The village of 'Benvenuti al Sud' and the sea of the Cilento
On a hill overlooking the sea of the Cilento, Castellabate grew up around a castle built in 1123 by the abbot of the Badia di Cava, from which it takes its name, "the abbot's castle". Its medieval centre of stone houses, archways, narrow lanes and small squares is one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", and from the Belvedere di San Costabile the view sweeps over the coast to Capri on clear days.
The village became famous throughout Italy in 2010 as the setting of the hit comedy "Benvenuti al Sud", the Italian remake of "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis", in which a postmaster from the north is transferred here; the post office of the film is a stop for fans. Below the old town, the coastal hamlets of Santa Maria di Castellabate, with its long sandy beach, and San Marco, with its fishing port, are popular seaside resorts. The sea, part of the Santa Maria di Castellabate marine protected area, is one of the cleanest in Italy.
Tip: the Punta Licosa headland, a short way south, has rocky coves and an islet linked to the myth of the siren Leucosia; it can be reached on foot or by boat.
Where it is
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