DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE FRIGHTENED BY THE SALERNO-REGGIO CALABRIA
TRIP TO MARATEA

Journal of a Trip to Maratea, by Cristiana Alicata

Don't be afraid of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway.

It's worth it.

Recommended exit and entrance (if you go in August it is practically mandatory) Padula instead of Lagonegro, which is the northernmost exit-entry.

A beautifully well-maintained state highway (especially as you enter the Basilicata region and leave the Campania region) will take you to your destination.

There will be points where it will seem you are in Switzerland or Ireland.

Green everywhere and small countryside cottages.

Where to Sleep

There are many places to stay around Maratea.
If you look for the nearby hamlets, which are also closer to the sea compared to the center of Maratea: Rasi, Fiumicello, Acquafredda, Marina di Maratea
We stayed here http://www.irasimaratea.net/ where we were also able to bring our dog, since Rasi has plenty of green space.
We chose an apartment so we could cook, as we expected prices to be very high.
Instead, that was not the case, so we also recommend a B&B.
We are in the south, but the people of Maratea take care of everything.

Where to eat.

Surely from Biagio where we are returning twice (on the road that from Fiumicello goes up to Maratea, on the left. Ricotta ravioli with lemon flavor and homemade sauce. Handmade cavatelli with tomato and eggplant sauce.
Local pork tasted both in sausage and in steak. Garden salad. Tomatoes that smell from afar. Caciocavallo. Good house wine. The first time we spent 16€ per person, the second time less than 15€. Obviously, it doesn’t hurt and from now on I will only mention those who provide it, both times we were given the tax receipt without asking. Going to Biagio is like unplugging from the outside world and throwing yourself into the last century, slowly and pleasantly. Then you can go to Sapri, which is at the border with Campania, to eat at Lampara run by a local boy who left Rome to return home and open the restaurant. You might go there not on Friday or Saturday, on a quiet day, because they treat you better. Cost between 20 and 30 per person.
In Maratea center, if you really want to try, you might try to see if at Pharmacy of Flavors they will let you eat (plates of local cured meats and cheeses, alone or with beans, roasted chestnuts, then they passed by other dishes off the menu that no one had described to us) they are a bit strange (in the sense that with three empty tables they didn’t want to seat us, in the end I insisted and they let us eat but only what they wanted to, so they are a bit unfriendly). There you can also buy the ‘nduja heater. Cost around 20€ per person.

Where to drink

Certainly, the bitter of Maratea at the small wine bar on the stairs next to the Church, where a bitter costs 1€. However, you drink while sitting on the stairs, and we liked it, but we thought we should tell you. If you ask the lady for a sweet, her daughter has a pastry shop and the lady will bring you a tray of almond pastries. Then at the Hat Bar on the road from Fiumicello to Acquafredda, where Mimmo and his son will make you the best Mojito in the area or a Caipiroska with wild strawberries picked that morning. With Mimmo, you can also chat about Basilicata and politics, he is always available and smiling, especially when he wears one of his t-shirts with lights to make him seem younger.

Where to go to the beach

I should keep this beach to myself, but in the spirit of sharing, I’ll let you in on it. Right by the Sombrero bar in Acquafredda, 280 steps lead down to a little pebble beach you’ll fall in love with. There’s no bar down there, so stock up before you descend. Cersuta Beach (also in Acquafredda) is pitch-black and wonderfully atmospheric.
The best-known beaches, such as Spiaggia Nera, get very crowded during the week of Ferragosto, around 15 August, so avoid them if you can: the beaches mentioned here are every bit as lovely. A boat trip is well worth it. Hire prices at Maratea’s harbour range from €120 to €150, including fuel, but availability is limited: bookings are required, and operators cannot always meet demand. Prices are lower at Marina di Castrocucco or Sapri, where we recommend going to save around €20 and have the flexibility to decide that morning whether to head out, depending on the weather. Explore the coast’s little coves and beaches accessible only by boat. Take care when anchoring, particularly in a small boat with a short anchor line. The anchor can easily become snagged and, if you’re inexperienced, you may have to cut the line and head straight back to the harbour.

What to See

Obviously, the center of Maratea is worth walking around. It's worth taking a walk towards Rivello, perhaps on rainy days, and as far as Lake Sirino. Along the roads in the hinterland, hot peppers, wild strawberries, figs, Tropea onions, mulberries, and porcini mushrooms are sold.