Acciaroli · Pollica · Blue Flag
Acciaroli,
Discover why
Acciaroli is the best-known seaside hamlet of Pollica. Its name means "harbour of the anchovies" and for centuries it has lived on fishing, in particular the menaica anchovies, a Slow Food Presidium. It has about 1,000 inhabitants and for over twenty years has earned the FEE Blue Flag for the quality of its bathing waters.
In 2016 a joint study by the Sapienza University of Rome and the San Diego School of Medicine found in Acciaroli a concentration of centenarians among the highest in the world, attributed to the Mediterranean Diet, the local wild rosemary, an active lifestyle and a particular peptide (mAP – mitochondrial-derived peptide) detected in the residents' blood. For this reason it is considered one of the informal Blue Zones of the Mediterranean.
In 1952, according to local accounts, Ernest Hemingway stayed here at the "Caffè Roma", jotting down observations about the harbour and an old fisherman: one of the inspirations — according to local historians — for The Old Man and the Sea, published the same year.
Plan your visit
A village that weaves together sea, history and longevity. Four unmissable stops to read its long history, from the Norman Tower to the Hemingway seafront.
A 13th-century watchtower, symbol of the village, today overlooking the marina. The Acciaroli quay is one of the most photographed places in Cilento, especially at sunset.
A parish church founded in the 12th century, enlarged in the 15th. It preserves a 16th-century wooden crucifix and a statue of the Madonna greatly venerated by Cilento fishermen.
Light sand mixed with pebbles, shallow gently-sloping seabeds, ideal for families. Capo dell'Acquabianca beach is reachable via a panoramic trail by the sea.
A Slow Food Presidium, caught with an ancient net called "menaica" found only here and in Marina di Pisciotta. Processed by hand in the village salting houses. To be tasted in all the seafront restaurants.
Contact the Info Point for guided tours of the village, themed routes on longevity and tastings of menaica anchovies in the seafront restaurants.