Itineraries in Cilento

The Gulf of Velia: Ascea and Casal Velino

The Gulf of Ascea covers a broad coastal area offering opportunities and leisure activities of every kind for seaside tourism.

Kilometers of relaxing free and serviced beaches alternate with fascinating rocky coastlines, ideal for diving and boat trips. There are many beach clubs available in different price ranges.

The flat gulf area is ideal for long bicycle rides; more experienced visitors can head inland through the countryside toward Mount Gelbison. Several trekking routes are available, from the Ascea cliffs to the top of Mount Stella.

There are numerous seaside villages to visit: Marina di Ascea (with its cliffs and Telegraph Tower, the 6km seafront with cycle path), Casal Velino Marina (the tourist port and numerous bars) and the main town, Pioppi, Acciaroli, continuing along the stunning coastal road to Castellabate and Agropoli with their historic corners.

Elea Velia Archaeological Park

The ancient Greek city of Helea, of great world historical significance as the birthplace of Parmenidean philosophy. In March 1965, the "Pink Gate" was unearthed, the only surviving example of an arch in Greek architecture. Not to be missed is the "Angevin Tower," a symbol of the surrounding area, which rests on the blocks of the Temple of Athena and the acropolis of the ancient city.

Paestum Archaeological Park, the temples and the museum

An ancient city of Magna Graecia, founded under the name of Poseidonia in the 7th century BC, it still displays the great wealth of its past. The three perfectly preserved temples, contained within the ruins of the entire city, are impressive. The archaeological museum, among the richest of its kind, is of great interest. The fresco in the "Tomb of the Diver" is famous throughout the world.

Pioppi di Pollica, home of the Mediterranean diet

Ancient fishing village, Pioppi is a seaside tourism destination, to experience a holiday in maximum relaxation in the name of "slow tourism", swimming in clean waters. Ideal for boat trips and underwater diving in a sea awarded for several years with the "Blue Flag" and with the "5 sails" of Legambiente.

In the center of the village of Pioppi, overlooking the sea, is the ancient Palazzo Vinciprova, with baroque lines and Moorish decorations with the volute features of a castle. The palace houses the Sea Museum and a permanent exhibition on the Mediterranean diet.

Undisputed protagonist the typical Cilento cuisine, with Km.0 raw materials from the sea and the land, in the restaurants of the village and in the surroundings a few minutes by car.

Castellabate

The old center has preserved the layout of a typical medieval citadel, enriched by noble residences dating back to the 17th century. The highlight of the hilltop village is the Church of Santa Maria de Gula, built in the 12th century.

Santa Maria di Castellabate is the largest hamlet, a much-loved tourist destination and home to a marine protected area. The spectacular Punta Tresino, gateway to the Cilento Park, is well worth a visit.

The village became famous throughout Italy thanks to Luca Miniero's films Benvenuti al Sud (2009) and Benvenuti al Nord (2012).

Agropoli

An important cultural attraction is the Angioino-Aragonese Castle, which stands majestically in a strategic position on the promontory overlooking the city. Built on a Byzantine plant of the VI century AD it is an unmissable stop. Of great suggestion is the walk in the historic center (with the possibility of visiting the Church Madonna di Costantinopoli, the Church of SS. Pietro and Paolo and the Chapel of Addolorata) which preserves its original structure with its maze of streets and a breathtaking view of the sea.

The crystal clear waters of the Baia di Trentova and the coast in front of the Lungomare San Marco make Agropoli one of the locations awarded every year with the "Blue Flag FEE" recognition which certifies the cleanliness of the seas, the safeguarding of the environment and the efficiency of services to tourism.

Don't miss a walk to the tourist port with about 1000 berths, the largest south of the Province of Salerno, to admire a suggestive panorama that expands on the promontory of the ancient village.

Capo Palinuro

Palinuro is a seaside center known internationally, which looks like a limestone spur stretched out in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea lying between the greenery of the hills covered with olive trees and a blue and clean sea. We are in the heart of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). Numerous and beautiful beaches, some sandy others rich in rocks, some located in the center of the village others reachable only by boat.

The Bay of Buondormire, with its crystal clear waters, certainly has one of the most romantic beaches on the coast. A masterpiece shaped by nature is then the Natural Arch, with the long beach and the nearby mouth of the Mingardo River. Diving into the seabed of Capo Palinuro is one of the most exciting experiences you can experience in Cilento: the unspoiled sea contains, in fact, an unimaginable treasure of flora and fauna.

Multiple times Blue Flag for the bathing of the coasts, Palinuro has also obtained the Green Flag for its beaches, listed among the best in Italy for families with children. The spectacle of the coast is also fascinating, which is frayed in a continuous underwater caves, coves and heads, all to be discovered.

Le grotte marine di Capo Palinuro

As many as 35 caves and submerged caves make Capo Palinuro one of the main poles of the Speleomarino of the Mediterranean.

• Blue Grotto: The best known among the caves of Capo Palinuro and also the most visited. Thanks to an underwater tunnel, in which sunlight penetrates, it generates the characteristic color from which it takes its name.
• Blood Cave: The cavity has walls rich in iron, which, coming into contact with seawater, turns a deep red.
• Monks' Cave: Like the other caves, it is rich in stalactites and stalagmites including some that seem to form small monks in prayer.
• Silver Cave: It is the smallest of the caves that are generally visited during boat trips. Its walls covered with limestone accumulations create a beautiful light effect, making the sea silver.
• Sulfur Cave: It is the only one that can be visited only externally, but no less characteristic due to the presence of a sulfur source with an unpleasant smell.

Learn more

Marina di Camerota, Costa Infreschi e della Masseta

Marina di Camerota is a daydream, a meeting, a succession of beach, coves, cliffs and seabeds of incredible clarity, set between two small promontories surmounted by sighting towers.

Lovers of the rocky coast with its characteristic inlets and beaches Costa di Marina di Camerota stolen from the sea can quickly reach the beach of the natural arch in the territory of Capo Palinuro or focus on the south of the Camerotese coast and go towards tip of the Infresque , one of the most uncontaminated stretches of Italy, where nothing was built.

The Cala Bianca beach in Marina di Camerota is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy, the water is crystal clear and the seabed are a paradise for divers.

The Pozzallo beach has a small restaurant camouflaged in the greenery that offers all kinds of comfort and a tasty lunch, with a typical menu of the Cilento tradition, to bathers.

Certosa di Padula

The Charterhouse of San Lorenzo is the largest charterhouse in Italy and the second largest in Europe. It is located in Padula, in the Vallo di Diano, Province of Salerno. In 1998 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.