A charming hamlet within the municipality of Castellabate, Santa Maria di Castellabate is a village nestled on the slopes of Colle Sant’Angelo between the localities of Lago and San Marco. Located in the lowest part of Castellabate and overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, Santa Maria not only sits entirely within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park but is also home to the stunning Santa Maria di Castellabate Marine Protected Area.
The hamlet was originally known as “Castellabate Marina” or “Castellabate Inferiore” and its history is deeply intertwined with that of Castellabate, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Like many medieval settlements along the Campania coast, Castellabate comprised an upper town built on a hilltop, where the Castle still stands, and a coastal zone that was far more vulnerable to pirate attacks. For this reason, Castellabate remained the heart of the municipality and seat of local government for centuries, but following economic development in the twentieth century, the municipal headquarters relocated to Santa Maria.
Over the decades, Santa Maria di Castellabate has experienced rapid demographic and economic growth, thanks to its strategic location and easy accessibility from various Campania cities. In the seventies, the village underwent a genuine boom, transforming Santa Maria from a modest fishing hamlet into an important seaside resort destination.
This locality, considered a true “jewel of Cilento“, is famous for its beautiful beaches that attract visitors from across Campania. The main thoroughfare of the centre is Corso Matarazzo, a pedestrianised street lined with shops, bars and restaurants that comes alive in the evenings. Here you’ll find Villa Matarazzo1, the historic residence of Count Francesco Matarazzo, surrounded by an extensive park that hosts exhibitions, events and performances throughout summer.
The Corso leads to a flight of steps descending to the famous Porto delle Gatte2, one of Santa Maria’s most picturesque spots. Porto delle Gatte isn’t a conventional port but rather a mooring point for fishing boats and a gathering place featuring arcaded spaces that once served as warehouses and have since been converted into bars, restaurants and pubs. It’s a popular meeting point for locals and visitors, especially during aperitivo hour and dinner time.
The seafront promenades are also worth exploring, offering pleasant walks; in particular along Lungomare Perotti3 where you’ll find the statue of Santa Maria a Mare, and Lungomare Pepi4, which features the statue of the Madonna and the Sailors’ Monument.
Near Marina Piccola beach stands the Santuario di Santa Maria a Mare5, a church built in the nineteenth century over an existing twelfth-century chapel. The building comprises three naves and houses the statue of Santa Maria a Mare, the hamlet’s patroness, in the centre of the apse. Alongside the church, a hexagonal-based bell tower rises dramatically above the Marina Piccola landscape.
Don’t overlook the Marine Protected Area of Santa Maria di Castellabate either, which besides boasting marvellous beaches, safeguards a truly unique natural heritage.
Santa Maria’s coastline features several different beaches with alternating sandy shores, shingle beaches and pristine small coves. Many stretches are equipped with lidos offering full facilities whilst others remain unspoilt public beaches. The sea waters are crystal-clear and have repeatedly earned the Blue Flag award.
The main beach is Marina Piccola Beach6, situated right next to the village centre and therefore easily accessible. The beach stretches for around 200 metres and features fine golden sand and crystalline waters. This section has both equipped beach clubs and free beach areas.
Another beautiful beach is Spiaggia del Lago7, a stretch roughly 1.5 kilometres long positioned north of the village and bordered by the Punta Tresino promontory, which received Legambiente’s “La più bella sei tu” (You’re the most beautiful) award in 2016.
This is one of the area’s most extensive beaches, characterised by sandy shores and crystalline waters with gently sloping sandy seabeds. Here too you’ll find equipped beach areas with numerous restaurants alongside free beach sections. Spiaggia del Lago is also known as the White Lily Beach because the white lily, a typical Cilento flower, grows on the sand here.
Nestled between Santa Maria di Castellabate and Spiaggia del Lago lies Punta Bracale Beach8, which at around 40 metres is one of Santa Maria’s smallest beaches. Between Castellabate and San Marco, you’ll find Spiaggia del Pozzillo9, an extensive stretch of golden sand lapped by crystalline waters. This shoreline is surrounded by verdant pine trees, making it a genuine natural paradise. Along Pozzillo beach you’ll find both lidos with facilities, bars and restaurants, as well as free beach areas.
Other small yet splendid beaches for relaxation include the Cantieri Navali beach, Punta dell’Inferno beach and dello Scario beach. Santa Maria’s coastline is also popular with snorkellers and particularly diving enthusiasts, thanks to the beautiful seabeds found throughout the area.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Santa Maria di Castellabate’s centre is a vibrant area with shops, boutiques and restaurants serving local cuisine. It’s the best location if you’d like to stay in a central position whilst remaining just minutes from the beach.
As this locality lies within the Cilento National Park, there are also accommodations in the more inland areas surrounded by lush natural greenery. Here you’ll find bed and breakfasts, agriturismos or villas with gardens where you can enjoy a peaceful stay.
We offer a selection of hotels at Santa Maria di Castellabate to suit all categories of travellers. The most booked by tourists are the sea-facing hotels, often right on the beach. If you want to play it safe, choose one of the following: they are among the most booked hotels in Santa Maria di Castellabate, sorted by number of reviews.
If you prefer space, privacy and the ability to prepare your own meals to a hotel holiday, book a holiday home at Santa Maria di Castellabate. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Santa Maria di Castellabate are in high demand.
Santa Maria di Castellabate owes its reputation as a seaside resort to its strategic location. By car, the town is easily reached from Naples via the A3 Naples–Salerno motorway, exiting at Battipaglia and continuing on the SS18 State Road.
However, Santa Maria is also easily accessible by public transport. In particular, from both Naples and Salerno you can catch buses on the Busitalia Campania line, reaching the resort in around two hours. Alternatively, you can use rail services from either Naples or Salerno to reach Agropoli station, about 12 km away, then take a local bus or taxi for the final leg of your journey.
Finally, you can also reach Santa Maria by sea via the Cilento Blu water metro lines, which connect Salerno, Agropoli, San Marco di Castellabate, Acciaroli, Casal Velino, Pisciotta, Palinuro and Marina di Camerota.
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Santa Maria di Castellabate is a hamlet within the municipality of Castellabate, situated within the Cilento National Park. Santa Maria lies approximately 5 km from the main town, 65 km from Salerno and 120 km from Naples.
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