Monte Bulghería-Tozzo del Moio-Tozzo del Finocchio-Sentiero della Tragara

Introduction

This route was traveled on April 28, 2023, and all subsequent observations and considerations apply fully only to that day.

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From a small parking lot behind the San Giovanni a Piro Municipal Stadium, we simply followed the CAI trail that leads to the summit of Monte Bulgheria.

Already just above the town, and for a couple of hours, the Etna was visible in the distance on the horizon above the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The trail is well marked in the first wooded section, then with more spaced out markers on the final open grassy-rocky slope.

On this final slope, there are various discontinuous paths probably created by grazing animals, and we also noticed a “couple of nearly parallel” lines of painted markers.

However, the direction to the eastern summit of Monte Bulgheria is intuitive, and from here you enjoy the best final view over Policastro Gulf and beyond towards the mountains of Basilicata.

Then, shortly, you follow the easy ridge to the middle summit and the higher western summit, which is the official peak point.

From this last one, you have a clear view of the entire descent to the Tozzo del Moio Refuge, from which we detoured to reach the top of the “little hill” of Tozzo del Moio, with a final nice partial view towards Policastro Gulf.

From the Tozzo del Moio Refuge, you can continue along the ridge or take the forest path just below it on the north side.

We chose the comfortable CAI 817 trail that also crosses various equipped picnic areas.

You reach a flat pass (where you rejoin the ridge trail) and the path continues descending on the south side exiting the forest.

You enter a grazing area, and from here (on the right) you start to “closely evaluate” the ridge elevations where you can possibly go off-trail if you want to look for a higher viewpoint towards the sea.

The path, after a nice depression in “Il Piano” locality with a characteristic “iazzo,” climbs to bypass a very rounded ridge where there is a clearing (today with tall weeds) before a small wood with several continuation tracks in various directions.

Here we left the main trail (which at this point is CAI 820/b) that continues descending towards Licusati.

We followed a track into the right wood to then follow off-trail the ridge elevations.

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On the hiking map of the Cilento Park and also on the Monte Meru Editrice map (both at 1:25000 scale), the CAI 820/b trail is drawn just below the line we followed and goes directly towards Tozzo del Finocchio.

In reality, it passes under Tozzo del Finocchio halfway up the ridge flank to reconnect with the wider trail that descends to Licusati where we went down.

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From the track inside the wood mentioned above, continuing to cross among grass and stones, at some point we found cairns which—comparing the position with the tracks drawn on the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano maps—could indicate a “wild trail” that goes directly down to the Sentiero della Tragara in the Mingardo Valley.

Continuing along the ridge, just left-south of the highest unnamed elevation, we reached a spectacular viewpoint over the sea and the Capo Palinuro promontory.

From here we descended to the elevation indicated on the maps as Tozzo del Finocchio, and then cut straight to intercept the previously left trail descending to Licusati.

Before reaching Licusati, we turned right to join the SP 66 road, and after about 300 meters on asphalt, we took the natural surface path of the Sentiero della Tragara.

The path shortly becomes a traversing trail with beautiful views over the Mingardo Valley.

After bypassing a ridge (with a small turret) at Punta Epitaffio, you enter the long final wooded slope.

Easily descending, you find the first beautiful views of the old medieval village of San Severino di Centola.

With a last more continuous downhill section, you reach a gate immediately followed by a sharp turn left onto the route of the old disused railway.

You pass a tunnel and the old railway bridge over the Mingardo River, and quickly arrive at the large parking lot of the Centola FS Station.