Logbook | travel experiences in Maratea
Lat. 39° 59’ 16” N – Long. 15° 42’ 59” E. Maratea
by Spyking
In a boat, on a journey from Neptune southward, with strong sea and wind.
Then the arrival in the safe harbor of Maratea and the discovery of the places...
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First day
Departure from Nettuno at 6:45, heading for Procida.
At first, acceptable sea conditions with force 2/3 winds, but then in the Gulf of Pozzuoli, it was tough going, with NE winds and sea force 7.
The landscapes around are always enchanting from Circe, the Pontine Islands, to the charming Procida, where we arrived at 10:15, and shortly after we started refueling with diesel. A strange feeling, here it seems that everyone lives slowly, without being stressed by the rhythms of modern life, and I thought to myself, maybe it’s not exactly an Adriano rock island, but bless them, how I envy them. Two little old men, sheltered by the port breakwater, are sitting on the quay chatting serenely, with slow gestures and the tranquility that shines through their faces etched by the sea salt and sun. We loaded 1087 liters of diesel and departed at 11:20. Crossing the Gulf of Naples was even more challenging, we had to reduce speed to 8 knots, with Vesuvius to our left. At 13:10 we crossed Punta Campanella and on our right, with bated breath from the emotion, we admire the legendary Faraglioni and Capri. Then the Gulf of Salerno, and here too the wind did not help us much, after passing Punta Licosa, navigating along the coast we were able to give more power to the engines with the intention of arriving in the evening at Vibo Valentia. Here the coast after Amalfi and Salerno begins to be more wild, full of green, with stretches of rock with beautiful colored hues. A technical problem with the battery charger for the engines, after Cape Palinuro, forced us to change course in the Gulf of Policastro and head for land, with a head sea that was truly tricky, even force 7/8. We decided to dock at Maratea, with strong gusts of wind that we estimate around 40 knots. Even the mooring in port was problematic, but then with the help of two dock hands from the marina, we anchored the boat well to the dock.
We look up and ask ourselves: are we in Bahia or in Italy? On the mountain opposite, towering over the port, a Christ with arms outstretched welcomes us, a sign of destiny: from above he has protected us and told us when to return.
Today too went well, 195 miles were covered and with this sea, believe me, we were really brave, especially the Commander.
Tomorrow is another day.
The website www.maratea.info is updated by the volunteers of
- To stay updated on the activities of AltriTurismi ETS ->
Second Day
Wake up at 8:00, breakfast at the port bar, then Biagio, the electric car, arrived, always moving slowly. We took two measurements and did some tests, and we established that the problem is with the alternator. A very quick consultation, and considering the sea is very rough, we decided to remain moored here and to depart for Vibo Valentia, a more equipped marina with better services since it is larger, to refuel and where we have alerted a specialized technician who will assess the repair and/or replacement of the alternator. We will see if we can depart immediately to head towards Roccella Jonica or Crotone, which will depend entirely on the departure time.
In the afternoon, in this charming square, around 2:00 PM, a bus goes up to the historic center of Maratea, and Andrea and I decide to take it and go to the city of 44 churches. Very quaint, similar to mountain village communities. With a biting cold and a terrible wind that doesn't stop, we take a walk around the town, have a warm chocolate in the only open cafe, and then decide to walk back, about 5/6 km, fortunately downhill. The view is very impressive.
Let's go back on board, and the warmth is very welcome, the C.t. was waiting for us just as we left him, bent over the nautical chart, studying the possible routes for the next few days.
The wind continues, the forecasts give it as decreasing, on the horizon observing the sea.
In the evening, at about 7:45 pm, we have an aperitif in the only bar open in the marina, we ask where we can go for dinner, they point us to Cesare, on the road to Sapri, a bit far away and then we ask if there is a taxi service, promptly we are given the phone numbers and, shortly after, an elderly gentleman arrives with an old Mercedes SW wagon from Potenza. We go to this restaurant, we eat well, mainly fish, the shrimp scallops were particularly good. In the restaurant which has a large outdoor terrace, there is only our table and that of a young couple.
At around 10:30 the taxi driver comes to pick us up and takes us to the port.
During the ride this very kind gentleman, whom we offer a coffee before leaving, tells us many interesting stories.
For example, the Redeemer is at 620 mt above sea level, the statue is 22 meters high, erected in 1963, faces away from the sea because it looks at the rear basilica of San Biagio. The basilica was built on the cliff of this mountain because, according to legend, this Armenian martyr, upon landing on this stretch of coast, precisely at the height of the San Ianni rock, recognizable for three crucifixes, a little south of the port entrance, threw a stone violently upwards towards the mountain and where the stone fell, his basilica was then built.
The second week of May celebrates San Biagio, which has many faithful, patron of Maratea with an extremely important festival that gathers not only believers, but also many tourists.