The Landscape of Maratea

MARATEA. SEA AND MOINTAINS. BLUE AND GREEN

Basilicata’s Tyrrhenian coast stretches for 32 km along Maratea’s shores: a landscape of blue and green, where the sea meets the mountains.

AN UNTOUCHED TERRITORY

The Tyrrhenian coast of Basilicata is entirely made up of the vast territory of Maratea (6,732 hectares in size), which extends between Campania to the north and Calabria to the south, stretching out over 32 km.

Appennine region and therefore mostly mountainous, with landscapes of the most varied and fascinating and a coast that takes your breath away for its beauty.
Panorama that changes continuously: from the sea towards the interior one passes in just a few hundred meters in a straight line from sea level at the beach to the 1,505 meters of Monte Coccovello; from South to North a succession of beaches, coves, rocks, islets, sea caves that make the coast justly famous for its eternal charm.

The Cerreta mountains (1,083 m.), Coccovello (1,505 m.), San Biagio (644 m.), and Crivo (1,288 m.) delineate from west to east the main valley and protect it from the cold northern winds, making it resemble a broken basin exactly at the point where it gently slopes towards the sea.

The reliefs consist of Mesozoic carbonate deposits, with extensive aquifers that form the reservoir for the numerous springs in the area.

a fabulous climate

The climate of the Maratea territory is Mediterranean, with winter precipitation not exceeding 1,000 mm annually, hot and dry summers, mild autumns, and relatively humid winters.

This promotes the vegetation typical of the Mediterranean scrub, characterized by low trees and evergreen shrubs.

Among the trees, there are lime trees, holm oaks, pines, poplars, and oaks, as well as laurels and eucalyptus.

The scattered shrub community, known as "gariga," consists of rosemary, prickly juniper, broom (Spartium junceum, with specimens reaching up to 5 meters in height), and rock rose.

In addition, there is wild fennel, oregano, and mint.

The fauna of the Maratea territory is typical of the Lucanian forest, with some concessions due to the marine habitat.
We find the wild boar, the wild rabbit, the badger, the fox, the hare, the pine marten, the polecat and the hedgehog.
As for the avifauna, the area is good hunting ground for birds of prey, such as the barn owl, as well as hosting various other species such as the dove, the woodpecker, the owl, and in summer also the heron and the crane.
The dry and sunny terrain of some areas is ideal habitat for reptiles such as the harmless viper and the lizard.

edited by Jean Marout

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