the donation of the former quarry, which had been worked until the 1950s, and includes restoration of the native vegetation.

What to notice

The cove known as Marinella lies between limestone rocks, with a pebble shore reached by an old stone stairway. Quarrying left visible scars on the slopes, where rosemary, tree euphorbia and juniper have been reintroduced. From the path above the bay, the view extends toward the islands of Vetara and Li Galli and across the Gulf of Salerno. Near the chapel of San Costanzo, the Grotta delle Noglie opens below the path. The larger beach beyond the cove is closed because of falling-rock risk.

Context and history

The bay's industrial history is followed by a story of conservation. Since the FAI received the land in 1987, it has managed the site as a natural area and worked to restore Mediterranean scrub on the former quarry slopes. Ancient tradition also shaped the bay's identity: Pliny the Elder placed the Sirens along this stretch of coast, and the surrounding marine protected area is still associated with their legend. Sixteenth-century towers at Montalto and Campanella recall the coast's history of defence against piracy.