In the municipality of Castellabate is concentrated the greatest number of blue flag beaches: Lago Tresino, Marina Piccola, Pozzillo/San Marco, Punta Inferno and Baia Ogliastro, they’re five places indicating the strong point of this tourist destination.
A natural reserve protects a beautiful sea, but the resources offered by this pearl of Cilento do not end here.
Not by accident Santa Maria and the village on the top, home of the castle that gave its name to the place, were chosen as location for one of the most successful films of recent years: “Benvenuti al sud”, which can really be translated with welcome to Santa Maria di Castellabate and to its neighbors.
Santa Maria extends into a sweet bay between Punta Tresino and Punta Licosa; it has a nice little port, an ancient maritime village and a couple of churches that make a walk so enjoyable.
Here is the beach where the film “Benvenuti al sud” ends with the firework show.
The walk through the town centre is very pleasant. The long way Matarazzo has shops, bars, excellent bakeries and ice-cream shops, as well as a nice town house.It leads to a small square touched by the sea, with a church directly overlooking the beach.
A medievale castle, integrated in more recent buildings, dominates the beach.
Two seafront promenades allow very pleasant walks with a view on the bay. Restaurants and bars overlooking the sea make the place perfect for a relaxing break or a fish meal.
Not far away there is San Marco, another village of the municipality of Castellabate, where starts the wonderful excursion to Punta Licosa, the peninsula on which, according to the legend, one of the sirens killed herself.
For about 7km you walk through beautiful panoramas and pure nature, with a view on the Salerno’s Gulf and on the bay of Santa Maria,high above Castellabate.
A panoramic road between olive trees and glimpses of landscape,leads to Castellabate, and from there to Perdifumo, in a different but equally interesting hilly landscape, that shows the other soul of Cilento, the inner, agricultural and pastoral one.
