Castellabate is a pretty town on the Cilento coast whose territory is located in the national park of Cilento, declared, since 1998, a World Heritage Site.

Castellabate, with its hamlet of Santa Maria, is one of the favorite destinations for holidays in the Tyrrhenian Sea with Italian, European and American tourism, attracted by the environment natural, from architecture, culture and local gastronomy but also from the warm welcome.

The waters of the Gulf of Castellabate are clear and crystal clear thanks to the establishment of the first marine park in Europe. In fact, uncommon and protected animal and plant species live in the seabed: the coralligen and forms of oceanic posidonia, in which, if you are lucky, you can see the rare fish Mediterranean parrot or Syriella castellabatensis. We also find sea urchins, madrepore, gorgonias and sponges. In the sea of Santa Maria there is the reef of Licosa, a bioconcretion very similar to coral reefs, one of the few in the Mediterranean. In 2006, an unusual event occurred in the Arena bay of Ogliastro Marina: the Caretta caretta sea turtle laid its eggs.

On the mainland we find, among the singular species, an endemic lizard with a splendid green and blue livery. In late spring it usually nests the gull course, one of the endangered species.

From the vegetable point of view, the shrub area of Castellabate is characterized by Mediterranean scrub with carob trees, myrtles, Aleppo pines, olive trees and figs and many vine crops. The Salernitan lemony and the white lily, a spontaneous, protected wild flower that grows on the sandy coasts deserve to be mentioned.

On the coast, the erosive phenomenon has created over the millennia characteristic rocks smoothed over time such as the rock “of the Turtle” and the rock “of the Saracen Princess. “, which resembles the face of a woman who is intent on observing the sea, behind which there is obviously a singular legend.

Cilento also attracts for the quality of local products such as oil, wine, pasta, mozzarella. Basic ingredients of the Mediterranean diet that was born right in this area. Among the typical products we do not forget the famous dictated white fig, the Controne bean or the artichoke of Paestum.

As far as the architecture of Castellabate is concerned, there is certainly the medieval castle of 1123, around which one is develops the country, built to protect the population from Saracen attacks. The fortress has its perimeter walls with four corner towers and inside it has everything it needed to survive in the event of an attack: homes, ovens, cisterns and warehouses. You can also visit the dungeons, which, according to legend, should allow the escape to the sea in case of invasion. Today the restored castle is home to cultural, artistic and social events.

Among the places to visit we remember Porto Travierso, a landing that includes a construction with arches within which the goods were stored (oil, cereals and wine) exchange with Cava de' Tirreni and Napoli.

Also worth visiting is the beautiful Villa Matarazzo, the nineteenth-century estate of Count Francesco, who emigrated to Brazil, which in summer became a culture lounge with distinguished guests, conferences and various shows.

The medieval village of Castellabate is located on Sant'Angelo hill with five entrance doors, of which the main one is from the “Belvedere di San Costabile& amp; quot;, a terrace overlooking the sea with a wonderful view of the Gulf of Salerno, Capri and Ischia . The village is a weave of stone alleys and narrow passages under connecting houses. But the agora of the village is the particular square “10 October 1123", the date of foundation of the castle, overlooking the Annunziata Valley.

Surely to admire the remains of the Greek-Roman port and the quarry of the rocks, from which the Greeks extracted precisely the 'rocks', cylindrical blocks of sandstone used to erect the columns, with which they built the temples of Paestum.

The Castellabate area has several coastal towers to spot the Saracens: located in strategic points to observe the entire coast, they communicated with each other with signs of smoke or fire. The most intact tower is the Norman-Aragonese tower of the “Pagliarola”, merged with Palazzo Perrotti. Of the oldest, on the other hand, only the ruins remain.

There are numerous churches to visit: the Pontifical Basilica of Santa Maria de Giulia in Romanesque style, from the first half of the twelfth century, or the Sanctuary of Santa Maria a Mare of 1826, built on a pre-existing 12th century chapel. Many other churches are worth a visit albeit fleeting.

But let's go back to the coast: about 19 km long, it is varied, jagged, and rocks, coves, bays and golden beaches alternate. Of these the most beautiful are the “Pozzillo”, “top of the Inferno” or “Scario”,” of the tip of Ogliastro” or “del Lago” also known as 'Sciome'. Among the natural coves the most famous are 'Cala della Bella' and the 'Saùco'.

The coast of Castellabate has a natural cave that emerged with Paleolithic finds, but also several sea caves and interesting seabeds for suggestive scuba diving.

Not to be overlooked, for those who love to admire the sea especially in the evening, the evocative walks on the seafront “of the Turtles”, by “Raphael De Simone & ; quot; and of “Bracale”.

Finally, in Castellabate, the various pedestrian areas and the many parking lots are worth mentioning, which, together with other services, make the most charming resort pleasantly livable of Cilento.

A little curiosity: every year, more than 50 pairs of foreigners, who come from Ireland, England, Norway and the USA, get married in Castellabate: it is obvious that they do it for the good hospitality, organization and the extraordinary natural beauty that make that day even more beautiful.