Montepertuso – Legend, Festival and Hiking Trails

Montepertuso gives you a clear starting point for planning your trip: the village name and local legend refer to an opening in the mountain, while the hiking trails specify concrete starting and ending points. The name Montepertuso comes from a mountain with a hole above the village center.

Rock Opening, Legend and Festival

According to local legend, the opening in the mountain was created by the touch of the Madonna. The story also includes a giant footprint of the defeated devil in the rock. These two motifs belong to the tale of the mountain; the name Montepertuso refers to its opening above the village center.

Every year on July 2, Montepertuso holds a festival in honor of the Madonna delle Grazie. It includes a church service and a fireworks and light show in the mountain opening. If you would like to plan your stay around the festival, this annual date provides a specific point of reference.

Finds from caves in the surrounding area are also part of the village’s history: they suggest the presence of one or more prehistoric settlements. This remains a possible interpretation. The local legend and the cautious reference to prehistoric settlement thus offer distinct ways of understanding Montepertuso’s history.

Hiking Trails and Possible Variants

CAI hiking trail 331a starts in the center of Montepertuso, near the Church of the Madonna delle Grazie. An optional variant is the climb to Buco di Monte Gambera. Numerous steps lead there through cultivated terraces. The climb is therefore an additional option on the hike, not a prerequisite for starting on trail 331a.

Another trail reference is CAI trail 329, which descends to Montepertuso. The trail details answer different questions: for 331a, they identify the start near the church and an optional climbing variant; for 329, they describe the downhill direction into the village. This helps distinguish the two details without treating them as a single route.

La Selva and Getting Your Bearings

La Selva has a different type of access: from Positano or Montepertuso, it can only be reached on foot via two trails. The trails run between rock faces and terraces planted with olive and citrus trees. Walking is therefore part of the access for this visit; the terraces and rock faces line the way.

Another landmark is the Bivio Montepertuso junction on the SS 163: from there, it is about 2 km to the center. This is distinct from the starting point of CAI trail 331a, near the Church of the Madonna delle Grazie. It can be reached from the center of Positano by car or on the local Positano–Montepertuso bus route. If you take the bus, it is a good idea to check the timetable for your travel day.

When planning your trip, you can treat the festival and hikes as separate focuses. The festival takes place on a fixed date each year; for the trails, you can use the starting point, optional climb and footpath to La Selva as your reference points. This lets you choose the reason for your stay based on the topics that interest you.

Discover more destinations: Matonti-vetrali, Sicignano Degli Alburni, Monteforte Cilento, San Mauro Cilento, Valva, Alani, Camerota, Omignano.

For the broader travel overview: Salerno.