There is no place in the Sorrento Peninsula that does not evoke the legend of the Sirens. But, perhaps, this is the place along the beautiful path renamed "Sirenuse", which unravels between Torca, in the municipality of Massa Lubrense, and Colli di Fontanelle, where you can sense the magic of those mythological tales better than anywhere else.
View from Sirenuse Path | Ph. Machi di Pace - Trentaremi
Walking among the colours of the myrtle, cistus, white and pink bindweed flowers, of all the spontaneous firstlings of the Mediterranean maquis, the three islets of the Galli archipelago suddenly appear, painted on a canvas of azure sea, and seemingly within reach, because from here, they are just under three kilometres away.
Li Galli islands | Ph. Machi di Pace - Trentaremi
A few limestone rocks emerging from the garrigue act as supports and then, from there, the game is easy. Just close your eyes, breathe deeply, immerse yourself in the absolute silence of nature and let yourself be lulled by the chirping of cicadas, and that bewitching song that tempted Ulysses and many other sailors, which you seem to hear.
«Δεῦρ᾽ ἄγ᾽ ἰών, πολύαιν᾽ Ὀδυσεῦ, μέγα κῦδος Ἀχαιῶν, νῆα κατάστησον, ἵνα νωιτέρην ὄπ ἀκούσῃς»
«Come hither, as thou farest, renowned Odysseus, great glory of the Achaeans; stay thy ship that thou mayest listen to the voice of us two»Homer - Odyssey XII
It was a sweet song, continuous and incessant, but it was also a song of death. No one could survive the delicacy of that melody, the sorceress Circe clearly stated as much. It was for this reason that Odysseus decided to follow her advice: he plugged his crew's ears with beeswax so that they would not be charmed, and he had himself tied to the mast of the boat so that he could enjoy their song without dying. And it was then that the Sirens, these creatures half woman and half bird, probably endowed with this appearance by the will of Aphrodite, who punished them for having refused marriage and reproduction in order to preserve their purity and virginity, threw themselves into the water and turned in rocks. One of the many legends tells us that this mythological suicide occurred right in the waters in front of Li Galli, on the borders of what today is the Marine Park of Punta Campanella. For this reason, this reason the ancient name of Li Galli was “Sirenoussai”: island of Sirens.
Vetara island | Ph. Machi di Pace - Trentaremi
We walk along this path remembering Homer, smelling the intense scent of wild garlic, until we reach the highest point of the walk: the Pizzitiello, at an altitude of 489 meters, to remain speechless. Li Galli, Vetara, Isca, Mount S. Costanzo, the Faraglioni, the cliff of Punta S. Elia and when the weather is generous, even Punta Licosa. The beauty observed from this point has something sacred in it. It’s not simply a landscape to be admired, it is an experience to feel and live.
The Gulf of Naples | Ph. Machi di Pace - Trentaremi
Any hiker, already full of beauty, would return home satisfied, but the surprises in the Land of the Sirens never end. After leaving the Pizzitiello, Vesuvius and the Gulf of Naples open up before our eyes, inspiring new muthological tales dedicated, this time, to the Siren Partenope. The path may therefore be greeted by entering a shady grove of chestnut trees up to Colli di Fontanelle