What
to Do in Maratea
Swimming
There are several beaches along the coast between Fiumicello and Castrocucco.
Each is vastly different from the next and each has it’s own natural
beauty. The rocky coast is also a wonderful place to swim, marked by grottoes
and aromatic vegetation.
Fiumicello
This beach is the easiest to reach by car, and therefore tends to be rather
crowded. The beach is mostly public, with a small private area where one
can pay to use beach chairs and an umbrella. The best part of the beach
is walking past the private area along the rocks where there is a grotto
and a fresh water stream that runs into the beach.
Spiaggia Nera (Black Beach)
Description: This gorgeous beach gets its name from the unusual, very dark,
almost black sand at the water’s edge. One end of the beach is private,
but the opposite end is open to the public for a modest parking fee. After
parking the car near the road, one has to walk down a tree-covered path
for approximately 10 minutes down to the beach. As you ascend the last few
steps, the first sight is a magnificent waterfall that flows out of the
mountain and spills right onto the sand in the middle of the beach. On the
public end, are two grottoes large enough to walk through with two connecting
chambers.
Castrocucco Spiaggia della Gnola
This rocky beach is the longest in the area. It has beautiful views of hills
and mountains as its backdrop.
Informazioni c\o spiaggia Nera 0973/879308
Local Attractions
The whole area around Maratea is very interesting to explore on foot
and by car, sometimes the most interesting places are found just by accident.
However, there are several interesting must-see attractions.
The Statue of the Christ
Driving up Mount San Biagio, past the village of Maratea can be slightly hair
raising for the faint of heart, as the roads twist, turn and even swirl around
on an elevated switchback which gives the illusion of not being able to withstand
the weight of a car, but the reward at the top is a huge statue of the Redentore
(Christ the Redeemer). It is 72 feet high and stands on the summit of the
mountain with breath taking views of the coast, the town and the port.
Churches
The church of Santa Maria Maggiore, located in the town center is probably
the best known, but an equally interesting sight is the Chiesa dell'Immacolata.
This church contains a 14th century fresco that was discovered in the early
1990’s.
The Port
This quaint little port is where people of all ages hang out in the evenings
eating gelato and walking along the pier. In our case, we sat at one of
the outdoor tables and enjoyed a glass of port while people watching and
listening to the music and chatter around us.
