A brand new website www.sorrentowalks.com is now online. The initiative, promoted by the local Sorrento Administration in collaboration with Penisola Verde and mentored by Giovanni Visetti, our expert local cartographer, is a positive step towards the promotion of trekking in the Sorrento Peninsula.
Produced in Italian, English and German, the site proposes a selection of itineraries, all starting in Sorrento that will take you to neighbouring localities mainly away from the main roads, following lanes, paths and trails historically used by the local population before today's roads were even built. Included are also three urban itineraries: itinerary 11 Walls & Gates of Sorrento, itinerary 22 Villages of the Sorrento Valley and itinerary 19 Sorrento - Sant'Agnello. Itinerary 22 is one of my favourites, so close to the centre, but a far cry from the usual tourist sites seen by the majority of visitors to Sorrento.
All of the walks are feasible for a reasonably fit person and in any case, thanks to the information provided for each one (elevation, distance and description), you can choose the ones most suited to you, maybe resorting to public transport for the return if you prefer.
Each itinerary, as well as a brief description of its actual route, also highlights points of interest along the way, which in turn are linked to short historical summaries.
The website describes the history of the Tolomeo Project, explains the waymarking and organisation of its network of itineraries, has a News section where you will be able to find useful information regarding programmed guided walks, maps etc., and a Contact tab. You can download the itineraries completely free and GPS coordinates are provided too.
We are now hoping that the local Authorities of Massa Lubrense, who are quick to use trekking as a selling point, will follow suit. Maybe for next summer? Who knows.
