The name evokes wonderful naps under the warm sun of Italy’s South: the Spiaggia del Buon Dormire, or Beach of Good Sleep, is one of Cilento’s top beaches, located on Cape Palinuro in the region of Campania, amid a gorgeous natural landscape of crystal clear waters, golden sand, lush vegetation and overhanging cliffs.
The only way to reach it is by boat, taking one of the ferries that depart every 20 minutes from Marina di Camerota, arriving at this tiny cove located in front of the famous rock known as Isolotto del Coniglio (boat service operates between 9 am and 6 pm).
Unlike many other beaches in Italy, the Buon Dormire beach isn’t equipped with umbrella and chair services, so bring your own, and you may also want to bring your own food and water because there’s only one tiny kiosk and the beach can get quite crowded.
Taking the boat, you also have the chance to visit the sea caves of Capo Palinuro, including the famous Blue Cave, which, like the famous Blue Grotto of Capri, boasts intense blue water thanks to multiple cracks in the rock.
Don’t limit yourself to one cave; there are also the ‘Blood Cave,’ so called because of its red rocks that, reflecting in the sea, give the water a reddish color; the ‘Cave of the Monks,’ which takes its name from the shapes of the rocks inside; and the sulphurous grotto, where an abundance of sulfur gives it a characteristic color and smell.
Being a protected cove, it is an ideal beach for children and for those who like snorkeling because its waters are almost always calm.
Just south of the Buon Dormire beach is Marinella, which has a beautiful natural arch and a walk that takes you besides a Saracen tower down a trail to see an imposing white cliff overlooking the sea.
