Santa Maria di Castellabate: Southern Italy’s Hidden Gem

If you’re like me and don’t like touristy and busy places, then you will love Santa Maria di Castellabate.

Santa Maria di Castellabate – A Step Back In Time

A small, quaint fishing village in Southern Italy, you will feel like you have stepped back in time. This coastal town truly has an old-school vibe and will transport you to another time.

The ten days I spent in Santa Maria di Castellabate felt like part of my healing journey. The town’s main piazza sees children of all ages playing soccer and other games. The mothers gather around in the cafes, chatting every night. The town emits a strong family bond vibe and energy.

There’s one main street in the town with all the cafes, restaurants and bars. There aren’t many great options, so ten days was too long for my stay there. I booked a hotel there in 2019 for a 2020 stay, and I only managed to get back to Italy this summer. I also didn’t do much research apart from checking the distance between the towns I’m staying in! Not the best strategy to book a vacation, but it worked out great eventually.

Travel Tips for the Region

I spent the first five days hanging out with a group of British people attending a hotel wedding. It was fun. The following five days were spent just doing my own thing. Of course, I lived a beach bum lifestyle for the entirety of the ten days.

After three weeks of exploring the Campania region of Italy, I finally got to a sandy beach in a town with a real Italian vibe! Not touristy at all apart from the hotel guests that I encountered.

Would I go back to Santa Maria di Castellabate? To be honest, the town is too small for my liking. There isn’t much to see or do.

I’m grateful for the ten days I spent there and made the most out of it. But I don’t see myself going back to that town again.

I already know where I want to return to Campania next year. And I’m going to avoid the high season for sure.