Parco del Conero

from SIROLO (PARCO DELLA REPUBBLICA IN CORSO GIULIETTI) TO SAN MICHELE BEACH.

Duration: 30minutes

Duration: 30 minutes

Practicability: by foot, on horseback, by mountain-bike

Environment: marly and clayey cliff which from Sirolo goes down to the sea with a considerable slope. Pebble beach with emerging artificial barriers.

Vegetation: eforestation pinewood with presence of indigenous arboreal species of the Conero (holm oak and durmast).

Itinerario: From the car park go straight in via Giulietti and enter from Parco della Repubblica main entrance, keep on the right and follow the main road up to the point where it crosses a trail going towards the sea. From here go down until finding a bar, keep going through the path (provided with steps) and reach San Michele beach. Keep going on the right you arrive to Grotta Urbani.

from SIROLO (near the cemetery) to Sassi Neri Beach

Duration: 45 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Practicability: by foot, on horseback, by mountain-bike

Ambiente: pendici meridionali del monte Conero nella riserva naturale, sino all'ampia spiaggia ghiaiosa. Proseguendo la costa diventa rocciosa con numerosi scogli.

Vegetation: reforestation pinewoods (pine of Aleppo) and completely wild areas. The broom is wide spread while in the area closest to the sea we find widespread broom while in the part closest to the sea we find the Pliny's Reed.

Wildlife watching: starlings from the scrub (passerine warble,nightingale), marine wintering birds (Great crested grebe, Cormorant), herring and black-headed gulls.

Itinerary: same starting point as of the Itinerary n. 2 but take the first road on the right towards the sea, you go to the left, surpass a farmhouse and go down to a pine forest. Arriving at a crossing point turn right, go into a small forest of deciduous trees, and continue until you find to two restaurants open only in  summer season. From here go down to "Sassi Neri" beach, the beautiful and characteristic beach with "Black"rocks  due to the presence of mussels and seaweeds.

Portonovo Bay Ring

Duration: 1 hour

Difficulty: easy

Practicability: by foot, on horseback, by mountain-bike

Environment: Green Bay in the natural reserve with two coastal lakes situated at the foot of the north-eastern side of the Conero Mountain. Crowded seaside resort in summer time.

Vegetation: Mesophile Mediterranean maquis  with abundance of strawberry tree next to deciduous tree species (hop hornbeam, manna ash), formation of marshy vegetation (common reed and sedge), cattail and other aquatic species in wetlands; pioneer species on the beach (yellow poppy, maritime cabbage).

Wildlife watching: in coastal lakes there are resident aquatic birds (marsh bird, little grebe) and the seasonal presence of kingfisher, starlings from the scrub (Sardinian warbler and passerine warbler), wintering species marine (cormorant and small crested grebe). Among the mammals fox and stone martens; among the insects the water-beetle and numerous species of dragonflies. In the lake waters there are the mosquito-fish and Dyaciclops bicuspidatus odessanus (tiny crustacean plankton). Notes: Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Portonovo (1034) and Guard Tower (1716).

Itinerary: following the signage from the country road of the Conero (take for the municipal road for the bay) you have to reach the square of Portonovo. From the square take the paved road to the pier (direction Hotel Fortino Napoleonico). At a certain point you skirt the Lago Grande (pon of brackish water with lush grove of reeds). Continue toward the pier, leaving the Hotel fence on the right (see archaeological-monumental emergency n. 3),  until you arrive to a majestic guard tower (see archaeological -monumental emergency n.2). Continue on the beach until you get to Santa Maria church. Then continue the itinerary towards lago Profondo, walk on the right bank and continue to a littl alley until you arrive to the departure squar.

Spiaggia di Mezzavalle / Trave

Duration: 30 minutes

Level of Difficulty: easy

Practicability: walking only

Environment: marly and arenaceous cliff in the North coastal stretch of the Conero Mountain in the natural protected area, small pebble beach delimited from the rising "Trave" rock. Panoramic points.
Vegetation: in the initial stretch there are cultivations with of oak, broom specimens. Pliny's Reed cultivations in the rest of the path.

Wildlife: nesting starlings (blue tit, blackcap). Among the mammals we find the badger.

Osservazioni faunistiche: passeriformi nidificanti (cinciarella, capinera). Tra i mammiferi troviamo il tasso.

Itinerario: take the Conero country road up to KM 5,400, at the crossroad for Varano. Observe two metal gates, on their right side there is an alley that runs along a grove reed. Leave the grove reed on the left and continue along the edge of a cliff. Continue on the right up to a small valley with broom trees and continue downhill until you reach Mezzavalle beach, located between the bay of Portonovo and the original "Trave" cliff.

Conero Mountain Ring

Duration: about 2 hours

Itinerary: Get by car up to the top of the Conero Mountain proceeding on the road going from Sirolo to Portonovo. At approximately 1 km from Sirolo at a crossingroad on the right you have to go up. Park the car. From there on the left the trail n. 301 starts, paved. Follow it and take the directions to the belvedere. You can enjoy the breathtaking panorama toward the bay of Portonovo and Mezzavalle beach. From this point go back to the trail n. 301/b and after twenty minutes you will be in Pian dei Raggetti. Here the landscape is toward the south coast and the interland hills. Going up the trail in the woods you will return to the initial parking.