The beach at Lido di Metaponto is one of the better stretches on the Ionian coast of Basilicata: wide, sandy, and gently shelving into shallow water that is warm and calm by July. A backing of low pine woods provides shade beyond the waterline. The resort is modest by Italian standards — no promenade lined with boutiques, just a strip of beach bars, lidos with sun loungers and umbrellas for hire, and a handful of restaurants and gelaterie. The absence of development is, for many visitors, the point.
The water quality here is consistently good — the Basilicata coast has benefitted from relatively little industrial activity compared to other parts of the Mezzogiorno. Jellyfish arrive in late August on some years. The lidos are open from June through September; outside those months the beach is deserted and entirely free.