Magic of Maratea

Best Things Nearby:
Maratea offers amazingly well preserved historic center, beautiful beaches, footpaths for excursions and excellent resort on the slope of the San Biagio Mountain. The colorful Festival of San Biagio draws crowds of locals and tourists alike in mid-May.

Best Things About the Resort:
Overlooking the Tyrrenian sea, the Pianeta Maratea Residence is located on a slope of the Monte San Biagio and consists of 7 terraces located from 406 to 459m above the sea level. The mountain more frequently called the Redeemer because it is dominated by a gigantic, white 22-meter statue portraying Christ (at 623 meters above the sea). Five things to do in Maratea: 1. Ascend the San Biagio mountain. The views that unfolded are spectacular.
2. Explore the caves on the mountain slope.
3. Walk into the streets of Maratea’s Centro Storico to find shops and restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets.
4. Visit the St Mary Chapel just below the Pianeta Maratea resort.
5. Make a daytrip to visit the Naples area (the Vesuvius Mountain, and Herculaneum or Pompeii). As for the essentials at the resort - the pool, the onsite grocery store, and a great range of units with full/partial kitchens can accommodate all domestic needs.

Resort Experience:
Maratea’s most attractive sights are its beaches and grottos, its Old Town, its rugged coast and coves, its statue of the Redeemer on the summit of the Monte Biagio.

The beautiful medieval town of Maratea is 3km away from Pianeta Maratea. The train station is 8km from the residence (there is no free shuttle from the train station to the residence).

Third week of May, when we stayed, marked the opening of the 2004 season. The staff tried their best to do their best to get things running. What they could not fix was the weather, around 10°C/50°F at night, 18°C/65°F during the day.

There are 222 one, two and three-room apartments on the terrace-located villas for 4 – 7 persons. All apartments are provided with a weekly change of bed and bath linen, as well as with all kitchen utensils. In our one-bedroom apartment we had living-room, bedroom area, separated from the living room with thin plastic partition (Japanese style), kitchenette in the corridor linking the areas, bathroom and terrace with magnificent view. Yes, we had color TV with 30+ channels including the BBC World News (the only resort in Italy during our one month travel which offered an English speaking channel). Each unit has independent entrance and parking space.

There are many facilities: bar-restaurant, supermarket (good one), two swimming pools with sun umbrellas and sun loungers, open-air amphitheater for shows and concerts with a capacity of 800 people, daytime and evening animation, sports activities, kiddies and youth club and children's playground with lessons in aerobics, archery, swimming, water gym, muscular toning, Latin American dancing, tourneys, games, shows, cabaret and piano bar - all for the joy of adults and children alike. The sister Grand Hotel up the hill is more upscale, but the whole complex has seen better days - for instance, don't expect either a waterslide or a connecting monorail between the hotels - they have both been trashed. Below the complex, a sparkling, clear sea gently laps the pebble beaches (3km). Two free shuttle buses connect the resort with the beaches. Courtesy buses run from the residence every 30 minutes or so, excluding lunch time break (8:30, 8:50, 9:10, 9:30, 9:50, 10:10, 10:30, 10:50, 11:10, 11:30, 11:50, 12:10, 12:30, 12:50, 13:10, 15:25, 16:10, 16:40, 17:20, 18:00, 18:40). Shuttle takes steep private road, arrives at the beach area 15 minutes later and returns after 5 minutes stop. Remember, you are in Italy not Switzerland and do not expect that a driver will follow the schedule. There is one public beach – Macarro - and three private ones. The beaches around Maratea are the best - secluded little coves and crystal clear water. Carry your own beach supplies if possible, as this public beach is expensive, renting umbrellas and lounge chairs for up to 10 Euro an hour! Another option is to spend a day at a private beach (for example, Ilicini) paying 6 Euro per person for a day.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Very Good

This colorful restaurant is located on the Piazza Vitolo across from the Town Hall. From our table we could see the Mermaid Fountain. Good fresh seafood.

One day we decided to visit the basilica on the top the Monte San Biagio (in English, Mt. Saint Blaise). Rising up from the resort terraces, the road was like a huge black snake. On its lower part the road coiled tightly around the mountain slope but close to the summit it raised up on the mighty pillars. We walked up slowly because the views that unfolded were spectacular, in front the hard San Biagio face, behind the sea with the harbor and below the villas and houses. From the road it is possible to admire the valley, the Maratea’s historic center and the fascinating ruins of the old settlement. On the summit (643m) we found the San Biaggio basilica (6-7th century). Inside of the preserved interior of the chapel lie the remains of the patron saint of Maratea. There is a small restaurant and the gift shop next to the basilica. The footpath from the church leads you westwards, to the impressive 22m statue of Christo Redentore (Redeeming Christ). The statue was constructed in 1965. After watching this show, we made our way back to old settlement and made our descent. On our way down, we pointed out the things we had missed on the way up, as the statue on the mountain grew smaller the buildings grew larger. From the houses above the Pianeta Maratea we turned right following the ancient footpath. They say it was built by the monks centuries ago. The path encircles the mountain and brings you to the upper part of the Old Town. The scenery was breathtaking, with several mysterious caves on the way, charming creeks immersed in lush vegetation and enchanting mountain panoramas.

It is a great pleasure to explore this picturesque mountain town. Actually Maratea is not a town but municipality. It has about 5,000 inhabitants in 30 scattered communes, the most of important of which - the historic center of Maratea – lies on the slopes of Monte San Biagio, 623 meters above sea level. The origins of the town is Greek. Its name derived from the Greek word Marathus (fennel) due to the abundance of wild fennel found in the mountains. Virgil tells us that it was that Aeneas’s helmsman Palinurus was washed ashore after falling asleep on watch – and here that the local inhabitants butchered the unfortunate stranger (don’t drink and drive). It may or may not be true, what we know for sure that the first inhabitants arrived in the 6th century AD on the summit of the mountain. Here the Basilian monastery was built on the place of a former pagan temple. The settlement , called Superiore (Upper), rose up surrounded by mountains. During the Middle Ages, the settlement became a fortress. In the basilica, the remains of San Biagio, elected Patron Saint of Maratea, have been venerated since 732. During the 11th and 12th centuries, part of the population began moving down for construction in the town below, in the valley bottom invisible from the sea and so protected from the terrible Saracen raids. To make things worse, an earthquake destroyed much the original settlement of Maratea Superiore. People called new settlement Borgo or Maratea Inferiore (Lower) -- the present Centro Storico. The old part of the town is lovely little houses, churches, restaurants, and shops with leather, colorful ceramics, and handmade cloths hanging outside all made by local artisans. On the picturesque Piazza Vitolo you can find the Town Hall and modern fountain depicting the mermaid. From the square you can walk down to the Largo Mercato where the local market takes place on Saturday morning. Maratea also includes a settlement on the right bank of the River Noce called Castrocucco with a manor house on the top of the hill. Finally, the picturesque Maratea Porto is on the coast, where little boats bob on the sea and people lie on sunbeds under umbrellas.

The best way to explore the medieval period of Maratea is to visit several churches in the Old Town. There are 21 churches open to the public in Maratea including 11 in the Old Town. They are reach in the multicolored marble, decorative plaster, and colored floors. The 12th church of San Vito, is oldest in Maratea. Nearby, in the Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore you can find the church of the same name built in the 15th century. Down the slope, at Via San Pietro, you can three important churches. In the Church of the Annunciation you will find a marble sculpture and bust from the shrine of San Biaggio (around 600 AD) and interesting oil painting by Simone da Firence (from the school of Giotto). It is easy to find the church due to the obelisk of San Biaggio, standing next to the church. Across the street and next to Piazza Vitolo, there is the Church of the Immaculate (17th century). Its famous ancient crypt with frescoes from the school of Giotto (14 – 15th century) was closed during our visit. At the end of the street is the Church of Addolorata (17th century, Baroque style), with the column next to it. Another church worth visit in the area is Sant’ Anna (14th century). In the Via Cavour you can find the Church of Grieved dating from the 17th century. In the northern part of the town is situated the ex-convent of Padri Minori Osseranti built in 1574. And after you've paid your respects to Maratea's saints, just wander the narrow streets, alleys, and stairways and soak up the local atmosphere. The old town is compact, so you won't need much more than an hour or two to enjoy the sights.

Two hundred meters below the Pianeta Maratea Residence, there is a small whitewashed chapel. To visit it, walk down the private road linking the resort with the beach area. Two to three minutes later you will see the chapel on your left. Wide terrace with clear footpath leads to it. The 19-century chapel is small but pretty.