Baia di Ieranto
Nerano
KnownFree beaches

The story
The bay protected by the FAI that looks across at the Faraglioni of Capri, reachable only on foot among olive trees and scrub, with the clear water of an old quarry.
Access
6 km trail or by sea
The story
The Baia di Ieranto opens at the end of the Sorrento peninsula, in front of Punta Campanella and the Faraglioni of Capri: one of the most beautiful and intact inlets of the gulf. Sixty-three hectares, largely owned by the FAI, inside the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area. Antiquity placed here the myth of the sirens; in the twentieth century there was a limestone quarry, today reclaimed to nature.
What to see
The bay, with its transparent water and the rock jutting out towards Capri, is a small paradise of Mediterranean scrub and sea. The FAI runs it as a common good, with paths and activities to get to know the land: it is a place to walk, to swim with respect and to understand the coast, not an equipped bathing resort.
How to get there
- On foot only
Hours and prices
Free entry.
Tips
It is reached only on foot, by a downhill path (about 30-40 minutes) from Nerano: suitable shoes, water, and remember that on the return the climb back is uphill and under the sun. It is inside a marine protected area run by the FAI: find out about arrangements, hours and rules (swimming and navigation are regulated) on the official channels.
Frequently asked questions
How do you reach the Baia di Ieranto?
Only on foot, by a downhill path of about 30-40 minutes from Nerano; on the return the climb back is demanding and under the sun.
Is the Baia di Ieranto free to access?
It is run by the FAI inside the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area: swimming and navigation are regulated, and it is best to find out about arrangements and hours on the official channels.
What makes the Baia di Ieranto special?
The transparent water and the intact nature, in front of Punta Campanella and the Faraglioni of Capri, in one of the best-preserved inlets of the gulf.
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