Sea and Fishermen Festival — Blue Fish Festival

A festival born from the Cilento sea

The Sea and Fishermen Festival is the end-of-summer event that restores the most authentic identity of Marina di Camerota: that of a fishing village overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the heart of Cilento. The event takes place at the tourist port, along the waterfront, right where fishermen once spread their nets to dry and ate breakfast with hardtack and anchovies. This is no staged setting for tourists; it is a working community space transformed for one evening into a vibrant town square.

The festival is organized and promoted by the Tuttinsieme Association, which has made it a cornerstone of the local calendar. The 2018 edition marked the seventh anniversary, coinciding with the 170th anniversary of the founding of Marina di Camerota: a record-breaking evening with thousands of attendees and a concert by Daniele Sepe with Capitan Capitone and the Fratelli della Costa.

The Blue Fish Festival

The gastronomic heart of the event is the blue fish festival, dedicated to Cilento seafood cuisine and local products. In the late afternoon, the fires are lit to cook the day's catch, which is offered to citizens and tourists under the watchful eyes of local fishermen. It is the perfect opportunity to taste Cilento seafood specialties in their simplest and most authentic form: anchovies, mussels, squid, fried fish, and seafood pasta prepared according to local maritime traditions.

• Anchovies, the blue fish symbol of the Cilento coast
• Mussels and shellfish cooked on the spot
• Freshly fried fish and local catch
• Typical products and Cilento wines at the festival stalls

In memory of lost fishermen

The convivial atmosphere is balanced by a moment of reflection. In the evening, a commemoration takes place with the laying of a plaque in memory of the lost fishermen: a sober gesture that reminds us how much the sea has given and taken from this community. As the association president noted, "The sea is our life; everything starts there—our roots, our past."

Theater, folk music, and markets

The port becomes an open-air stage. Theatrical performances evoke the atmosphere of the old village: arts, crafts, music, and poetry recreate life as it once was through popular figures like the strambaie, the women of the alleys, and the local fishermen. Nearby, artisan markets open in the late afternoon, while folk music accompanies the entire evening with tarantellas, sea shanties, and traditional Cilento repertoire.

Marina di Camerota, the village and the port

Marina di Camerota is the coastal hamlet of the Municipality of Camerota, in the province of Salerno, Campania, located within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. It is one of the most celebrated stretches of coastline in the South, featuring prehistoric caves, coves accessible only by sea, and the long tradition of lamparate—night fishing trips using the lampara light. Those who come for the festival find much more than just a food event: a landscape, a cuisine, and a trade that are deeply intertwined.

When it takes place

The event is traditionally scheduled for early September, starting in the early evening (around 7:00 PM) at the tourist port. It is the festival that bids farewell to the so-called "September guests," those who choose Cilento when the days are still sunny and the sea is at its best. Participation is free, and tastings are offered by the maritime community.