Massa Lubrense is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 25 km southeast of Naples. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 13,404 and an area of 19.7 km². Massa Lubrense borders only with the municipality of Sorrento.
The municipality of Massa Lubrense contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) of Acquara, Annunziata, Casa, Marciano, Marina del Cantone, Marina della Lobra, Marina di Puolo, Metrano, Monticchio, Nerano, Pastena, San Francesco, Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi (location of the fjord Crapolla), Santa Maria della Neve, Schiazzano, Termini and Torca.
Massa Lubrense is popularly known as the legendary Land of Sirens (from which it derives the toponym of “Sirenusion”), who lived along the coast and with their haunting and beautiful voices lured sailors onto the rocks. According to the legend, Ulysses passed for Ieranto Bay, and there he built the temple of the goddess Athena. Ieranto Bay or Baia di Ieranto, in Massa Lubrense, is one of the rare Italian place inhabited from the very ancient times, and the only intact creek of the Amalfi Coast.
Beyond the legend, the presumed aborigines of the area were two: Ausons and Osci, of which, a while ago, it was found an inscription nearby the eastern shore of Punta Campanella. Its name derives from the Longobard word "mansa", which defined a territorial unit, with the adjective "lubrense" related to the Church of Madonna della Lobra, so named because it was built upon a pre-existing pagan temple (delubrum, in Latin).
Massa Lubrense is the climatic centre of the Sorrento Peninsula. It has a triangular form and borders at north-east with Sorrento, Gulf of Salerno on the left and Gulf of Naples on the right. The gulfs are separated by the peak of Punta Campanella (historically called “Athenaeum promontory”) that faces the island of Capri. This gorgeous strip offers fantastic occasions for excursions both overland and underwater.
In 1990, 11 pedestrian routes were found, miles away from noise, chaos, urban agglomerates, through lemon and olive trees. The classical walk is a triangle with its points in Termini, Monte San Costanzo and Punta Campanella. Depending on the weather, the temperature and other factors you can do the walk in one direction or the other; whichever way it is a just spectacular
The first town you come to following the coast west from Sorrento is Massa Lubrense. Situated 120m above sea level, it’s a disjointed place, comprising a small town centre and 17 frazioni (fractions or hamlets) joined by an intricate network of paths and mule tracks. For those without a donkey, there are good road connections and SITA buses regularly run between them.