Punta Campanella marine reserve plans to more than double: from 1,500 to 3,700 hectares, including the Banco di Santacroce
The Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area, at the tip of the Sorrento peninsula, wants to more than double: from 1,500 to 3,700 hectares of protected sea. The plan was presented on Friday 30 October 2026 in Massa Lubrense, and the reserve will now gather feedback from local people.
At a glance
- What
- Plan to expand the marine protected area
- Size
- From 1,500 to 3,700 hectares
- New areas
- Banco di Santacroce (Vico Equense) and yellow zones at Vervece and Vetara
- Red zones
- No change
- Status
- Plan presented on 30 October 2026; no timetable given
What the plan includes
- Size: from 1,500 to 3,700 hectares, over 2,000 more.
- Banco di Santacroce, off Vico Equense: it would join the marine protected area. It is already a protected site.
- Two new yellow zones around the Vervece and Vetara rocks.
- A yellow zone between Vetara and Li Galli, a stretch of sea that has no rules at all today.
- A partial-protection zone on the Amalfi side: the largest part of the increase.
- Red zones (strict reserve): no changes and no expansion.
Why
When the reserve was set up thirty years ago, no buffer zones were planned: the strict reserve gives straight onto unprotected sea. Director Pierluigi Capone says buffers are needed to meet today's standards and to keep the reserve's SPAMI status, a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance.
What it means for people at sea
- According to the reserve, the partial-protection zone will not restrict use of the area.
- The press release does not give the rules for the new yellow zones or a timetable: for now it is a proposal.
- President Carolina Mazzella said the reserve will listen to feedback from those who live and work on the sea.
Tip: if you have a boat or run sea trips on the peninsula, follow the reserve's press releases to see how the plan develops.
The expansion is also a step towards the European 30×30 goal: protecting 30% of the sea by 2030.
On the peninsula and the coast
- Sorrentohow to get there and what to see
- SITA buses on the Amalfi Coast: winter timetableservices from November
- Christmas in Sorrento and on the Amalfi Coastlights and nativity scenes 2026
- Sorrento bids for Capital of Culture 2030over 3 million overnight stays
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area?
Today 1,500 hectares. The plan presented on 30 October 2026 would take it to 3,700 hectares, more than double.
Will the Banco di Santacroce become part of the marine reserve?
That is what the plan proposes. The Banco di Santacroce, off Vico Equense, is already protected: joining the marine reserve would raise its status as a protected site.
Do the rules change for swimming or boating at Punta Campanella?
Not yet: it is only a proposal. The reserve says the new partial-protection zone will not restrict use of the area; the rules for the new yellow zones have not been published.
What are red and yellow zones in an Italian marine reserve?
Red zones are strict reserves with the tightest rules. Yellow and partial-protection zones act as buffers between the strict reserve and open sea.
Where to stay in Sorrento and on the coast
25 places to stay in Sorrento on Napolibnb.it, the Naples holiday-rental portal: you contact the host directly, with no booking fees. Every listing shows its official CIN code.
