Santuario dell'Avvocata e Monte Falerio – loop from Cetara

This route is quite challenging in places. It's actually a very beautiful hike, with truly magnificent views, but the "trails" are sometimes very difficult to recognize. You should download the route offline beforehand, as it's sometimes very difficult to recognize the trails. You can get lost quite quickly. I got lost at one point on the descent and had trouble finding my way back.

USEFUL INFO excursion date: January 21, 2025 ITINERARY: Cetara - sella del falerio - cappella vecchia - monte avvocata - santuario avvocata - rigiulella - piano viesco - Cetara. Km approximately 13 VEGETATION 0 With a high possibility of growth in summer limiting visibility and passage on the paths (partly on the climb towards sella del falerio and partly on the descent towards Cetara before the junction between Cetara and Erchie) WATER SOURCES along this route: Cetara Cold water (not much, coming out of a pipe) Santuario avvocata (better if you have a filter to purify the water) Rigiulella river water as the water from the pipe did not come out (I recommend using a filter or tablets to purify the water). ROUTE DESCRIPTION the route is not difficult if you are a bit trained. it starts near the cemetery of Cetara, the climb from Cetara that leads to the sella del falerio is a bit difficult because it is steep, but going slowly it is easy to do (I am not very trained and did it without trekking poles). In this period it is very beautiful because the vegetation is low but in some points of the route, in late spring and summer, the vegetation at 99% will block the passage. ATTENTION at the point where I inserted photo number 8 the path leads to go straight instead you have to turn right and in a few meters you reach the sella del falerio. From there you continue to arrive in about 15 minutes at the old chapel and continue to the Santuario de l'Avvocata or Monte Avvocata. Unfortunately the day was very cloudy, it also rained, so we could not admire the splendid landscapes. The descent to Cetara in the direction of Piano Viesco is located before the apparition cave. The signs were broken by the wind. There are two entrances near the cave, the first is for Cetara and the second, right near the gate to go to the cave, leads to Maiori. The downhill path is quite steep. Some sections are slippery. The vegetation in this period is not looming but in the flowering period it could obstruct some passages. This until you reach the "rigiulella" where there are some tables and a nice little river. From there you continue in the direction of Piano Viesco where there is a large ruin and a green clearing. From there in about an hour we returned to the parking lot in Cetara The rain did not help us on this trip, it also slowed us down but it was still a fantastic experience. I highly recommend it for those who want to take an alternative route to go up to the Avvocata.