From Offagna to Sirolo
Final stage of the TraversaMarche tour, arriving to the coast.
You start from Offagna, walk through a hilly landscape, going down towards Ponte dell'Aspio, surrounded by greenery.
Then you cross the valley floor to Aspio Terme, where industry and commerce are in full swing, to find a rural landscape again, and go up to the beautiful village of Camerano, thus officially entering the Conero Regional Park.
A descent and ascent lead to Massignano, from where you descend along the slopes of Monte Conero to Sirolo, the point of arrival.
You go up Via Pago,
to the intersection before Offagna,
turn left twice, taking Via Alcide De Gasperi, in an easterly direction:
Continue for about 800 m along the road, which then becomes Via Massa,
and at a fork keep the left, continuing along Via San Bernardino, for about 1500 m:
A left turn follows,
converging in short on the SP 28; you cross it and immediately take the path descending to the right:
You follow the path, which turns immediately to the left,
and a little later to the right, with a view towards Aspio and Monte Conero:
On the left, you can see Montesicuro:
You enter a grove again, where there is a branch that you take to the left,
shortly after the path turns left again, and then exits the grove:
The path goes around a rural house, turning right, to point to the east again:
Approximately 1500 m after the house, you cross a paved road, which you take downhill on the left:
This is Via Soderini, that you follow downhill for about 1500 m, following its curves, passing through vast green cultivated fields,
up to Ponte dell'Aspio.
There, after turning right onto the SP 361, you turn immediately left onto Via Edison,
that you follow for approximately 1500 m, through the industrial-handicraft area of Aspio Terme, starting from the underpass of the highway:
You come across Via Alessandro Volta, take it to the right and pass an underpass,
to then reach and proceed alongside the SS 16, heading south-east, up to a large shopping center.
Here you cross, with great caution, a roundabout on the state road, without any pedestrian crossings,
going to take Via Albano Corneli, heading north-east, until you pass the railway underpass shortly after a roundabout:
At the next roundabout you turn left into Via Farfisa, with no sidewalk,
and soon, at the next roundabout, you turn right, along the Direttissima del Conero, having no sidewalk, and very busy:
You follow it cautiously for 400 m, towards south-east,
then turn left onto Via Fontanelle, a quiet country lane:
Now you are again immersed in greenery, after the urban interlude:
You climb upwards about 160 m in altitude, up to the outskirts of Camerano:
A very short stretch eastwards on Via Cameranense, then you turn left into Via Marinelli:
You continue on Via Garibaldi,
untilyou get to Piazza Roma:
A bronze bust and the Theater of the village are dedicated to the seventeenth century painter Carlo Maratti:
You should not miss the opportunity to visit the Caves of Camerano, a real underground city:
Visits are guided, by reservation: see the official website .
You exit Camerano proceeding along Via Maratti, and a short stretch of Via Loretana;
possible shortcut through a stairway to the right:
At the intersection with Via S. Germano, you take the latter:
You walk north-east for 350 m, then slightly deviate to the right taking Via Massignano:
You descend along the road for about 900 m:
Then turn left into Via Bagnolo, a small country road:
You follow the curve to the right (indication for path 316),
then the curve to the left,
to turn right 150 m after this (again signposted for path 306),
Camerano is now more than 1 km behind:
You continue along the beautiful path, now uphill,
passing a house,
and proceeding at intervals between the vegetation,
then on a narrow track between the fields:
You meet again Via Massignano, and take it to the left:
You continue uphill, with magnificent views:
Approximately 800 m of road is sufficient
to reach the center of Massignano, a typical hilltop village:
A brief chat with some nice members of the local Therapeutic Community,
a look towards the sea,
and then you continue until you find, shortly after the village, the SP 1, no longer very busy since the Conero Direttissima Route was built; take it to the right:
You follow it downhill for about 1300 m, to turn right near a curve to the left:
You continue on a very quiet lane, in the green:
At a bifurcation you continue straight:
You pass the Chiesetta della Madonnina,
continue along Via San Lorenzo,
and reach the first houses of Sirolo:
You continue straight ahead, taking Via Le Vigne,
even when it bends to the left,
to take Via Raffaello Sanzio straight ahead:
At the next roundabout you turn right into Via Giulietti:
You reach the Church of San Nicolò di Bari,
just past which you are in the central Piazzale Marino, with a panoramic point over the Conero:
You continue on Via Italia,
leave the Teatro Comunale on the right,
and after 50 m turn right into Via Gaudenti,
where you find the B&B Le Rose :
To reach the Urbani Beach, go back a little, take Via Bosco, follow it downhill, with some shortcut deviations, descending a drop of about 100 m:
■ gb, 2019-06-01