Castellabate Webcam – Watch San Marco Harbor in Cilento

The Castellabate Webcam looks out from Hotel Mareluna in San Marco di Castellabate, a fishing village on the Cilento coast of southern Italy, over the village harbor and the open Tyrrhenian Sea. Two tall palms stand in the foreground above a fenced garden, with a red tiled roof at the left edge and a white wall covered in creepers on the right. The harbor breakwater crosses the middle of the frame, and sailboat masts and moored boats sit in the sheltered water behind it. Past the end of the mole there is only sea until the horizon, where a faint line of hills can appear on the far right on clear days. Morning light gives the scene a warm cast, the water shades from deep blue offshore to green near the shore, and a windy day can show up as white water along the stone.

About Castellabate

San Marco is one of five hamlets that make up the municipality of Castellabate, alongside Santa Maria, which is the municipal seat, Ogliastro Marina, Licosa and Alano. The municipality covers 36 square kilometers (14 square miles) and had 9,181 residents in mid 2017. Its historic center sits on a hill inland at roughly 280 meters (920 feet), while San Marco and Santa Maria spread along the shore below. The coast and the sea off it fall within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park.

The name means the abbot’s castle. Work on the fortress, later called the Castello dell’Abate, began on 10 October 1123 under Saint Costabile Gentilcore, the fourth abbot of La Trinita della Cava, and his successor Simeon finished it. The town reached a much wider audience through the Italian comedy Benvenuti al Sud, the remake of the French hit Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis, which is set in Castellabate with scenes in Santa Maria and San Marco.

The harbor at the center of the Castellabate Webcam is a small fishing port sheltered by a breakwater. Sailing guides put its capacity at around 300 boats, counting both the berths behind the mole and the moorings, and warn that it turns uncomfortable and even dangerous in strong winds from the northwest round to the southwest. Remains of an older harbor lie under the water nearby, and local sources describe it as Greek and Roman.

Weather and Climate in Castellabate

Castellabate has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Averages for 2015 to 2024 at the harbor put July and August highs at around 30°C (86°F), with nights near 22°C (72°F), and July sees only about 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) of rain in a typical year. In summer the camera tends to show flat water inside the mole, a hazy horizon and strong sun on the palms. Spring warms steadily, from about 15°C (59°F) in March to 22°C (72°F) by May, and September is still close to summer at around 27°C (81°F).

Autumn brings the rain. November is the wettest month, averaging around 210 millimeters (8.3 inches), and October through January together deliver over half of the year’s total. Winter stays mild by the sea, with January days near 13°C (55°F) and nights around 7°C (45°F). Storm days through autumn and winter can show low grey cloud over the water and spray on the outer side of the breakwater.

Things to Do Near Castellabate

The coastal walk to Punta Licosa starts from San Marco and is the obvious outing from the harbor. The path runs about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles), almost entirely flat, and takes around 50 minutes on foot. It ends opposite Isola Licosa, a small island whose lighthouse was first lit by the Italian Navy in 1913. The name Licosa comes from the Greek Leukosia, linked by tradition to Leucosia, one of the sirens Odysseus met in the Odyssey, and the cape is associated with the ruins of an ancient Greek city of the same name.

The water around Punta Licosa and along the Castellabate shore forms the Santa Maria di Castellabate Marine Protected Area, set up by decree on 21 October 2009 and covering 7,095 hectares (17,530 acres). The national park manages it, so check its rules on fishing and anchoring before taking a boat out. Inland, the old town and the Castello dell’Abate stand on their hill, and Santa Maria di Castellabate, the municipal seat, lies just north of San Marco along the shore. Further up the coast, past Agropoli, which has the nearest railway station, stand the Greek temples of Paestum.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More Italian coast and harbor views to try next:

• Riccione Webcam
• Mount Etna Webcam
• Binic Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Castellabate located?

Castellabate is in the province of Salerno in Campania, southern Italy, on the Cilento coast. This camera is at Hotel Mareluna on Via Carlo De Angelis in San Marco di Castellabate, the hamlet around the harbor. The nearest railway station is at Agropoli, up the coast to the north.

What can you see on the Castellabate Webcam?

Two palm trees and a garden in the foreground, the breakwater and moored boats of San Marco harbor across the middle, and open Tyrrhenian Sea out to the horizon. The hotel’s name and a date and clock are printed in the corners of the picture.

What is the weather like in Castellabate?

Summers are hot and dry, with highs around 30°C (86°F) in July and August. Winters are mild and wet, with January highs near 13°C (55°F) and over half of the year’s rain falling between October and January.

When was the castle in Castellabate built?

Work began on 10 October 1123 under Saint Costabile Gentilcore, fourth abbot of La Trinita della Cava, and his successor Simeon completed it. The town takes its name from the castle: Castellabate means the abbot’s castle.

How long is the walk from San Marco to Punta Licosa?

About 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) on an almost flat coastal path, roughly 50 minutes each way at an easy pace. It ends opposite Isola Licosa and its lighthouse.

Is the sea at Castellabate a marine protected area?

Yes. The Santa Maria di Castellabate Marine Protected Area, created in 2009, covers 7,095 hectares (17,530 acres) of sea, including the water around Punta Licosa, and is managed by the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park.

Was Benvenuti al Sud filmed in Castellabate?

The comedy is set in Castellabate, with scenes in Santa Maria and San Marco. It is the Italian remake of the 2008 French film Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis.

Source: Hotel Mareluna