Basilicata has two seas: a few kilometres of Tyrrhenian coast at Maratea, with cliffs, caves and deep water, and the long Ionian beach of Magna Graecia. Inland are the volcanic lakes of Monticchio. Here you will find the best spots for each activity, with the right wind, the level required and the rules to know.
Each number matches a spot in the list.
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For each spot: level, best time and the winds that make it calm or best avoided.
Thirty kilometres of high, jagged coast, with dozens of sea caves, black-sand coves and the islet of Santo Janni: by kayak you paddle into the caves, underwater you see walls teeming with life.
Windyes Calm sea, light Tramontana · no Maestrale, Libeccio
Full details →Very long sandy beaches, pine woods and shallow water on the coast of Magna Graecia: the right place to learn to paddle, with the Greek temples a few kilometres away.
Windyes Calm sea in the morning · no Scirocco, Libeccio
Full details →Two green lakes inside the crater of the Vulture, surrounded by beech and chestnut trees, with the abbey of San Michele clinging to the cliff above the water.
Windyes Always, unless there are thunderstorms · no Thunderstorms
Full details →Before choosing a spot, check where the wind is coming from: the same cove can be a swimming pool or a place to avoid.
At sea, the bylaws of the harbour authorities apply; on the Monticchio lakes, those of the reserve.
The Maratea coast is not a marine protected area, but seabeds with archaeological finds are protected: touching or removing amphorae and fragments is forbidden. Dives on the shoals are done with local dive centres.
Only rowing boats and pedalos are allowed on the lakes; swimming is regulated by the reserve.
Snorkellers and divers must mark their position with a diver-down buoy (or a red flag with a white diagonal stripe) and stay within 50 metres of it: harbour-office ordinances require it, and boats must keep their distance.
During the bathing season, motor boats are banned or restricted within 200 metres of beaches and 100 metres of sheer cliffs: kayaks and SUPs can paddle close to shore, but must stay out of the boat launch lanes.
Wind blowing from land to sea pushes SUPs, kayaks and inflatables out to sea even when the water near the shore looks calm: with an offshore wind, stay close to the coast or don't go out.
Emergency number at sea: 1530 (or 112).
The exact rules (times, lanes, distances) are set by the local harbour office's bathing ordinance and vary from one municipality to the next.
