Castellabate: Coast, History and Maritime Cuisine

Fortress, Churches and Religious Tradition

At Castello dell'Abate, you will encounter a building that was constructed as a fortress to protect the area and its population from attacks by the Saracens. The building was commissioned by San Costabile Gentilcore, who became the patron saint of Castellabate in 1123. The Basilica di Santa Maria de Giulia is a Romanesque church dating from the 12th century. It preserves a painting of the victorious Archangel Michael as well as a triptych by Pavanino da Palermo. The Santuario Santa Maria a Mare can be traced back to 1102 and at that time bore the name Santa Maria “presso il lido del mare”. The religious and patronal festival of Santa Maria a Mare takes place every year on 15 August.

Archaeological Traces and Gardens

The Porto greco-romano di San Marco preserves remains from the 1st century BC. The permanent exhibition Mostra Mare Antico is located in the ground-level rooms of Castello dell'Abate. It includes numerous anchors that were found between San Marco and Punta Tresino in 1977. Villa Matarazzo dates from the 19th century; its park includes a rose garden with more than 220 varieties of historic roses.

Marine Protected Area and Island Nature

Campo dei Rocchi is a largely submerged ancient sandstone quarry measuring approximately 2 kilometres in length and 500 metres in width. It was visited from the 6th century BC by Greeks, later by Lucanians and finally by Romans. The Santa Maria di Castellabate Marine Protected Area was established in 2009 in Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park and covers 7,095 hectares of sea as well as 2 hectares of coastline. Isola di Punta Licosa lies within this marine protected area. The remains of a Roman villa are located on the island, which also has coves and beaches with crystal-clear water. Meadows of Posidonia oceanica seagrass occur on the seabed off Castellabate, providing shelter for many fish and crustacean species.

Beaches, Paths and Orientation on the Water

Marina Piccola beach in Santa Maria di Castellabate lies in the historic centre of the seaside resort and is approximately 200 metres long. At more than one kilometre, Pozzillo beach is the longest beach in Castellabate and stretches from Santa Maria di Castellabate to San Marco di Castellabate. Isola di Punta Licosa can be reached by a road with restricted access from the south, by a path from the north or by sea, docking at the harbour. The “Vallone Alto” Nature Trail connects the harbour of San Marco with Isola di Punta Licosa and is approximately 2 kilometres long. Swimming and navigation are permitted in the general protection zone B of the Santa Maria di Castellabate Marine Protected Area, provided that the speed does not exceed 5 knots.

Maritime Cuisine from Castellabate

Castellabate's maritime culinary tradition includes Alici in tortiera with breadcrumbs, marinated or “‘mbuttunate” anchovies with a filling and egg, as well as salted anchovies. When choosing a hotel or other accommodation for your trip to Italy, these coastal, cultural and culinary aspects can form your personal focus in Castellabate.

Discover more destinations: Centola, Scafati, Aquara, Calvanico, Piaggine, Castel San Lorenzo, Laureana Cilento, Positano

To the main travel overview: Salerno.