Infreschi Path-Iscolelli Cave-beaches-towers-Monte di Luna

Introduction

This route was traveled on December 28, 2024, and all subsequent observations and considerations can fully apply only to that day.

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At the start, we planned to head directly towards the eastern summit of the excursion and then follow the "Sun's path" 🌞 westward to visit the various points of interest.

So, at first, we skipped the Punta Zancale variant and went straight to the descent-ascent crossing the Vaiamonte Valley.

Here we allowed ourselves a very brief detour to the shaded Pozzallo Beach, already knowing we would return to see it in the sun. 🌞

Then we made the only uphill detour – compared to the Infreschi Path – to the large and beautiful Iscolelli Cave.

There is no signage at the detour point from the main path.

The first 3-4 meters today were grassy and hid the continuation trace.

Then the narrow but always visible path leads uphill to the edge of the depression preceding the cave entrance arch (the entire path is mapped with good accuracy on OpenStreetMap).

Back down to the main path, we continued to the large crossroads of the Infreschi Oasis, and then down to the well-known small beach reachable by land of Cala degli Infreschi or Porto Infreschi.

Upon our arrival the small beach was already in shade: in the winter season, the sun 🌞 stays very little here.

To find it sunny you had to walk quickly and plan the visit to the Iscolelli Cave on the return.

For us, no problem because … the swim 🏊‍♂️ was planned at Cala Bianca Beach.

After Cala Infreschi Beach, visit Punta Infreschi passing under the Infreschi Tower.

Then, based at the Infreschi Oasis, visits to:

• Iscolelli Tower – initial walk on a small road and then an almost always marked path; however, the tower can be seen from afar, the slopes are gentle, and there are no problems.
• Iscolelli Beach – path partly through shrubs, with some faded marks of various colors; not difficult to follow but ... you need to pay attention because the beach is seen last and cannot be used as a reference from afar; the rocks of the final descent are about ten meters high, and we (as written in the "SUMMARY" sheet) rated them as lower I° grade with a couple of I° grade holds; today rock is very dry and no problem, but it could be an issue even on a sunny day after a storm that wet the coast a lot; we found a descent line not vertical, but with a double left-right that follows mini ledges of a few meters; it is the only point of the excursion not compatible with "four-legged friends" 🐕; we tied our "little girl" to a bush before descending to the beach.
• Cala Bianca Tower – first part of the path comfortable up to a viewpoint … that takes your breath away overlooking Cala Bianca vertically; then the line to reach Cala Bianca Tower is quite logical but the small path seems uncertain despite some red marks; the walking surface (although easy in slopes) is very uneven with many small sharp rock spikes that "threaten the ankles"; you must go slowly; from the tower a beautiful front and upper view of Cala Bianca Beach on the opposite side of the bay.

For Cala Bianca Beach, arriving from Cala Bianca Tower, we followed a path that is not the classic marked one that deviates from the Infreschi Path.

After a first stretch of small road you reach a building and then the end where you walk in a ditch today … among ripe strawberry trees❗😋

This mapped path arrives at the beach from the east, the classic one comes from the north, and the variant (also mapped) that we followed on exit heads west.

From Cala Bianca Beach we returned to Pozzallo Beach for the final snack. 🍔

Returning towards Marina di Camerota we detoured to Monte di Luna following the lines suggested by the black dashed lines on paper maps.

The deviation from the Infreschi Path is on the edge of an olive grove and can be on an initial small road or on a track among shrubs.

Then, above the olive grove, the path is easily followed under the woods until reaching the final ridge line that drops to the sea.

Here, turning right-west, you meet a ruin "with a historical appearance" but whose name I do not know.

The summit ridge is covered by shrubs and grasses, and it is not easy to understand the highest summit point among the low undulations.

However, continuing a few dozen meters west on natural corridors among the shrubs you arrive at a viewpoint on Punta Zancale and Marina di Camerota.

On the other side you can reach a view above Punta Iscolelli (or Punta Falconara) that embraces the Gulf of Policastro.

Finally, we made the tour of Punta Zancale after rounding Cala Fortuna: all well lit in the afternoon.