Walking to Baia di Ieranto, Nerano, Amalfi Coast

Whilst staying at the stunning Casale Villarena, we heard about this beach and on researching it decided it would be a good adventure. The beach has no facilities so I suggest that you take lots of water, food, hat and wear sensible shoes (we did see some people in flip-flops but it is a good hike over rocky ground rather than a casual walk). More details can be found here:  http://www.massalubrenseturismo.it/en/bay-of-ieranto/

The track starts in the village of Nerano, off the road near to the local shops and Casale Villarena. I felt excited to be going higher and higher above Nerano, stopping to take many photos, watching the numerous lizards and taking care not to step on them.

We came across the pink gate for Villa Rosa, where Norman Douglas lived and wrote Siren Land – we took more obligatory photos. Then I was looking out for the farming terraces which I had spotted whilst on the beach at Marina del Cantone looking up at the hillside. They were tricky to see from the path but we did get glimpses of them below us as well as the bright blue sea dotted with the occasional boat. I was surprised to come across a well-tended shrine.

At the point where you turn towards Capri, there was a British flag flying high and a bit further on we came to a second pink gate with an old gentleman sitting inside. Even though it was mid-October and about 10.30 am the sun was quite hot, so when we reached a part that was shaded by trees it was a welcome relief. We heard a strange, buzzing noise and saw a drone a little away in the distance which seemed quite strange as previous to this the only sounds we heard were from nature. We came across the owners, stopped to say hello and then two ladies walking up from the beach also paused to catch their breath. A dog was with them and he kept digging his nose into the grasses to hunt for lizards. The ladies told us they had had the beach to themselves and had enjoyed a refreshing swim without swimsuits. This spurred us on to get to the beach and led me to have expectations of swimming. The dog trotted alongside us – he seemed to be encouraging us to keep on descending and stay with him. We walked passed some buildings at top of an olive grove and then took a path down amongst the olive trees. I was getting more and more excited and impatient to reach the beach. The final descent looked tricky and needed full attention to avoid tripping or slipping. The dog ran on ahead as if to say follow me!

There were three people on the beach in two see-through kayaks – what a good idea to see the sea life below. They paddled off leaving us on the beach alone but shortly afterwards another young couple arrived and settled on the rocks. The sea was so clear with many shades of blue and green - inviting us to cool our feet. Suddenly streams of walkers were descending down the narrow track one after another. They were very excited and pleased to be on the beach which immediately felt crowded and noisy. Some of the group went swimming, including one chap who accidentally took his phone in with him and a lady who swam out far and when she returned she had been stung by a jelly fish. Others were content to sit on the beach chatting, eating and drinking. Initially, I found myself feeling annoyed that all these people had descended on to the beach, making noise and upsetting the peace and tranquillity. Then I realised how selfish this was and took the time to notice how much they were enjoying this beautiful part of the world. I observed their excitement and pleasure which made me appreciate being a part of a large social group with common interests is very important. This seemed to be a group of retired folk who obviously relished their time in nature. I found this to be very inspiring on two levels – one was the enjoyment they took from being with one another and the other was that it was probably quite a challenging trek for some of the group. After an hour or so the walkers started to depart in small groups and gradually the beach was quiet again and I found myself missing their chatter which for the most part I couldn’t understand but I did pick up on their enthusiasm for life.

After a doze and a swim we decided it was time to head back to Nerano. I wasn’t looking forward to the hike back but in some ways it was easier than the walk down as I wasn’t worried about stumbling and falling, also we knew how far we had to go and the route to take! As we approached the buildings in the olive groves, we could hear excited voices and sure enough the group of hikers were there continuing to enjoy their day. We followed the path upwards, overtaking some Russian visitors in flip-flops who were resting, then we stopped to catch our breath and take in the amazing views and they passed us.

I did feel relieved at reaching the top and enjoyed the flatter part of the journey before the short descent into Nerano where you can sample home-made limoncello in one of the local shops.
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On our last day, as we were waiting for the bus to Sorrento, the dog came and sat by us as if to say “arrivederci”.

If you visit this quieter part of the Amalfi coast I encourage you to consider taking this excursion and perhaps you will be lucky enough to meet the lizard hunting dog or a group of full-of-life senior Italian hikers.

We really enjoyed staying at Casale Villarena which offers very comfortable accommodation with amazing views and a warm welcome. The authentic Italian food and wine tasting is not to be missed – it’s a great place to experience "Dolce far niente"

Saluti