Foce Del Sele: Nature and the Cult of Hera on the Coast
Accommodation in Foce Del Sele
Foce Del Sele combines a protected coastal landscape with the Heraion at the mouth of the Sele. Among dunes, pine trees, and ancient cult buildings, it offers a destination where observing nature, archaeology, and a peaceful walk through the landscape are closely connected.
File:Foce del Sele. Heraion Architectonische tekening met afmetingen, GD004560.jpg
Photo: Unknown author Unknown author via Source, Public domain
Nature Reserve Between the Coast and Rivers
The Foce Sele-Tanagro Nature Reserve stretches along the coast and the pine forest behind it in the municipalities of Capaccio-Paestum and Eboli. Its area also includes the Sele, Tanagro, and Calore rivers. The belts of dunes and pine trees lie on both sides of the mouth of the Sele. Four Sites of Community Importance, known as ZSCs, and two Special Protection Areas, ZPSs, contribute to the protection of rare and endangered plant and animal species. For you, this landscape primarily represents a distinctly nature-focused complement to the historical sites at the mouth of the Sele.
The Heraion and Its Long History
The Heraion at the mouth of the Sele is an ancient sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Hera. The cult buildings span the period from the founding of the Greek colony of Poseidonia around 600 BC to the founding of the Latin colony in 273 BC. The Heraion also features an exceptional early series of sculpted metopes, dated to approximately 570 to 560 BC. A later metope cycle is dated to the end of the 6th century BC and depicts pairs of dancers in the Ionic style. This makes it possible to observe the development of the sanctuary across several historical phases.
A Visitor Trail Along the Sele
The visitor trail “Il tempio al confine – Hera e il paesaggio del Sele” conveys the millennia-old connection between the sanctuary, the river landscape, and the memory of the cult of Hera. The trail follows the bend of the Sele along paths guided by wooden posts and ropes. At the sanctuary of Hera, there are information panels, tactile maps, and new rest areas. The route therefore focuses not only on the cult site but also on its landscape at the river mouth.
Giardino di Hera and Museo narrante
The Giardino di Hera uses plants documented in the ancient sanctuary. These include pomegranate trees, oaks, myrtle, lavender, and rosemary. The Museo narrante di Hera Argiva complements this with films, three-dimensional reconstructions, video installations, sound effects, and explanatory panels. At the Sele, you therefore encounter both original historical themes and different forms of their spatial and multimedia presentation.
Visiting Hours and Reservations
The archaeological area and the Giardino di Hera have been open for visits on Saturdays at 11 a.m. since December 2025, at 10 a.m. from May to August, as well as on Sundays at 3 p.m., at 5 p.m. from May to August. Visits are accompanied by civil service volunteers trained by the parks. Admission to the archaeological area and the Giardino di Hera is possible only with a mandatory reservation. It is included in the admission price for the Archaeological Parks of Paestum and Velia and in the Paestum&Velia pass. From May 3, 2026, a free shuttle bus will connect the archaeological site of Paestum with the Santuario di Hera at the Sele every Sunday, with a mandatory reservation.
To the overarching travel overview: Capaccio.
