Spiaggia di Tordigliano, Vico Equense: The Pebble Beach on the Amalfi Drive That Belongs to the Sorrentine Peninsula

Italy | Campania | Sorrentine Peninsula | Vico Equense | Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area

Anyone driving the Amalfi Drive toward Positano passes a stretch where the road, the sea and the view all say Amalfi Coast, while the municipal boundary says otherwise. Tordigliano-Chiosse is a hamlet of Vico Equense, which belongs to the Sorrentine Peninsula, yet it lies a short distance from Positano and looks out on the same islets. Spiaggia di Tordigliano sits in that border zone, and guides describe it as one of the largest beaches in the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area.

An Amalfi Drive Beach That Belongs to Vico Equense

The place name Tordigliano-Chiosse appears on the beach’s listings, and the stretch of shore is also referred to as “Imperatore” in a Coast Guard notice, which mentions a front of about five hundred metres. A tourism guide to Vico Equense calls it one of the most extensive beaches in the municipality and on the whole peninsula, and notes that it is little visited in peak season.

That combination of size and difficulty of access explains its reputation. It is a wild beach in the sense that few people reach it, and the setting is steep coast with very little development.

Pebbles in a String of Coves Facing Li Galli

The beach is made mostly of pebbles, washed by very clear water, according to the guides, and one describes it as a series of small pebble coves and not a single bay. From the shore the view takes in the islets of Li Galli, off Positano, and a second guide adds Positano and Capri.

Several guides rate the water as deep, and the pebbled seabed drops off quickly, which makes the beach better for confident swimmers than for children. The marine protected area covers this coast, so rules on anchoring, fishing and diving may apply, and I could not verify the local zoning.

Why Guides Advise the Sea Over the Path

Reaching the beach by land means a dirt path, uneven and rough, which begins where the guardrail of the SS163 Amalfi road is interrupted. One guide counts about 300 steps and says that the land route is considered dangerous and that arriving by sea is preferable. Another describes a path requiring a good sense of adventure. Walkers should wear sturdy shoes and expect a hard climb back. Boats can reach the beach from Positano, which is the nearest harbour, and the beach is on the sightseeing route for sea excursions along this coast. For the main beach of Positano, see ###Spiaggia Grande Positano###, and for another pebble cove in the same marine protected area, ###Cala di Mitigliano Massa Lubrense### lies on the Sorrentine side of Punta Campanella. I could not verify bus stops or parking at the trailhead, and the source’s SITA bus and parking claims are left out for that reason.

A Public Beach With No Services

Tordigliano is a free public beach. There are no lidos, lifeguards, toilets or showers that I could confirm, so bring water, food, shade and a bag for rubbish. A Coast Guard notice from the harbour authority in Castellammare di Stabia reports an operation against an unauthorised tourism business that had set up on the free beach to provide services and food to hundreds of bathers who arrived by path or by sea. That is a reminder that any services you meet on the beach may not be authorised.

A guide to naturist beaches in the Naples area lists Tordigliano among the places where naturism is practised, though the same article names the Troncone beach in the Cilento as the only officially designated naturist beach in the south, so Tordigliano is not an official one. Visitors with children should be aware of this.

I could not find a rule on dogs. Italy has no national ban on dogs at beaches, and a protected-area regime may add restrictions, so ask the authorities. The rough path and the heat make it a hard trip for a dog.

Eating After the Climb

There is nothing to eat on the beach. Positano and the villages of the Sorrentine side are the places for a meal afterwards, but I could not verify the restaurants named in the source and have left them out.

Check the sea state before you commit to a boat, and take enough water for the climb back.