Santa Maria of Castellabate

Ancient seafaring village, Saint Maria is today a modern and developed tourist locality among the most important of the coast, an interesting destination for the Italian and

foreign tourists. We suggest you to see the promenade Perrotti on which the imposing namesake Tower stands out (XIII century), the ancient noble palaces (Perrotti, Granito di Belmonte, Iaquinto) and the ancient little port called "Lu Traviersu " today known as Porto delle Gatte.  You should visit the Antiquarium, that collects various Roman anchors and amphoras.                            On   15 August it takes place the evocative Festivity of the Madonna of the Assunta: the Madonna is taken in procession through the streets of the village, covered with banknotes that faithful offer her in sign of faith.

PUNTA TRESINO
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From S. Maria, through Lago zone, you can visit Punta Tresino, an archaeological and natural zone of rare beauty (it is assumed to be a settlement of the ancient Greek population of the Trezeni). You should see the ancient Church of San Giovanni, unfortunately in ruins, dated back to 957, with the annexed rests of the old monastery. A naturalistic rarity of Tresino is the famous pine Aleppo, that only here succeeds in reproduce itself without reforestation, thanks to the particular conditions of environmental equilibrium of the zone.

Castellabate Historic Centre

Castellabate, ancient medieval village, is placed on the top of  S. Angelo hill (280 metres) from which it is possible to admire a charming panorama constituted of the gulf below, comprised between Punta Tresino and Punta Licosa. 

Castellabate owes its name to the Abbot Costabile Gentilcore, who wanted the fortress to be built against the Saraceni's incursions at the beginning of XII century.  We suggest you to visit the papal Basilica and Palazzo Perrotti where Gioacchino Murat stayed when in 1881 he passed through the village; and the ancient centre constituted of enchanting ladders, alleys and artistic porches.

San Marco of Castellabate
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2 km apart from Santa Maria, there is San Marco, small centre recently developed, risen in front of  the Greek -Roman port, of which it remains only parts of walls in sandstone, covered by waters. It could be interesting to know that recently archaeological excavations have brought  to light tombs of imperial age (I sec b. C.)  on the cape that dominates the port.

On 25^th April  it takes place the characteristic festivity of San Marco Evangelista, during which the saint's statue, loaded on a large boat, is taken in procession in sea, followed by numerous boats (mostly used for fishing) crammed with faithful.

Punta Licosa and Ogliastro Marina
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From S. Mark, through a wonderful pedestrian path known as "Vallone Alto" characterised by a rich Mediterranean spot, you can reach Punta Licosa and the namesake little island. According to the legend, Licosa owes  its name to Leucosia, the mermaid that disappeared here in the sea.

Aristotle tells that on this island there was a temple dedicated to the Mermaids and that the inhabited centre was built around it; but all was destroyed by an earthquake around V a. C.; The numerous archaeological finds, today still visible at the bottom of the sea, are a proof of this hypothesis.  Not very far from the little island it rises Ogliastro Marina the small village that is having a great development thanks to tourist influx attracted by the mild and sweet climate and its uncontaminated sea.