The Nature

The National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano

Glancing at a geographical map of Italy we note at the southern most extremity of the Gulf of Salerno a massive protuberance occupying the “neck” of the boot which is our penisula. A promontory bounded, more or less, to the north by the course of river Sele to the east by Vallo di Diano, to the south by the Gulf of Policastro, and to the west the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The term Cilento comprises the entire large and tormented area whose highest peaks are the massifs Alburni, Cervatu, Gelbison, Bulgheria and the splendid rugged coastline running from Agropoli to Policastro Bussentino.

The body of this territory appears on the whole as a wrinkled and powerful series of mountains ranges. Proceeding from north to south the first stupendous chain is the Alburno, descending we see Mount Spina dell’Ausino. Having crossed the tiny stream Marza, which plugs into the Vallo di Diano, we now see the rising limestone cliffs, a series of brief mountains ranges, in an almost fantail arrangment with the centre of the fan pointing, towards the town of Castel San Lorenzo. The first rocky point of the fan is represented by Mount Cocuzzo (1411 m.), in a perfect position.

Still proceeding towards the south, yet another of the fan’s points passes by Mount Cerasulo (1400 m), elongated and dormant like a cetacean beached between the bulk of the Motola aand neighbouring Mount Cervati (1898 m.). separated from the latter by the high course of the river Calore. This magical mountain amphitheatre constitutes, along with waterways that cut their way through it, the mountain water basin of the Calore, a spectacular and pristine river, a tributary to the lefty of the Sele, contributing to to create, along with the Sele, Solofrone, Alento, Lambro, Mingardo, Bussento and other streamlets, a liquid, clear, rushing and foaming incantation on this convulsive southern high plateau surrounded by mountains.

Mount Bulgheria (1225), Mount Stella (1130 m), and other minor peaks, noless craggy looking, slowly falling off towards the sea to form a paradise of promontories, beaches and cliffs which make this one of the most beautiful coasts in Italu.

A marvellous coast which culminates in the spellbinding rocky-marine Porto degli Infreschi, the Capo Palinuro with its cliffs, caves and fossil dunes. Then, heading back up towards the northwest, Agropoli, heralding from the coast the symbols of Magna Graecia that are the temples of Paestum.