Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pint-sized piazzas, wriggling alleys and interlocking houses, which offers startling coastal
views. Attractive little shops sell ceramics and artisan food.
It's all overlooked by a 21m-high, gleaming white statue of
Christ the Redeemer
- don't
miss the roller-coaster road and stupendous views from the statue-mounted summit - be-
low which lie the ruins of
Maratea Superiore
, all that remains of the original 8th-century-BC
Greek colony. Another option is the waymarked woodland path, which leaves the village
from just beyond the Cappelle dei Cappuccini, and takes you to the statue in 45 minutes;
where the path divides near the top, fork right.
The deep green hillsides that encircle this tumbling conurbation offer excellent walking
trails and there are a number of easy day trips to the surrounding hamlets of
Acquafredda di
Maratea
and
Fiumicello
, with its small sandy beach. The
tourist office
(
0973 87 69 08; Piazza Gesù
8am-2pm & 5-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm & 5-8pm Sat & Sun Jul & Aug, 8am-2pm Sep-Jun)
is in Fiumi-
40;
cello.
Centro Sub Maratea
( 0973 87 00 13;
www.marateaproloco.it/it/centro_sub_maratea
;
Via Santa Caterina 28)
offers diving courses and boat tours that include visits to surrounding grottoes and coves.
A worthwhile day trip via car is to pretty
Rivello
(elevation 479m). Perched on a ridge
and framed by the southern Apennines, it is a centre for arts and crafts and has long been
known for its exquisite working of gold and copper. Rivello's interesting Byzantine his-
tory is evident in the tiny tiled cupolas and frescoes of its gorgeous churches.
Sleeping
B&B Nefer
( 0973 87 18 28;
www.bbnefer.it
; Via Cersuta; r €60-90; )
This friendly B&B, set in the
small hamlet of Cersuta 5km northwest of Maratea, has four rooms decorated in sea
greens, blues and pinks. Rooms open onto a lush green lawn complete with deckchairs for
contemplating the sea view. There's a simple outdoor kitchen area for guest use and a
small rocky beach a short walk away.
B&B
$
Locanda delle Donne Monache
( 0973 87 74 87;
www.locandamonache.com
; Via Mazzei 4; r €130-310; Apr-Oct; )
Over-
looking the medieval
borgo,
this exclusive hotel is in a converted 18th-century convent
with a suitably lofty setting. It's a hotchpotch of vaulted corridors, terraces and gardens
fringed with bougainvillea and lemon trees. The rooms are elegantly decorated in pastel
HOTEL
$$
