SEA KAYAKING THE CILENTO COAST

Arrive in Casalvelino. In the early afternoon you are being picked up from the airport or train station (Agropoli, Paestum or Salerno) by private car and brought to the charming small fishing harbor of Agropoli, the entrance gate to the Cilento national Park. The very scenic old town, dominated by its castle, is located on a big rock outcrop, which we can explore from the sea. You can settle in your beautiful hotel on the beach, just below the historical town center and perhaps go for a swim or a stroll through the old town. Towards the end of the afternoon we meet our tour leader and the rest of the group. After a brief introduction of the tour, we will outfit everyone with paddle and PFD and offer some basic kayaking instruction. Then we go for a short introduction trip, around the ‘akropolis’ of Agropoli itself. After the paddling we go for a short stroll through the colorful streets, soaking up its atmosphere. Then we have our relaxed ‘aperitivo’ on the beach and return to our hotel. In the evening we eat all together in the nice restaurant right on the beach, overlooking the Mediterranean

Accommodation: Casalvelino – Meals included: 1 ‘aperitivo’, 1 dinner

Today, we travel south with great views of Monte Stella and the medieval villages scattered on its slopes. South of Agnone is a beach lover’s paradise: long sandy beaches stretch all the way south to beautiful Acciaroli, a characteristic fishing village and one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite places. We take some time to explore the old town, and perhaps have a drink at the harbor, before paddling around the rocky headland to charming Pioppi, where we go ashore underneath its medieval castle. Now we are in the reign of the Mediterranean Diet, an area where people live longer than average, probably due to the healthy food and slow lifestyle. Here we can enjoy lunch, visit the aquarium (Museo Vivo del Mare di Pioppi) and the Museum of the Mediterranean Diet, and take a short stroll to a very peculiar bar for a coffee or drink. A last short stretch brings us to Casalvelino, along the once-again rocky shore. A must-stop place is Marina di Casalvelino, a perfect location for a well-deserved aperitivo (aperitif). We are picked up from here and taken to our lodging for the night, a great agriturismo (farmhouse), where we will dine on amazing local produce.

Accommodation: Casalvelino – Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

After a leisurely breakfast in the garden of our agriturismo, we go down to the beach and get into our kayaks again. We’ll follow the sandy coastline to the south and head for the medieval watchtower of Velia, dominating the old Greek city. If we want, we can go ashore to pay a visit to this unknown but very interesting site. We then continue along the sandy shore, which abruptly ends at the headland of Punta Telegrafo, where we can again explore some sea grottos and land on isolated beaches. Here we’ll eat lunch and perhaps go for a swim. We then continue the last stretch to Marina di Pisciotta, a charming little harbor, where fishermen still catch anchovies with the millennia-old Greek system, called la ‘Menaika’. We’ll sleep in the old town, right above us, in a stunningly located hotel overlooking the glorious Mediterranean. In the evening, you can enjoy a nice meal in one of the small nearby restaurants.

Accommodation: Pisciotta – Meals included: 1 breakfast

In the morning, we will have a great breakfast on our beautiful terrace, after which we can walk down to the harbor or take a charming open taxi. We continue paddling to the south today, heading for the mythical headland of Palinuro, named after one of the shipmates of Aeneas. Capo Palinuro is a promontory of sheer limestone cliffs, with many sea grottos, one of which is the beautiful Grotta Azzurra (not as famous as the one in Capri, but even more beautiful). The first part of our route brings us along rocky shores, covered with forest, maquis and olive groves, with the occasional pebbly beach. Then we reach the sandy beach of Caprioli, where we can go ashore for a short coffee break. We’ll continue south and soon reach the area of the Saline, old sandpans, already used in Greek times. We can go ashore at a small beach, Spiaggia Ficocella, and walk up to an archaeological museum where all the artifacts of Greek and Roman times found near the seashore can be admired. A few miles further, we’ll land on the sandy beach in the harbor of Palinuro for lunch. From Palinuro’s harbor, there is a beautiful short walk up to the top of the headland, which is worth the trek for its views over the whole coastline, including the Amalfi Coast and Capri in the back. Then comes the most spectacular part of the journey, the circumnavigation of Capo Palinuro. We’ll paddle underneath the impressive limestone cliffs surrounded by seagulls. We might enter the Grotta Azzurra and perhaps another sea grotto. Towards the end of the afternoon, we’ll go ashore to one of the most beautiful beaches of the Cilento Coast, Spiaggia del Buondormire. We’ll dock our kayaks and go for a swim before walking up the steps to our magnificently located hotel just above the cliffs. Tonight we’ll enjoy a lovely dinner in one of the greatest spots of the Cilento, our terrace overlooking the entire Cilento South Coast.

Accommodation: Palinuro – Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Today’s sea kayaking is easy and will take us along some of the most beautiful beaches, with many occasions to stop for a drink, a swim, and a short hike inland. After breakfast, we’ll walk down to our private beach and get into our kayaks. We’ll paddle around the characteristic rock just off the shore, locally known as the Rabbit. After that, we’ll continue to a popular beach, Spiaggia La Marinella, with its beautifully shaded bar. A short (optional) hike can bring you from here onto the headland of ‘La Molpa’, with the remains of a medieval castle. Along this part of the coastline of Cilento National Park, a number of prehistoric settlements have been discovered, some quite recently. We’ll go ashore near the Grotta delle Ossa where many bones of animals were found. The next stop is the beautiful beach underneath the Arco Naturale di Palinuro, a stunning rock formation. We’ll continue paddling along the sandy coast to one of the most popular beaches of southern Cilento, with many possibilities to go ashore for a sandwich and a drink. The coastline becomes rocky again, and just before arriving in the charming village of Marina di Camerota we’ll find a number of beautiful inlets. We’ll go ashore in one of these where we’ll dock our kayaks and walk to our hotel. Your hotel for tonight is in the village center and has a swimming pool, but is also just a few hundred meters from the crystal-clear sea. You’ll enjoy dinner in the lovely garden.

Accommodation: Marina di Camerota – Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

We’ll get an early start as the day’s sea kayaking will take us along one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline of Cilento National Park, Area Marina Protetta Costa degli Infreschi e della Masseta (Infreschi and Masseta Coast Marine Protected Area), a virtually untouched coastline due to its protected status. Prior to that, we can go ashore in the charming village of Marina di Camerota, with its South American influence. From the harbor we’ll paddle to the east; the first stretch brings us past a series of grottos and beaches, after which we reach the medieval watchtower. This watchtower marks the beginning of the Costa degli Infreschi, one of the most unspoiled stretches of coastline in southern Italy with the cleanest seawater (rated as a Blue Flag area). There are several alluring inlets, reminiscent of the isolated beaches on a tropical island. Another stretch along the stunning coast brings us to the Porto degli Infreschi. Its name comes from the freezing waters of a spring that mixes with seawater; it is a natural shelter, protected from all winds, often used in the past by fishermen as a refuge. We’ll go ashore here as well as kayak in the grotto. We then continue along the wildest part of the coast with no places to go ashore until we reach Spiaggia del Marcellino. Here we have a great lunch, enjoy some music, and relax before continuing to the charming village of Scario, our final destination of our kayaking tour. Once we arrive on the beach, we’ll have a drink and stroll through the village before going to one of the most stunning viewpoints of the entire Cilento National Park. Views from this location not only reach the whole coastline, including Basilicata and Calabria, but even the Aeolian Islands and Sicily. We’ll stay in a charming family-run hotel and dine on local specialties.

Accommodation: San Giovanni a Piro – Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

The tour ends in San Giovanni a Piro after breakfast today. You can be transported to the railway station in Policastro Bussentino at any time.