Maratea and Basilicata

widest choice of international flights for the Maratea coast

smaller airport reopened to scheduled flights in 2024, with domestic and seasonal European routes

convenient alternative from the south, with flights from across Italy and Europe

nearest airport for Matera and the Ionian coast

The small harbour and nearby beach form the social heart of the coast in summer, with restaurants by the water and boats for hire.

The northernmost hamlet of Maratea, with villas set on green slopes above clear water and quiet pebble coves.

A peaceful seaside area on the southern stretch of coast, with small coves and easy access to the sea caves.

The historic upper town is a tangle of lanes and dozens of churches, with cafés on its little piazzas.

Staying in a restored cave residence in the Sassi is an experience in itself, especially at night when the city is lit up.

An authentic agricultural town near the long sandy beaches of Metaponto, a good base for combining Matera with the sea.

Positions are approximate: the exact address is shared once your stay is confirmed.

A white statue of Christ just over 21 metres tall, completed in 1965 by the Florentine sculptor Bruno Innocenti, stands on the summit above Maratea. The road up is an adventure and the view over the gulf of Policastro is superb.

Two ancient districts of cave houses, churches and stairways are carved into the side of a ravine, together with the rock churches of the plateau opposite listed by UNESCO. Inhabited for thousands of years, they are now restored as homes, hotels and restaurants.

Across the ravine from the Sassi, a park of cave churches with Byzantine frescoes looks back at the city. The walk down and across the suspension bridge is a highlight.

The coast is honeycombed with grottoes that are best seen from the water. A private boat can also reach coves inaccessible by land.

A small cave of stalactites and stalagmites discovered when the coastal road was built. It makes a cool, quick visit on a hot day.

Italy's largest national park spans Basilicata and Calabria, famous for its rare Bosnian pines on high ridges. It offers hiking, rafting and remote mountain villages.

A hilltop village abandoned after landslides, now a haunting and much filmed ghost town. Visits take place with a guide along a safe route.

Spend a day exploring sea caves, swimming in emerald coves and lunching aboard, ideally with a local skipper.

Fly by zip line between the mountain villages of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa in the Lucanian Dolomites; it runs seasonally, so check the calendar.

A good local guide brings the cave houses, cisterns and rock churches of Matera to life.

Old mule tracks link the hamlets of Maratea with the coast, offering sea views and almost total solitude.

Visit wineries on the slopes of an extinct volcano in the north of the region to taste its powerful reds.

A striking cove of dark sand on the Maratea coast, best reached by boat or by a steep footpath.

The easiest beach to reach, with beach clubs, restaurants and gentle water.

Pebbly inlets beneath the cliffs at the northern end of the coast, quiet even in summer.

Long sandy beaches backed by pine woods on the Ionian coast, ideal for families.

What to eat

What to drink

Best done as an overnight stay rather than a day trip, to see the Sassi lit at night.

Just across the border in Calabria, an island of sea caves including the Grotta Azzurra, explored by boat.

A vast Carthusian monastery with one of the largest cloisters in Europe, listed by UNESCO.

Three magnificent Greek temples standing in open meadows near the sea.

April and May are green and fragrant, perfect for hiking and for Matera before the heat. The sea is fresh but swimmable from late May.

July and August bring warm water and lively evenings at the harbour while the coast remains far less crowded than its neighbours. Matera can be very hot in the middle of the day.

September is ideal, with warm sea and soft light, and October suits walking and wine. Some beach facilities start closing from late September.

The coast is quiet and many restaurants close, though Matera stays open and atmospheric. Snow can fall in the mountains of the interior.