It had been a long time that we had not dealt with the Sorrento Peninsula, and right now, with the autumn weather and the communication routes to Sorrento practically interrupted, it seems like the right time to prepare something to use in better times. So let's talk about Massa Lubrense, a very large municipality rich in many hilly and marine hamlets that extend up to Punta della Campanella and overlook the Gulf of Naples and also that of Salerno, such as Nerano and its Marina del Cantone. Let's head towards Massa Lubrense, bypassing the center of Sorrento with the ring road of Viale degli Aranci, and take the coastal road: the road is very beautiful and has remarkable panoramic views, like this one on the inlet of Puolo:
Once we arrive at the main square of Massa Lubrense, we go down to the small port of Marina della Lobra, where we can stop for a stroll along the seafront:
We go up from Marina della Lobra and, once in the square, we follow the signs for Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi: at a certain point we will find on the right a detour to Santa Maria Annunziata, which are actually two distinct but contiguous hamlets. We pass Santa Maria and arrive at the hamlet of Annunziata, one of the most peaceful and secluded places on the Sorrentine Peninsula, with the square, the church, the tower and above all a garden with a belvedere that offers a spectacular view of Capri and the coast below.
The road ends in a panoramic widening; on the right we can admire Villa Murat, a building with a splendid position on the sea. From this villa Gioacchino Murat (at that time King of Naples) in 1808 directed the battle of the Franco-Neapolitan troops against the English for the reconquest of Capri.
And right in the Annunziata square we find a first restaurant suitable for us, even if the bathrooms are accessible but not equipped, and you can access them by asking the staff to go through the kitchen: La Torre: Piazzetta Annunziata 7, Massa Lubrense +39 081 808 9566 www.latorreonefire.it We leave the Annunziata hamlet and climb towards another location, Monticchio, where we find another restaurant with our requirements: Tramonto Rosso (*): Via Caprile 1, fraz. Monticchio, Massa Lubrense +39 081 8081045 www.ristorantetramontorosso.com But the most famous segment of Massa Lubrense is undoubtedly Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, the most elegant hamlet, frequented by the good Neapolitan bourgeoisie and by a constant flow of tourists throughout the year. A particularly pleasant view is the one that can be enjoyed from the square of the so-called Deserto di Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, a former seventeenth-century monastery which, moreover, is not accessible by wheelchair.
Moving away from Sant'Agata to return to Naples, it is nice to take a different route from that of the outward journey; the so-called Nastro Azzurro (Blue Ribbon) takes us, through the Hills of San Pietro, to cross Sorrento, Sant'Agnello and Piano to resume the state road in Meta. But first, in a bend in the road, we will catch an unmissable moment, namely the simultaneous view of the two gulfs, that of Naples and that of Salerno: a truly unique spectacle!
We hope to be able to return to Massa Lubrense soon, in particular we would like to test the feasibility in a wheelchair of the road that leads from the hamlet of Termini to Punta della Campanella and overlooks the bay of Ieranto. If any of you have already done this route, tell us your impressions, please and ... good coast to everyone! (*) symbol indicating the presence of toilets equipped for the disabled