Basilicata has two coasts, and even many Italians barely know the second: some 32 kilometres of Tyrrhenian shore around Maratea, with cliffs, coves and a statue of Christ looking out to sea from a mountain top. It is a long way from Matera – but for two days it is the finest contrast to the cave city.
Maratea lies on the western side of Basilicata between Campania and Calabria, with around 4,500 inhabitants and its centre at about 300 metres above the sea. The municipality takes in several districts, each with its own character: Acquafredda, Cersuta, Fiumicello-Santavenere, Marina, Porto, Massa, Santa Caterina and Castrocucco. The highest point is Monte Coccovello at 1,505 metres – here the mountains drop almost straight into the water.
What makes Maratea special
Maratea is called „the town of 44 churches“: an unusual number of churches and chapels stand in a small territory, some barely larger than a room. Then there is a coastline made not of long sandy beaches but of rocky headlands, caves and small shingle coves you climb down to.
What to see in Maratea
Christ the Redeemer
On the summit of Monte San Biagio stands the statue of Christ, about 22 metres high, by the Florentine sculptor Bruno Innocenti and completed in 1965, arms spread above the coast. From the platform the view runs down the Gulf of Policastro. A narrow road leads up; in high season access is at times regulated and shuttle buses run.
Basilica of San Biagio
Next to the statue stands the basilica of the town’s patron saint, one of the most important sanctuaries in the region. The building goes back to Norman times and stands on the site of an ancient place of worship.
The old town and Maratea Superiore
The borgo is made of narrow lanes, small squares and stairways, with shops and places to eat; in the evening it is the most agreeable spot in the area. Above it lie the ruins of the older settlement of Maratea Superiore, of which walls and the remains of churches survive.
Harbour and coves
The port of Maratea is a small sheltered harbour between the rocks, with boats and restaurants at the waterside; boat trips along the coast and to the caves start from here. Well-known bathing spots include the dark shingle cove of Cala Jannita, the beaches at Fiumicello and Acquafredda, and Castrocucco to the south.
Festivals
The great festival is the translation of the relics of San Biagio, celebrated from the first Saturday to the second Sunday in May, with a procession down from the basilica into the town. In summer concerts and local feasts are added in the districts.
Getting there from Matera
This is the longest drive in this collection: some 230 to 260 kilometres right across Basilicata, three and a half to four hours by car, mostly on the SS 407 Basentana, the A2 and the coastal SS 18 towards the Gulf of Policastro. By train you travel via Potenza or Salerno; Maratea station lies above Fiumicello and is well served by the Tyrrhenian line, but with changes the journey takes half a day.
A day trip is therefore not worthwhile. Plan at least one overnight stay; two nights are better, because that also leaves room for a boat trip and a quiet day in a cove.
Best time to visit
May, June and September are ideal: warm enough for swimming but without the traffic of high summer. In July and August the narrow coast roads and the car parks above the coves are overloaded. In winter Maratea is very quiet and many businesses close.
Two days in Maratea
On the first day, after the long drive, the town and the old centre, with dinner at the harbour. On the second, up early to the statue and the basilica, then a cove or a boat trip, and back in the late afternoon. If you want to travel on, the Cilento lies ahead.
