Vico Equense is the gateway to Sorrento peninsula, an enchanting village overlooking the sea with warm and embracing colours. If you are looking for a small corner of paradise still unknown to mass tourism, Vico Equense is the place for you! Its fortunate position also makes it the ideal starting point for many excursions that will lead you to the discovery one of the most beautiful territories in Italy.
TYPICAL LOCALITIES
The village of Vico Equense is located in a privileged area from which to visit the Campania coast, one of the most spectacular and photogenic of the Peninsula. Vico Equense is one of the stops on the underground railway Circumvesuviana that covers much of the territory around Naples, it will allow you to explore the area without having to hire a car. In particular, the blue line that passes through Vico Equense will quickly allow you to reach some of the most scenic locations in the region. Heading north, for example, you'll come to Torre del Greco, a beautiful town that boasts enchanting seascapes and the Cento Cannelle fountain (the town's symbol) in the harbour area: Torre del Greco is also known as the "town of coral" because it has two museums dedicated to the working of this precious material. Also worth a visit is the Renaissance Monastery of the Zoccolanti, the Basilica of Santa Croce, rebuilt after the eruption of Vesuvius in 1794, and the Villa Delle Ginestre, a splendid palace overlooking the sea where Giacomo Leopardi composed his work "La Ginestra". Another typical place crossed by the Circumvesuviana is Castellamare di Stabia, a colourful and cheerful seaside village where you can find beautiful beaches and many places of interest such as the archaeological site Scavi di Stabia with Villa Arianna and Villa San Marco, the Medieval Castle of the Bourbon period with a Gulf view and the Stabbiane Thermal Baths, famous all over the world for their beneficial qualities. At the end of the Circumvesuviana railway line you will arrive in Sorrento, one of the most famous villages in Italy, both for the charm of its colourful houses reflected in the deep blue sea and for the production of lemons used to make the incomparable Limoncello liqueur.
EXCURSIONS AND TREKKING
This is the landscape that, from the top of the Sentiero degli Dei (Gods' Path), opened up to our gaze: it is the scenery of that extreme bend of the Amalfi Coast looking westwards, towards the island of Capri, that steep, sultry coast with its crystal-clear mountains where today's gods are abandoned and a lost, Mediterranean, anterior self is discovered once again.
(David Herbert Lawrence)
Since you are travelling (although ideally) on the Circumvesuviana, we suggest you dedicate a few hours to Monte Faito, one of the most spectacular treks in the region: it is a 1400 metre high mountain - the highest in the area - and from its summit you can enjoy the breathtaking landscape that stretches from the Sorrento peninsula to Capri with the Faraglioni on one side and on the other side the city of Naples, Vesuvius and the entire Gulf. On the summit of Monte Faito you will find the Monastery of San Michele, which you can reach with a two-hour trek along an enchanting woodland path, or by cable car from the Circumvesuviana station at Castellamare di Stabia, or by bus directly from Vico Equense. If you enjoy more challenging treks, we recommend the Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods), one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world. For centuries it was the only way to connect the villages of the Amalfi Coast and today it is about 8 kilometres of spectacular trails. Legend narrates that this was the route taken by the Greek gods to save Ulysses from the dreaded Sirens.
When the chain of Monti Lattari slopes gently towards the sea, the area of Punta Campanella begins the place where the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast meet: along these paths you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the cliffs of both peninsulas.
Last but not least, why not climb one of the only two active volcanoes in continental Europe? Vesuvius has been a popular destination for tourists from all over the world since the days when it was considered one of the most exotic stops on the "Grand Tour", the educational journey that all the scions of Europe's most prominent families made to complete their cultural education in Italy, the home of history and ancient knowledge. The journey to the Crater and the Gran Cone will be a unique experience that you will carry in your heart forever.
ARCHAEOLOGY
He sends out some quadrireme into the sea and goes up there himself (Pliny the Elder), to come to the aid not only of Rettina but of many people, since that coast, thanks to its beauty, was densely inhabited. He hurried to where the others were fleeing and set his course and rudder right in the heart of the danger, so immune to fear that he dictated and noted down all the evolutions and all the configurations of that cataclysm, as he could catch them later with his eyes. By now, the closer they came, the hotter and denser the ash fell on the ships, the more pumice and black stones, corroded and broken by the fire, and by now sudden shallow water had formed and a landslide in the mountains prevented them from approaching the coast.
Pliny the Younger talking about the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD
Since ancient times, Campania has been a melting pot of civilisation and culture without equal: the Samnites, Etruscans, Romans and Latins come in succession in this land, leaving behind the vestiges of a glorious and fascinating past that we are still lucky enough to be able to admire today thanks to the numerous archaeological parks in the region. Two of the most famous stops on the Circumvesuviana resonate with ancient and evocative names: Pompeii and Herculaneum. These two towns, located near the more famous Neapolis, were destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, as witnessed by Pliny the Younger who witnessed the tragic event. This dramatic and sudden cataclysm brought a dramatic end to the lives of many people but gave us posterity an almost photographic record of what daily life was in that time.
https://www.visititaly.eu/art-and-culture/discovering-antiquity-pompeii-and-herculaneum
ISLANDS
If during your stay in Vico Equense the attraction to the sea becomes irresistible, you will be spoilt for choice: just a few kilometres from you there are the brightest pearls of the Mediterranean, the islands of Ischia, Capri and Procida.
The green island of Ischia has the power to enchant you like a mermaid's eye, whatever time of year you decide to visit, thanks to its beaches, thermal springs, small fishing villages and spectacular viewpoint. What better time to visit Procida, the island that has been nominated the Italian Capital of Culture for 2022? Here you can fully experience the maritime culture far from mass tourism and savour the authenticity of a sensational land with colours that will enchant you.
Finally, Capri, the Italian dream par excellence. Ever since Emperor Tiberius made this island his favourite holiday destination, Capri has never ceased to welcome VIP tourists from all over the world: Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Leonardo Di Caprio, Bradley Cooper and Irina Shaykh, Matthew McConaughey, Rod Stewart and Bono Vox are just some of the most famous names who moor their yachts in the shadow of the Faraglioni.
https://www.visititaly.eu/best-tours-and-experiences/covid-free-islands-tour-ischia-capri-e-procida-
CULTURE AND BEAUTY
Vico Equense is also an ideal place to stay if you plan to spend a few days visiting the Amalfi Coast and the unforgettable city of Naples.
The high cliffs of the Amalfi Coast make the landscape of this region a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition, the history, culture, culinary tradition and tourist offer make this destination one of the most desirable places in Italy. Sorrento, Positano, The Lovers' Path, the villages of Minori and Maiori, Cetara and Vietri are just some of the beautiful place you can see and live in this wonderful corner of the world.
Naples with its alleys, Naples with its scents and flavours, Naples with all the power of a tradition so palpable that it is immediately perceived even by the most distracted tourist, "Napule mille culure" (Naples has a thousand colours) as the title of a famous song says. During his trip to Italy, Goethe was so fascinated by this city, so hopelessly in love with this land, that all he could say to describe it was: "Siehe Neapel und stirb", which translated means "See Naples and then die". Because once he had visited the city of Punchinello, with its sunshine, its veracity and its joie de vivre, he did not think there was anywhere else in the world worth visiting, his journey could very well end there.
https://www.visititaly.eu/unesco/campania-amalfi-coast-unesco-heritage-site-by-the-sea