Flavors of the Myth Coast

A festival dedicated to the flavors of Cilento

Flavors of the Myth Coast is the food and wine event that the Municipality of Camerota, in the province of Salerno, dedicates to the traditional cuisine of its territory. The name evokes the Myth Coast (Costa del Mito), the stretch of the Cilento coastline between Palinuro, Marina di Camerota, and the Gulf of Policastro, where the Homeric memory of the helmsman Palinurus intertwines with sea caves, hidden coves, and Mediterranean scrub. The festival began as a showcase for local products and recipes and has evolved over the years: from long summer weeks of events on the Marina di Camerota seafront, documented as early as the mid-2010s, to the tasting days hosted in the ancient village of Camerota at the beginning of autumn.

Rianata and maracucciata: two symbols of the village

The heart of the event lies in two dishes that tell the story of Camerota's rural past better than any travel guide:

• Rianata: a wheat pizza made with whole-grain flour and seasoned simply with tomato, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and a generous amount of oregano. The oregano, known in the local dialect as riano, gives the recipe its name and is a staple of the village's humble peasant cuisine.
• Maracucciata: a type of polenta made from maracuoccio, a tiny legume considered an ancestor of the grass pea, grown almost exclusively in the territory of Camerota, particularly in the hamlet of Lentiscosa. It is a protected Slow Food Presidium and is traditionally served with friarielli (broccoli rabe) or as a soup.

Around these two dishes, the festival builds a tasting journey that also includes extra virgin olive oil, cheeses, wood-fired bread, fresh blue fish from the coast, and wines from southern Campania.

How the event unfolds

The festival format alternates between tasting sessions and demonstrative, convivial events. Past editions have featured live cooking shows with local chefs, themed dinners curated by local restaurateurs, pastry workshops for children, and evenings filled with Cilento folk music. Stalls and tasting points are set up in the squares and along the alleys, allowing the public to wander from one station to the next, discovering the village's architecture alongside its flavors.

Camerota and the Myth Coast

Camerota is a Cilento municipality that includes the hilltop village, overlooking the hinterland, and the seaside hamlets of Marina di Camerota and Lentiscosa. The entire area is part of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its beaches have been among the most awarded in Campania for years. The historic center preserves its medieval layout with its castle, stone portals, and houses clustered along narrow alleys—a setting that, during the festival, transforms into an open-air culinary trail. For those visiting the coast at the end of summer, the event is also an opportunity to learn about the Mediterranean diet in its land of origin, as it was in Cilento that it was first studied and codified.

When it takes place

In recent years, the event has been held at the beginning of September, when the summer tourist crowds thin out and the village returns to being the center of local life. The 2025 edition was held on Sunday, September 7th, in Camerota. For 2026, the organizers have not yet released official dates; it is advisable to check for updates on the Pro Loco and Municipal channels before planning your trip.