This itinerary is a loop passing through the villages above Sorrento, sometimes along historical paved lanes not yet transformed into roads. Being circular, you can start at any point: from where you are staying, from the station or from wherever you have parked. Walkers less interested in the touristic areas of the centre of town can leave out the urban section by walking along Via San Renato between Via San Valerio and Cesarano, (green dots on the map), reducing the length of the walk to just 3.8km. You will still be able to enjoy the most pleasant, tranquil, rural and panoramic part of the itinerary. In fact you will be away from the traffic walking alongside gardens, orchards and woods, crossing streams and seeing characteristic places such as the streamlet in Cesarano, San Biagio church, the view point at Casarlano and the carob trees in Via Casola.
There is an elevation gain of around 185m between Piazza Tasso and the highest point of the circuit in Via Cala but since the distance between these two points varies according to which direction you choose to walk, anyone going in a clockwork direction (via Casarlano) will face an average 5.6% gradient, whilst in the opposite direction (via Cesarano) it is 9.3%. For this reason, the latter route (especially Via Palomba) may seem more tiring.
If you wish to continue to the higher part of the valley, you can take one of two itineraries going to Sant’Agata (itin. 26) and to Colli di Fontanelle (itin. 29), both of which branch off from this one.
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
From Piazza Tasso (the ancient Porta del Piano), walk along Viale Caruso under linden and plane trees, and after passing the Valley of the Mills, go under the viaduct of Via degli Aranci, past Piazza Gangi and turn left along the edge of the gorge. At the next junction, continue along the main road, first to the left (steep climb) and then right at the T-junction with a much gentler slope. Leave the road to follow an ancient lane on the right that goes through the historical centre of this hamlet, coming out right in front of the Church of Cesarano.
Continue to the side of the little church, and at the fork a few metres further on go right. Once passed the rivulet, start going uphill among shady gardens to the road to Casarlano. Follow this to the right for a few tens of metres before returning to the secondary road by going left onto Via Palomba. This is also relatively steep but after about 300 metres it levels out after the intersection where itinerary 26 starts, which goes up even more steeply to the right.
Itinerary 22 continues left into Via Cala with a gentler slope through trees. At the junction, after less than 200 metres straight ahead, you will reach the highest point of the loop (233m) and start going downhill towards the left. Go past the first sunken stream and, once past a house, cross another one that strangely enough flows over rock. Keep on walking between limestone walls and gardens cultivated with the typical products of the area, until you come to a T-junction, where turning right and, after a slight climb, you will come to the Church of San Biagio.
Turn left and cross the historical centre of Baranica until you come to a wide space above the road to Casarlano that you will soon reach. On the right is the steep, narrow road Via Gradoni, that joins itinerary 29 going to Colli di Fontanelle, whilst 22 continues along a wide and very panoramic road with sweeping views of the Bay of Naples and Sorrento. This brings you to a large tree-lined viewpoint about fifty metres after the Church of Casarlano.
Take the driveway at the edge of the viewpoint and after a few metres, straight after the hairpin bend, leave it to continue along an ancient, sandstone paved path with characteristic carob trees. At the T-junction at the end of the steps, turn left and follow the narrow road that, 300 metres further on, widens into a small square where there were once ancient wash houses. Continue first past some gardens on your right and then past the historical Sorrento cemetery bringing you to the wide road Via San Renato.
From here, anyone wanting to reduce the length of the walk avoiding the centre of Sorrento, can turn left and head towards Cesarano, whilst for the complete itinerary returning to Piazza Tasso, descend to the right for 100 metres and then left into Via Marziale. This small road ends at the very busy Via degli Aranci above the Circumvesuviana railway station. Cross the road carefully and go down to Corso Italia, where turning left, Piazza Tasso will already be in sight.
