"Siamo saliti dal vesante opposto, dal lato di cocciano, la salita fino al piano puosi è molto ardua ed in pendenza. La strada segnata sulle mappe per salire da quel lato è in realtà un sentiero non praticabile in auto. Il tempo di salita è circa 1h fino al piano puosi e da li si ha un altra mezz'ora abbondante per arrivare alla vetta, ma il percorso è molto più agevole" — giacomoceccariglia • Apr 13, 2026

"The gray sky accompanies my climb up this mountain, part of the Natura 2000 network. The slopes are covered in lavender and rockrose, and partridges roam freely. Rabbits born this spring also scamper about among the undergrowth. From the summit, I can see the city of Águilas and some greenhouses used for intensive agriculture. The area's pleasant climate and fertile soil have allowed for the growth of cultivated lands that have transformed these landscapes in recent decades. These mountains, however, fortunately remain a protected area and a refuge for numerous species of flora and fauna." — franciscobirruezo • Apr 11, 2026

"Today the sun is filtered through the haze, but the breeze is pleasant. I park near the old watchtower and take the path that leads to the north side of the cape. Many yellow flowers and lavender line the rocky path that hugs the cliffs, and down below, some fishermen prepare their lines, hoping for the prized catch. A red-tailed lizard scurries from behind the bushes as I approach. I continue climbing, wondering how the prehistoric inhabitants lived here. They probably ate fish and perhaps rabbits and some birds. They certainly had beautiful views and must have been strong enough to climb up and down these mountains." — franciscobirruezo • Apr 11, 2026

"From the top of Colle Maddalena there is a short descent, ascent and then dip once more into a col. You pass some copses of silver birch and underneath a fair smattering of flowers, white an pinkish purple, with ten to twenty petals each, which I think were anemones. From here it is another 40m or so ascent through trees (some chestnut) to the top. Views of the bay were fairly restricted due to cloud but good views inland to the bigger hills to the north and east. I spent some time looking for any traces of the military presence during the war but found none. There is an abandoned antenna of some sort, and I also came across a rather large trap and cage, that I assume was for boar. Humans not, I hope. At any rate it was rudimentary would have only caught rather stupid ones. I ate my sandwich on the top then continued along the ridge, descending until the road became visible which I used to return to Colle Maddalena past a church of some 1000 years age. I remember reading that General Mark Clark himself came to this point. After ascending Maddalena once more I retraced my steps, naughtily cutting off a few of the switchbacks en route. " — vygodski • Apr 9, 2026

"Colle Maddalena is a subsidiary peak of Monte Stella which was my main objective on the walk. I chose it because of the battle that raged here during WWII, the Germans having occupied this higher ground and the Allies deeming it necessary to capture. There were no visible traces of these events, however, and sadly no monuments to the men who lost their lives here. Perhaps the town of Ogliara had something, but I only stopped there briefly to buy water and sandwich. However the vestiges of a recent wild-fire on the lower parts of the hill, and evidence of lightning strikes on the upper parts, did provide something of a battlefield atmosphere. Getting on the mountain road from Ogliara proved challenging, and it was quite a tight squeeze to drive to the trailhead on the southeastern side of the hill. The road heads first east then north and ends rather abruptly after a cobbled section that continues for 1km after good asphalt (a water point is found along this road). It is quite precipitous there and I saw several rusted wrecks of cars that were strewn down the side. Two options present the walker, an asphalted path that takes a circuitous route and a small track that zigzags up mor..." — vygodski • Apr 9, 2026