If you build it, they will come… Funny thing, or maybe not so funny, tourists continue to pile on the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast. Gorgeous locations, to be sure, but Italy is bursting with beautiful spots. Basilicata, located in the instep of the Italian boot, is full of them, but the tourism industry pretty much focuses on Matera. Interestingly, as if the natural landscape and culture weren’t enough, several towns in the region have installed special attractions to entice visitors. The latest in Maratea is the Skywalk.
I haven’t ever driven the Amalfi coast road, preferring to sit back and let a driver take those hairpins. Further down the coast, the road enters Basilicata and for a 20-mile (32-kilometer) stretch, you’re in Maratea, the region’s only town with access on the Tyrrhenian Sea. I’ve driven this stunning coastline in both directions and found it difficult to focus on the road with the draw of the sparkling sea. Focus you must. There’s a lot less traffic, but the road is narrow and the other drivers have more confidence than patience.
ALONG THE TYRRHENIAN SEA
Gorgeous Maratea coastline
To call attention to this scenic spot, Maratea has recently built the Skywalk, a suspended terrace with a splendid view over the Golfo di Policastro. This gulf extends from the Province of Salerno in the Campania region to that of Potenza in Basilicata and down to Cosenza in Calabria, with the main towns from north to south being Sapri, Maratea, Praia a Mare and Scalea.
The population of Maratea is quite spread out over its diverse geographic territory, and in addition to its charming historic center, one of the Borghi più belli d’Italia (Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages), there are nine frazioni, which range from seaside hamlets to hillside villages. Most of Maratea’s land ranges from hills to mountains, with peaks of the Lucanian Apennines reaching to 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) above sea level!
SKYWALK IN MARATEA, BASILICATA
Overlooking the Gulf of Policastro in Maratea
The Skywalk is officially in the Cersuta frazione or neighborhood. The landscape is dramatic; cliffs drop straight down to the sea. Constructing roads wouldn’t have been easy back in the day, and repairs and improvements are still a challenge. Interestingly, the location of the new Skywalk is along an old trail known as Aprezzami l’asino. As the story goes, when two donkeys met on this extremely narrow path, which didn’t have enough space for both to pass, the owners appraised the animals’ worths and the donkey with the lesser value would be pushed into the sea, leaving the way clear for the other.
I imagine there may have occasionally been an accident over the centuries if the local population and their four-legged companions navigated the path anything like they do today on two and four wheels, but “Appraise my donkey!” and then throwing one of the precious animals off the cliff? Colorful.
The road was widened through the years and then in the 1930s, when building the official state road (SS18), they tunneled through the rock to avoid the precipitous cliff trail. The original stretch of the old Aprezzami l’asino road was selected for the skywalk, and from the small parking lot, there’s a short, lovely passeggiata (stroll) on this high seaside path to reach the attraction.
Walking the walk
The Maratea Skywalk juts out from the cliff at one of the most beautiful vantage points of the coast, offering a panoramic view of the Gulf of Policastro. The steel structure with its transparent walkway hovers at about 300 feet (90 meters) above the sea. At first you look down, keeping on the steel girders as you gaze through the clear deck at the side of the cliff and shore below. Then you forget and let yourself go to embrace the gulf and enjoy the experience. Happy you aren’t an asino.
Author Karen Haid enjoying the Skywalk
Read more about Maratea in my book Basilicata: Authentic Italy, and visit this beautiful region on my comprehensive BASILICATA CULTURAL TOUR, where you’ll have a view of the Gulf of Policastro from your Maratea hotel room!
Follow me on social media: Basilicata Facebook page, Calabria: The Other Italy’s Facebook page, Karen’s Instagram and Karen’s Twitter for beautiful pictures and information.
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