The beaches of Metaponto are amongst the most beautiful on the Ionian coast: wide, sandy and with crystal-clear waters, ideal both for relaxation and for water sports such as windsurfing and sailing. The Lido delle Sirene is particularly popular for its facilities, accessibility and family-friendly atmosphere. These beaches are perfect for those who wish to combine culture and the seaside during their holiday.
Acquazzurra Water Park, Metaponto (MT)
For a day of pure fun, especially if you’re travelling with children or teenagers, the Acquazzurra Water Park offers swimming pools, slides and all sorts of water attractions. The park is equipped with bars, restaurants and relaxation areas, and is also accessible to people with disabilities. It’s a great alternative to days at the beach or a welcome break from cultural sightseeing.
Metaponto is a destination that captivates visitors with its blend of ancient history, natural beauty and attractions for all ages. If you’d like to discover Metaponto’s unmissable attractions, here’s a selection that will allow you to experience the very best this town has to offer, from Magna Graecia to the sea and relaxation.
Metaponto Archaeological Park
The Metaponto Archaeological Park is the historic heart of the city and is one of the most important archaeological sites in Magna Graecia. Here you can stroll amongst the ruins of ancient temples (Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite and Hera), the agora, the theatre and the potters’ quarter. The evocative atmosphere and the wealth of artefacts make this visit a real journey back in time, suitable for both history enthusiasts and families.
What to see in Metaponto
The Palatine Tables are Metaponto’s most iconic landmark: they are the remains of a 6th-century BC Doric temple dedicated to the goddess Hera. Of the original 32 columns, 15 remain, still majestic and fascinating. This site, set amidst nature, offers a unique backdrop for photographs and moments of reflection on the grandeur of ancient Greece.
In Metaponto and the surrounding area, you can sample a wide range of traditional products from the Basilicata region, which reflect the area’s agricultural and culinary heritage.
Local specialities to try
Handmade pasta: local varieties such as tapparédde (diamond-shaped), rucchélé (concave gnocchetti), tagghiariédde (tagliolini), iron-pressed maccheroni and orecchiette, often served with sauces made from pork, game or local vegetables.
Local bread: made with Cappelli durum wheat flour, sometimes mixed with potatoes, which makes the bread fragrant and long-lasting.
Cured meats: soppressata, pancetta and the traditional Lucanian sausage, seasoned with garlic, fennel and chilli.
Cheeses: caciocavallo, cacioricotta and other traditional cheeses from Basilicata.
Jams and honey: jams, particularly those made from strawberries and local honey, high-quality products linked to local agriculture.
Pulses: beans, broad beans, chicory and the cicerchia, a traditional legume.
Senise ‘cruschi’ peppers: dried and fried sweet peppers, typical of Basilicata, widely used in local cuisine.
Traditional sweets: such as “Scorzetta”, a sweet made with almonds (or hazelnuts), eggs, sugar and chocolate, which is very popular in local patisseries.
Recommended dishes
Cavatelli with turnips: homemade pasta served with traditional vegetables such as turnips and broad beans.
Maccarun’ Pisticcesi: handmade pasta served with a chicken or pork sauce, prepared according to local peasant tradition.
Crapiata materana: a soup made with pulses and grains, typical of the region, which is very hearty and flavourful.
In short, Metaponto offers an authentic culinary experience, based on high-quality local produce and traditional rural dishes from the Basilicata region, perfect for those who wish to savour the true flavours of the area.
Metaponto National Archaeological Museum
The museum houses the precious artefacts unearthed in the archaeological park and the surrounding areas. Here you can admire statues, pottery, coins and everyday objects from ancient Metaponto. It is the ideal place to round off your visit to the park and gain a deeper understanding of local history. The museum is accessible and suitable for children too.
The beaches at Metaponto are amongst the most beautiful on the Ionian coast. The Lido delle Sirene and the Lido Marinella boast golden sand, crystal-clear sea and high-quality facilities. They are ideal both for those seeking relaxation and for those wishing to take part in water sports. Both beaches are accessible and well-equipped for families.
Metaponto Nature Reserve
This green space, teeming with Mediterranean vegetation, is perfect for nature lovers. It offers walking and cycling trails amongst pine, eucalyptus and cypress trees, and the chance to spot the rare Caretta Caretta sea turtles. It is a must-see destination for anyone wishing to combine culture and nature during their holiday.
Pantanello and agriculture in the Metaponto area
The site of Pantanello, situated in the chora of Metaponto, is a unique and well-documented example of an extra-urban sanctuary from Magna Graecia, having played a fundamental role in the history of agricultural colonisation in the Metapontine region.
From the point of view of agricultural innovation, Pantanello is particularly important because, thanks to the anaerobic conditions of the marsh – which have preserved seeds, fruit and plants – it has yielded exceptional palaeobotanical data that enable us to reconstruct the evolution of crops and agricultural practices in antiquity.
The oldest examples of cultivated vines in the area (6th–3rd centuries BC) were found here, bearing witness to the introduction and development of viticulture by the Greek colonists.
Furthermore, studies have highlighted significant changes in livestock farming, with the introduction of new animal species and breeding techniques – such as selected breeds of chicken and sheep – which have replaced the local prehistoric breeds.
Pantanello, therefore, is not only a place of worship and agricultural rituals, but also a centre for agricultural innovation in antiquity, where new crops and livestock-rearing practices were developed and tested, influencing the rural economy of the colony of Metaponto and the surrounding areas.
The Pantanello experimental and demonstration farm in Metaponto, managed by ALSIA (the Lucanian Agency for Agricultural Development and Innovation), plays a key role in agricultural innovation and in testing advanced techniques in the fruit, vegetable and cereal sectors.
Agricultural universities and ALSIA are working together in Pantanello to carry out experiments and transfer technological and management innovations to local agricultural businesses.
Its main activities include:
Trials of new varieties of fruit and vegetables suited to the local area, with the aim of improving the quality and yield of crops.
Application of advanced irrigation management techniques, such as soil water balance, to optimise water use in olive groves and other crops.
Research into and development of sustainable agricultural practices that improve the management of the landscape and agricultural land, with a focus on environmental conservation and production efficiency.
Support for local farms through technology transfer and the practical demonstration of innovations that have been trialled.
In short, Pantanello is a centre of excellence for applied agricultural research, where universities and research centres work together to develop and disseminate innovative techniques that improve the productivity and sustainability of crops in the Metapontino area
A brief history of Metaponto
Metaponto was founded in the second half of the 7th century BC by Greek colonists from Achaea, at the invitation of the Sybarites, who were concerned about Taranto’s expansion into the Ionian Gulf. The city was built in a fertile area between the mouths of the Bradano and Basento rivers, which provided ample arable land and both inland and maritime transport routes.
Metaponto became one of the most important colonies of Magna Graecia, renowned for its agricultural wealth, particularly its wheat production, symbolised by the ear of barley depicted on its coins and sent as a gift to Delphi. The city was also a significant cultural centre: Pythagoras lived and worked here, founding one of his schools there until his death around 495 BC.
Throughout its history, Metaponto formed alliances with cities such as Croton and Sybaris, took part in military campaigns such as the destruction of Siris in the 6th century BC, and supported Athens in its expedition to Sicily in 413 BC. During the Battle of Heraclea (280 BC), it sided with Pyrrhus and Tarentum against Rome, suffering severe reprisals following the Roman victory, including the construction of a Roman castrum within the city.
In 207 BC, it gave shelter to Hannibal, but was once again punished and destroyed by the Romans. It subsequently became a federated city and enjoyed a new period of splendour in the 1st century BC. The plain of Metaponto was also the scene of Spartacus’s revolt in 72–73 BC, during which he gathered support here and sacked the city.
Metaponto’s decline began in the Roman period, and the town was gradually abandoned and buried under alluvial deposits from the rivers. Today, the archaeological site preserves important remains, such as the famous Tavole Palatine (the ruins of a Doric temple dedicated to Hera), other temples, the agora, the theatre and the potters’ quarter, whilst many artefacts are on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Metaponto.
In short, Metaponto is a site of great historical and archaeological significance, bearing witness to the agricultural, cultural and political prosperity of Magna Graecia and its complex history of alliances, wars and urban transformations.
Fauna and flora of the Metapontino region
The Metaponto area boasts a natural heritage of great value, characterised by diverse habitats and significant biodiversity, particularly within the Metaponto Nature Reserve, which was established in 1972 and covers approximately 240 hectares along the Ionian coast between the mouths of the Bradano and Basento rivers.
Flora
The reserve’s flora is dominated mainly by a coastal pine forest consisting primarily of Aleppo pines, with more sporadic occurrences of maritime pines, cypresses, red eucalyptus and other species such as sea buckthorn and salt-tolerant acacia, which form bushy thickets. The undergrowth is rich in shrubs typical of the Mediterranean scrub, such as mastic, phillyrea, juniper and tamarisk. In the wetlands near river mouths, there are hygrophilous and halophilous plants, adapted to conditions of salinity and humidity, such as sea reed, rushes and certain grasses. Protected species such as the sand lily and the American agave are also present125.
Fauna
The reserve is an important habitat for numerous species of resident and migratory birds, thanks to its location along migratory routes. Among the birds most commonly spotted are waders such as the common sandpiper, the grey heron, the common snipe, the moorhen and the little ringed plover – a small wader that is the reserve’s symbol – as well as birds of prey such as the osprey and the marsh harrier. Along the watercourses, otters and freshwater turtles can be spotted, whilst the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), a protected and endangered species, nests along the coast. There are also mammals such as the red fox and the weasel, as well as reptiles and amphibians typical of the area135.
Nature reserves and unspoilt nature
The Metaponto Nature Reserve is a protected area that preserves wetlands, dune systems, pine forests and Mediterranean scrub, offering stunning natural landscapes and a sense of freedom amidst nature that remains partly unspoilt. The reserve fulfils vital ecological functions, such as protecting the soil from erosion and conserving biodiversity. It is accessible for walking and cycling, with trails that allow visitors to observe the flora and fauna within a setting of great environmental value.
In short, Metaponto and its nature reserve are a precious corner of the Mediterranean countryside, where the sea, rivers, pine forests and wetlands come together to provide an ideal habitat for many species of plants and animals, and a unique experience for nature lovers and birdwatchers.
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