Terme dello Scrajo (Vico Equense)

A spa that became a beach

Scrajo is one of the old names of the Sorrento coast. Italian Wikipedia says the Terme dello Scrajo were founded in 1895 on several sulphur springs at the northern edge of Vico Equense, near the border with Castellammare di Stabia, and for decades they were one of the town’s main attractions. They were busy enough to get their own stop on the railway from Naples to Sorrento, which still carries the name Scrajo Terme.

What you will find there today is different. The historic building above the sea now trades as Scrajo Terme Hotel & Spa, but its website is entirely about weddings, banquets and catering: panoramic terraces, a Champagne bar and a chef’s menu, with banqueting from April to October. It lists no spa entry, no thermal cures and no rooms. We found no 2026 notice of thermal treatments here, so do not travel expecting a medical spa.

The water is still used at sea level by Scrajo Mare 1899, a pebble beach club that calls itself a beach with sulphur springs for more than a century. Its sulphur pool is the reason this listing exists.

What to expect

The sulphur pool at Scrajo Mare is cut into the rock against the cliff, surrounded by Mediterranean scrub. The club describes the water as about 64°F18°C, with a cascade of icy water falling into it. That is cool. Think of a mineral plunge after lying on hot pebbles, not a thermal soak. The water smells of sulphur, and the club says the pool has been restored recently.

Around it, the beach club has the usual Italian set-up: loungers and umbrellas for hire, cabins, a snack bar with beach service, free cold showers and token-operated hot showers. Its restaurant, Acquacheta, has a terrace over the sea, and on reservation it serves an “aperibrunch” between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and between 3 and 5 p.m. The listing on spiagge.it also mentions private parking and disabled access, though neither source explains the route down to the beach.

If you want hot water on this stretch of coast, Scrajo is not the place. The Bay of Naples’ hot springs are on Ischia.

Getting there

Scrajo lies on the coast road between Castellammare di Stabia and Vico Equense. Castellammare is about 4.6 km (2.9 miles) north-east as the crow flies and Sorrento about 7.3 km (4.5 miles) south-west. The historic terme building is at Via Luigi Serio 10, and the beach club’s address is SS 145 Sorrentina 9, km 29.66.

By car: From the A3 Naples to Salerno motorway, follow signs for Castellammare and the Sorrento peninsula, then stay on the SS 145 towards Vico Equense. The road along the cliffs is narrow, busy in summer and partly in tunnels, so drive slowly and watch for the turn. Ask the club about parking when you call.

By train: The EAV (former Circumvesuviana) line from Naples to Sorrento has a Scrajo Terme stop next to the site, but Italian Wikipedia says it is served only in summer, for the spa and beach. Outside summer, get off at Vico Equense, about 1.3 km (0.8 miles) away as the crow flies, and take a taxi.

When to go

This is a summer place. The club does not publish its season or opening hours, and the rail stop runs only in summer, so assume roughly late spring to early autumn and call before you go. July and August weekends are crowded on every Sorrento coast beach. June and September are calmer, and the sea is still warm.

Prices and booking

Scrajo Mare publishes no prices. On spiagge.it it is listed but has not joined online booking. To book loungers or ask what the pool costs:

• Phone: +39 081 801 6098
• Email: [email protected]

The terme building (Scrajo Terme Hotel & Spa) can be reached on +39 081 190 42268 or at [email protected], but it sells events, not bathing.

Rules and etiquette

• Swimsuits on the beach and in the pool.
• Rinse off in the showers after the sulphur pool.
• Book ahead for loungers in high season; do not count on walk-in space in August.

The club does not publish rules on pets or children’s ages. It describes the beach as family friendly.

Where to stay nearby

• Vico Equense, a short drive or one stop on the train, has hotels, B&Bs and restaurants, and is the closest base.
• Seiano, the coastal district of Vico Equense about 2 km (1.2 miles) away, has more places to stay.
• Sorrento has the widest choice on the peninsula and is linked by the same railway.
• Castellammare di Stabia, just north, is closer to the motorway.

Safety notes

• Cold water: at 64°F18°C the pool can be a shock after hot sun. Get in slowly, and keep children close.
• Rocks and pebbles: the pool is set in rock and the beach is pebbles. Water shoes help.
• Sea conditions: on this exposed stretch of coast, swell can make entry from the beach awkward. Follow any flags and the beach staff’s advice.
• Road: the SS 145 is narrow and busy. Take care walking along it, and use the train in summer if you can.

Nearby stops worth adding

For real hot springs, take a ferry or hydrofoil from Naples or Pozzuoli to Ischia. The island has free and paid thermal water: the Cavascura baths at Sant’Angelo, the Fonte delle Ninfe di Nitrodi spring, and the thermal parks of Giardini Poseidon and Negombo. On the mainland, the ruins of Pompeii and the Roman villas of Stabiae at Castellammare are both close to Scrajo.