Introducing The Cilento Coast- Amalfi’s Quiet Neighbor

Cruising across the Gulf of Salerno and into the open Mediterranean, the beautiful mountains of the Amalfi Coast begin to fade and the long stretch of  the Cilento Coastline begins to come into sight. 

The Cilento region of Southern Italy is still largely off of the tourist radar, boasting small crumbling towns, rolling hills of vineyards and olive trees, and home to the best buffalo mozzarella in the country (arguably the world). Exclusive Cruises can customize a boat trip followed by a small land excursion to see a bit more of the region. 

The Italians seem to have kept this little slice of paradise to themselves, like a secret only for Italians to enjoy. The water is clean and clear…some have said that it has a light and fluffy feeling on the skin while swimming.  

What does a day on a boat along the Cilento Coast entail? Nothing- and that is what is so fantastic about it! Lay in the sun, dive off the boat and explore the sea, pull up to a random seaside restaurant for a lovely, fresh lunch. Enjoy being totally off the beaten track, away from streets, people, and chaos. Become totally enthralled into a quiet and relaxing nature- sea, sand and sun. 

Exclusive Cruises, cruising Cilento

The Cilento region is the second largest Italian National Park and UNESCO. 

My advice is to relax and let the skipper take you along the coast to show you this old world charm of Italy. 

Enjoy! 

exclusivecruisesitaly@gmail.com 

Exclusive Cruises Fun Fact: 

Have you ever noticed the Exclusive Cruises logo? What is it? What does it mean? 

People often say that a great idea came to them in their sleep. Well, that is exactly what happened to the co-founder of Exclusive Cruises. 

" The name came to me in my sleep one night, like a bolt of lightening" said co-founder Francesco Camperlingo. 

"I wanted to something clean and easy to remember, that represents the service that we offer, so the word Exclusive was perfect."

But what does the logo mean? The logo is the shape of three waves, symbolizing the Mediterranean Sea. The waves form the letter "E" which symbolizes "Exclusive". 

Simple and subtle, the logo is distinctive- just like Exclusive Cruises. 

Earth Day on the Amalfi Coast

With Earth Day approaching, all of us here at Exclusive Cruises are taking the time to reflect on what the environment means to us and what we can each do to maintain it.

The Amalfi Coast is famous for it’s spectacular views, the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, the fresh food produced here and the warm sunshine. These are all natural things- part of the earth, and it is our job to maintain them to the highest degree possible.

Everyone who lives on the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia and the surrounding areas is dependent on the land for survival. The lemons that are grown to make our delicious granitas, the olives used for our fresh olive oil, the grapes grown to produce our local wines…the tomatoes, the fish in the sea…I could go on and on.

Not only is it important to maintain the natural beauty for the tourists who keep the local economy strong, but for the people who live here, who wake up every morning to the beautiful Mediterranean sunshine…the people who help make this beautiful region so special.

This year, Exclusive Cruises is asking for everyone on April 22, 2014 (EARTH DAY!) to give back to the community.  

Below are some ideas:

11.  Pick up trash that you see discarded on the ground or in the sea, even if it is not your trash!

22. Shut off the lights when you leave a room

33. Carpool or take a bike or the bus

44. Create a group of friends to donate a few hours to cleaning up the towns and villages together

55. TEACH and EDUCATE your children the importance of keeping the environment clean!!!

L6. Let’s make every day Earth Day!

 

View of Positano 

View of Atrani from Amalfi

Views of Amalfi and the Joys of La Festa Della Patata

From Skyscrapers to Lemon Groves: Part 2 -

Enjoying priceless surroundings and the delight of potatoes!

I dive head first into the sea and open my eyes, swimming toward the silence and nothingness, through the contrasting hues of dark and light blue, as the sun’s rays transpire down, down, down. I keep swimming underwater until I can’t hold my breath any longer. When I finally pop to the surface, I spin around to see the panorama of Amalfi behind me, brightly colored orange and blue umbrellas scattering the beach, the forefront of this ancient town. It is well known that the view of Amalfi from the sea is the most magnificent view there is.  I float for a minute and take it all in before swimming back to shore. I climb out of the water and back into the thick heat, to my sunbed, letting the salt cover my skin. I like the feeling of the salt on my skin and don’t want to wash it off just yet. I also let it dry in my hair, forming almost perfect curls. This is summer. This is Amalfi.

The sun is starting to set behind the mountains, casting a red tint over the town, and it’s time for me to head back home. I hitch a ride on the back of a vespa and careen around the curves, until I reach my front door. It is time to get ready for the “Festa Della Patata”, which is a festival in a small town called Tovere, located just above Amalfi.

Looking down on Amalfi from Tovere

A few hours later, with the salt washed out of my hair and off my skin, I am with a group of excited and laughing friends, some of us piled into a little Fiat, others on vespas, all of us heading to the festival.

Ten Euros will allow us to walk around the festival and eat anything and everything made out of potatoes from different stands; Potato salad, gnocchi, pasta and potatoes, potato croquets, French fries, and potato zeppole (like a donut). I have never eaten so many potatoes in my life…and they are AMAZING!

An overload of carbohydrates doesn’t seem to be a concern for anyone as the town swarms with hungry Italians. A small band of local boys plays classic Neapolitan songs and we greet other friends and family that we see along the stradone, or main road.  The road is lined with vendors coming from Naples to sell their wares…bancarelle they are called in Neapolitan dialect. They sell everything from toys to fresh sliced coconut, to small animals like bunnies and chicks.

Feeding my cousin gnocchi with tomato sauce at the festival

After we have had our fill of potatoes, we make our way back down to Amalfi and meet friends and familiar faces on the lungomare, the main street bordering the town and the sea. We sit and drink wine or espresso, listening to music and debating on what potato dish was the best and why. Tomorrow, we say, we will only eat fruit!