Activities
Old Maratea
The Property is in the village of Cersuta on the renowned Costa di Maratea. This area is famous for its outstandingly beautiful landscape and towns as well as for its delicious food, both seafood and mountain specialities. There are many good restaurants as well as picturesque cafes and beaches.
The Mediaeval hill town of Maratea has lots of fun boutiques as well as two local food markets and good food shops. It is a pleasure to wander around in and enjoy getting lost in the twisting, often stepped, back streets. It is famed for its 42 churches but perhaps more fun are the local food and drink specialities such as a delicious liqueur made with wild strawberries picked in the surrounding chestnut woods.
More info here
Maratea's Port
Beneath the old town, on the sea, the little port, originally a fishing village, is now home to elegant and impressive yachts and "the beautiful people". They are attracted by the exclusive Santa Venere Hotel, formerly one of the Cipriani group.
Food & Wine
There are many beaches in easy reach of Villa Ligeia either by car or on foot, as well as two bathing places directly below the house itself.
You can walk through the village of Cersuta to either the large, communal beach at the far end of the village which has it's own beach bar serving light meals and snacks as well as hot and cold drinks. Half of it has an umbrella and sun lounger concession on it but the other half is free access. There is also a much smaller beach half way through the village. Both have excellent snorkelling, as do the two bathing places below the house.
There are large public beaches at the next villages in both directions along the coast, Fiumicello to the south and Aquafredda to the North. Again both have beach bars, umbrella and lounger concessions and public access areas.
There are many more beaches stretching along the coast in both directions if you wish to go further afield.
Beaches
As with all of Italy, the food and wine is local and delicious. Supplied with wonderful, fresh, local produce, there are many small, specialist food shops as well as good, family-run alimentari (grocery shops).
Vans loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables, and also with fresh fish, come to the markets every day. The local, Basilicata wines are good and inexpensive.
The local speciality is seafood, with one of the region's best seafood restaurants in our village. They also have vegetarian and meat dishes for non-fish eaters. There are several proper pizzerias, with wood ovens, in the towns along the coast, while Maratea old town boasts excellent restaurants for mountain specialities.
The local cafes have mouth watering arrays of Italian patisseries and home made ice-creams. A local speciality is small, very moist biscuits made with almond, walnut or pine nut flour that you buy by the tray.
Excursions
GRECO-ROMAN SITES - PAESTUM
Paestum is an ancient Greco-Roman city in the Campania region of southern Italy. Near sandy beaches in a region known for its delicious mozzarella di bufula, Paestum includes three well-preserved Doric Greek temples, ruins of ancient houses and a museum of artifacts. As an extra bonus, the site is off the beaten tourist path and is often deserted.
HIRE A BOAT, THE PORT
Discover the Calabrian coast by hiring a boat for the day and swimming into the many grottoes.
SCUBA DIVING/SNORKELLING
Organise scuba diving excursions in the Scuba Diving Centre in the port of Maratea.