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Palinuro is a seaside village on the Cilento coast at the southern end of the province of Salerno in Campania, administratively part of Centola. Climbing here has two headline crags: Spiaggia della Molpa on the beach south of Capo Palinuro, and La Severina a few kilometres inland below the abandoned village of San Severino. theCrag lists 101 routes for the Palinuro area, including a Camerota sector and Pozzallo, a deep-water-solo spot.
This post covers what to decide before you go: who each crag suits, which season, how to get there, and what rope to bring. For the Amalfi Coast further north, see Amalfi Coast; for a season-and-region comparison of Italian crags, see the series overview.
What kind of crag is it
Spiaggia della Molpa
A sea cliff on the sand. Planetmountain's write-up is by guidebook author Oreste Bottiglieri, who calls it "la falesia attrezzata più suggestiva" (the most striking bolted crag) in the Cilento National Park area. Trad routes went up near Palinuro's natural arch back in the 1980s, and a few bolted lines followed on Molpa's left side; more recently Bottiglieri and friends bolted about forty sport routes at Molpa and refurbished the old ones.
Scale and sectors. Planetmountain lists 44 routes, 5a–8a+, facing south-south-west, in three sectors:
| Sector | Grades | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Settore Scuola | 5a–6a+ | 11 teaching routes of 13–17 m, mostly slab |
| Settore Centrale | 6b+–8a+ | 25–38 m, overhanging holes and tufas (canne); some need an 80 m rope |
| Settore Destro | 5b+–6c+ | 15–30 m; the main concentration of low and mid grades |
Climbook, updated from the 2023 guidebook, lists 55 routes and 1,589 repeats, and says it is "Molto adatta a Bambini" (very suitable for children) because it's on a lovely beach, except in rough seas.
Who it suits. Families and sport climbers of every level who want a winter climbing holiday. There are plenty of grade-5 and 6a routes, plus long 7s and 8s.
La Severina
A 40 m stalactite forest. Planetmountain's write-up is by one of its developers, Rolando Larcher, who describes it as "una foresta strapiombante di stalattiti alta 40m" (an overhanging forest of stalactites 40 m high), next to the medieval ruins of San Severino. In a Planetmountain feature, Larcher writes that in 2019 he spotted this untouched wall on the way to the Vauzo crag, and groups of friends came back to bolt it in November 2019 and October 2020. The crag page says development continued through 2023.
Scale. Planetmountain lists 30 routes, 6b–8b+, facing east; theCrag also has 30; Climbook lists 42 (counting extensions). The sectors are Bar Sospeso, Lentisco, Olivastro and Vedetta, plus a small lower sector, Topoline, with one 6a and one 6b.
The starts are on hanging ledges. Planetmountain says routes start from hanging ledges linked in a loop by fixed ropes, "sconsigliate a famiglie con bambini" (not recommended for families with children).
Who it suits. Climbers at 7a and up who like long, steep stalactite routes. There are only a handful of 6b–6c lines.
Other crags nearby
theCrag also lists a Camerota sector with 25 routes; Larcher's feature mentions Vauzo, developed by the Ragni di Lecco, which faces north and stays shaded, mostly with intense overhanging routes, and is more climbable in summer.
When to go
| Crag | Source | Season and sun |
|---|---|---|
| Molpa | Planetmountain | In the sun almost all day; in warm months climb until noon and after 5 pm; winter is best, except on days with rough seas |
| Molpa | Climbook | In a storm surge (mareggiata) the crag and beach are hard to reach |
| La Severina | Planetmountain | Faces east, in shade from about 1 pm; the stalactites shed rain well and stay dry most of the year except in very wet spells |
| Vauzo | Larcher's feature | Faces north and shaded; climbable even in summer |
How to plan it. In winter: La Severina in the morning (shade from about 1 pm), then Molpa in the afternoon sun; check the sea state first and skip Molpa if the waves are up. Summer is beach season, Molpa is limited to early and late in the day, and Vauzo's shade is the fallback.
Getting there
Public transport
The nearest station is Pisciotta-Palinuro. Buses from the station to Palinuro and Marina di Camerota are run by Infante; when we checked in October 2026, the operator's timetable page only showed the January–March 2024 schedule (no service on Sundays and holidays), so ask the operator directly. The bus only goes to town; La Severina is inland at San Severino, so in practice you need a car.
Driving
Planetmountain's Molpa page: from the north take the A3 to Battipaglia, then follow signs for Paestum, Agropoli and Vallo della Lucania to the Poderia exit; from the south leave at Padula–Buonabitacolo, head for Sapri, then take the expressway towards Celle di Bulgheria and Palinuro and exit at Poderia too. Then take the SS Mingardina and at its end join the SS562 (the Marina di Camerota–Palinuro road) towards Palinuro.
La Severina is at San Severino, a hamlet of Centola; Planetmountain says to park at the hairpin by the entrance to the medieval ruins.
Parking
Molpa has two approaches.
- Planetmountain's way: on the SS562, about two kilometres past the service station, turn left at a small roundabout (opposite the "Da Lino" restaurant) and immediately right (sign "Ruderi Castello di Molpa"), and follow the dirt road to a gate; park in the small lay-by beside it. Walk through the gate to the end of the track, follow the river towards the sea, go round behind the Molpa castle ruins over the ridge between the two beaches, and drop onto the sand at the foot of the crag.
- The town's and Climbook's way: the Centola town website says to take the dirt road from the roundabout by the Hotel Residence Oasi; there are paid car parks by the beach (such as Lido Marinella), then a short, steep path to the left of the Lambro river, for which it recommends walking shoes. A Climbook commenter adds that you can take the steps down to the beach and walk left along it past a small rock (or through the water) to Molpa beach.
La Severina: Planetmountain says to park at the hairpin, take the steps to about 30 m short of the small church square, where the only way through the rock bands is on the left; climb over the railing and follow the path down to the grassy ridge, descend gently seawards to a spur where you can see the wall, then traverse up to its base, 15–20 minutes.
Rules to know before you go
No closure or ban found. In October 2026 we saw no closure notice for either crag on Planetmountain, theCrag or Climbook, and found no climbing rules from Centola town council or the Cilento National Park. That doesn't prove there aren't any, so watch for signs on site.
An 80 m rope is mandatory at La Severina. Planetmountain says "Obbligatoria corda da 80m": when lowering off, get back onto the starting ledge, keeping the rope clipped or re-clipping as you go; if you lower straight down from the anchors without returning to the ledge, you need a 100 m rope to reach the ground. The hanging ledges are linked by fixed ropes and are not suitable for children.
Sea and bolts at Molpa. Planetmountain says every route opened before 2005 has been rebolted with 304 and 316 stainless steel, and because this is a marine environment the developers check the gear periodically, which takes a lot of time and money. In big waves or a storm surge you can't get in, so check the sea before you go.
Rescue. italia.it says to call 112 in an emergency; 118 is the medical emergency number and also covers mountain rescue; sea rescue is 1530.
Routes by level
YDS and V-grade conversions follow the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart and are approximate; "approx." marks grades the sources give without a/b/c (such as 4 or 5+). The original grade is the one that counts.
Stars come from Planetmountain's Molpa page (out of 5); repeat counts from Climbook (Molpa updated from the 2023 Malopasso, La Severina from Planetmountain's 2023 data). Many La Severina routes have two lower-offs and Planetmountain lists both grades; the table gives the grade to the top and notes the first lower-off separately.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
All on Molpa's Settore Scuola and Settore Destro. La Severina has just one route in this range, on Topoline.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critamo | 5a | 5.7 | 13 m | Molpa Scuola | Planetmountain 2 stars |
| Mare Forza 10 | 5c | 5.9 | 16 m | Molpa Scuola | Planetmountain 2 stars |
| Riurat' e Walterin' | 5c | 5.9 | 18 m | Molpa Destro | Climbook 63 repeats |
| Nicol' a schegg' | 5c+ | approx. 5.9+ | 18 m | Molpa Destro | Climbook 72 repeats |
| C'è di mezzo il mare | 6a | 5.10a | 27 m | Molpa Destro | Planetmountain 4 stars; most repeated on Climbook, 109 |
| La mente umana coccodè | 6a | 5.10a | 27 m | Molpa Destro | Climbook 75 repeats |
| Luciccia | 6a | 5.10a | 20 m | La Severina (Topoline) | Listed by Planetmountain; bolted 2021 |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Svulazz' svulazz' | 6a+ (Climbook) / 6a (Planetmountain) | 5.10b | 30 m | Molpa Destro | Planetmountain 4 stars; Climbook 109 repeats |
| Il gelataio barbiere | 6a+ | 5.10b | 28 m | Molpa Destro | Planetmountain 4 stars; Climbook 63 repeats |
| Pastore Jack L1 | 6b (Climbook) / 6b+ (Planetmountain) | 5.10c | 18 m, first lower-off | La Severina | Most repeated there on Climbook, 16; 7a+/7b to the second lower-off |
| Non sia Maya | 6b+ | 5.10d | 33 m | Molpa Centrale | Planetmountain 5 stars; Climbook 94 repeats |
| Il Koala | 6b+ | 5.10d | 28 m | Molpa Destro | Planetmountain 5 stars |
| Inseguendo una carota | 6c | 5.11a/b | 30 m | Molpa Centrale | Planetmountain 4 stars; Climbook 60 repeats |
| Giuda Iscariota | 6c | 5.11a/b | 18 m | La Severina | Listed by Planetmountain; Climbook 5 repeats |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Himalaya test | 7a | 5.11d | 27 m | Molpa Centrale | Planetmountain 4 stars; Climbook 79 repeats |
| Alice | 7a | 5.11d | 18 m | La Severina | Climbook 6 repeats |
| E ritorno da te | 7a+ | 5.12a | 38 m | Molpa Centrale | Planetmountain 5 stars; needs an 80 m rope |
| Bepi-No! | 7a+ (Climbook) / 7b (older topos) | 5.12a | 18 m | La Severina | Climbook 3 repeats |
| Eso es Palinuro | 7b | 5.12b | 32 m | Molpa Centrale | Planetmountain 5 stars; continuous, slightly overhanging tufas |
| Non e' chiaro | 7b+ | 5.12c | 27 m | Molpa Centrale | Planetmountain 4 stars |
| Ricercati | 7c | 5.12d | 28 m | La Severina | Listed by Planetmountain; bolted by Zio Tibia in 2019 |
| Nato the First | 7c+/8a | 5.13a | 35 m | La Severina | The first route Larcher bolted in 2019; he sent it on the last evening of that holiday |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
The core range at La Severina.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tufas Party | 8a | 5.13b | 35 m | La Severina (Lentisco) | Listed by Planetmountain |
| Route 66 | 8a/8a+ | 5.13b | 35 m | La Severina (Olivastro) | Listed by Planetmountain |
| Respect | 8a+ | 5.13c | 27 m | Molpa Centrale | Planetmountain 5 stars; hardest graded route at Molpa |
| 100 La Qualunque | 8a+ | 5.13c | 35 m | La Severina (Lentisco) | Listed by Planetmountain |
| Mare-Sciallo | 8b/8b+ | 5.13d | 28 m | La Severina (Bar Sospeso) | Listed by Planetmountain |
Where to look things up
- Planetmountain: Spiaggia della Molpa: Bottiglieri's introduction, driving directions, 44 routes with stars.
- Planetmountain: La Severina: approach, rope warning, routes by sector and the developers.
- Planetmountain: La Severina, una falesia da sogno: Larcher's story of the development, which also mentions Vauzo.
- theCrag: Palinuro: four sectors, Molpa, Camerota, La Severina and Pozzallo.
- Climbook: Spiaggia della Molpa and Climbook: La Severina: repeat counts and an alternative approach.
- Comune di Centola: Spiaggia della Molpa: beach access, parking and the path.
- Infante: bus timetables from Pisciotta-Palinuro station.
- Guidebooks: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- Malopasso – Arrampicate e vie ferrate in Campania e dintorni (Oreste Bottiglieri, Versante Sud, 4th edition, 2023, Italian with a separate German edition, ISBN 978-88-55471-55-8; also in the iClimbing app): nearly 60 crags across the Amalfi Coast, Positano, the Cilento National Park, Palinuro and Maratea; listed as "Disponibile" in October 2026. The author developed Molpa, and Climbook's Molpa data was updated from this book.
- Sportclimbing on the Costa d'Amalfi (Manuel Senettin and Thomas Hofer, Vertical-Life, 2014): covers Palinuro, but predates La Severina, so it won't have it.
References
- Planetmountain: Capo Palinuro – Spiaggia della Molpa
- Planetmountain: La Severina – Palinuro
- Planetmountain: La Severina, una falesia da sogno vicino a Palinuro
- theCrag: Palinuro
- Climbook: Palinuro (Spiaggia della Molpa)
- Climbook: Palinuro (La Severina)
- Comune di Centola: Spiaggia della Molpa e il suo sentiero
- Infante: Timetables
- RFI: Pisciotta-Palinuro
- Versante Sud: Malopasso
- 9c Climbing: Costa d'Amalfi sportclimbing (2014)
- italia.it: Numeri di emergenza e assistenza