Maratea: One of My Favorite Places in Italy (You've Never Heard of It)

I was going to write that the Italian town of Maratea is brute ugly and crawling with scoundrels. That it’s plagued by rats and pestilence. That the wine is sour and the food disgusting. In short, stay away!

But that’s because I want to keep its secrets to myself.

Teetering above the Mediterranean, this mountain town is swoon-away gorgeous. And here’s what makes it all the better: it’s practically unknown to non-Italian visitors. Although the trickle of English and German voices is starting, most tourists are upmarket Italians.

One reason why Maratea remains low-profile is that the guide books don't talk about it. Less than 70 years ago, this region of Italy’s deep south was almost a byword for poverty, despair, superstition, and lawlessness. But things today are wildly different…and the international guide books haven't yet caught on.

Tagged the "Town of 44 Churches," Maratea Superiore is its up-in-the-heavens neighborhood. It offers a medieval core mazed with cobbled streets...dimly-lit grocery stores piled with salamis, olives, and limoncello liqueur...a main plaza flanked with chic cafes...grandstand views over terracotta roofs to the Mediterranean Sea and mountains. Watching over all is a marble statue of Christ the Redeemer with arms outstretched.

A headlong plunge to the coast takes you to Maratea Inferiore (buses zig-zag the three-mile road between the two). Here you’ll find more stylish cafes and a marina of snazzy yachts, fishing smacks, and tour boats that take visitors to explore caves, grottoes, and inaccessible beaches.

If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind summer vacation destination that no-one else has been to yet…check out Maratea in the Basilicata region of Italy's deep south.

Italy is full of fantastic towns and regions that few outside Italy know about. Too many to list here. But I've packed dozens of my favorites into Italy: The Owner's Manual, including the region I've dubbed "just like over-valued Tuscany but without the crowds and prices." And in the section on Maratea (the Mediterranean town I just told you about) I share how you can get an apartment here for $100,000. Of course, I cover classical Italy, too…like where to get great-value vacation rentals in Florence…and where you can still buy a Tuscan village house for$54,000. Right now Italy: The Owner's Manual is 20% off and shipping is free.

Steenie Harvey
Roving Europe Editor, International Living

To read more IL articles about Italy, see:

Europe's Most Sensational and Seductive Country

Italy's Other Amalfi--at a Fraction of the Cost

Where to Find an Affordable Slice of Italy’s Most Dramatic Coast