Easy itinerary suitable for a one-week cruise. Sailing in a crystalline sea bordered by white beaches that blend with the green of the olive trees and the Mediterranean maquis shrubs.
Less known than the more famous Amalfi Coast, the Cilento coast offers as many beautiful and suggestive places. They can be appreciated particularly by sailing along the coast.
Navigation is in fact mainly coastal, with short stretches and a correct sequence of ports along the route. The longest (28 miles) stretch that takes us away from the coast is the initial one across the Gulf of Salerno.
We recommend this navigation in order to avoid going too close to the coast. Anyway, in the gulf you would only find shallow and sandy waters and no points of interest.
Agropoli
Having set sail from Salerno we head South en route to Agropoli, a safe harbour and village you shouldn’t miss.
Agropoli is called The Gate of Cilento, a must for those who sail the Cilento Coast. The original and characteristic medieval village is a pleasant visit. It is perched on a small rocky promontory around which the modern neighbourhoods of the town have developed. The historic centre ensures a truly pleasant stroll in the evening.
For those wishing to go on shore excursions, Agropoli is the ideal logistic base for an archaeological visit to the ruins of Paestum and Velia. Agropoli has a tourist port and numerous floating piers where you can moor.
If you decide to stay at anchor, Agropoli is sheltered from the sirocco. The most suggestive and close safe bays are Baia Licina and Trentova.
Carrying on South, you will cruise alongside the natural reserve of Punta Licosa. This is a corner of paradise of extraordinary beauty with a lush pine forest that reaches the sea. The whole land area and the adjacent water area are a marine protected zone that includes the homonymous islet; low and rocky topped only by an evocative lighthouse. A pleasant navigation will lead you to the inlet of Ogliastro. An ideal place for a swim in crystal clear waters.
Acciaroli
Few miles from there we meet Acciaroli. A welcoming and distinctive fisherman village where the legend says Ernest Hemingway stopped and took inspiration for his novel ‘The Old man and the sea’.
The village, in time became a seaside tourist resort. Neverthelss, still keeps untouched its urban appearance with stone houses and narrow streets. Amongst the places of architectural interest, we advise visiting the church dedicated to the Annunziata, built in 1100. Additionally, you can see the Normanna Tower, a guard tower that was already existent in 1233. The stop in Acciaroli can be done in the well-equipped touristic port.
The Cilentan Coast offers even more charming places. Sailing South you can encounter Palinuro Cape on whose southern side there are points of anchorage of great charm. Here you will discover numerous coves and caves of untouched beauty all the way to Coniglio Island (Rabbit Island). This stands as a border for the Buondormire cove, a place of limpid waters and a romantic beach.
Further South, in the vicinity of Arco Naturale we advise you to stop at anchor in one of the many bays surrounded by clamorous nature and shallow sandy seabeds.
Not far from Capo Palinuro, immersed in a luxuriant Mediterranean maquis shrubland of centuries-old olive trees, the pretty village of Marina di Camerota stands out. A major destination for summer tourism.
The coast around Marina di Camerota is characterized by beautiful beaches of light sand, which make the colours of the seabed even more beautiful. Moreover you will find a series of wild inlets and calanques.
The most famous of these inlets is Baia Infreschi, a magnificent calanque. A unique and wild setting, bordered by small beaches with clear bottoms, separated by rocky points that make this bay one of the most beautiful anchorages on the coast.
By organizing the stages during the round-trip navigation, it will be easy to visit the most evocative of the Cilento Coast, crossing the sea where Ulysses sailed.
