Visiting Cascate Capelli di Venere Casaletto Spartano: Waterfall in Cilento

Just about 20 minutes from the Grotte del Bussento in WWF Morigerati Oasis, in the Casaletto Spartano area, lies an incredibly picturesque, almost fairy-tale-like place called Capelli di Venere .

In my humble opinion, it’s absolutely worth admiring, experiencing, and photographing. Simply a spot worth a day trip.

Cascata Capelli di Venere at a Glance

Location: Casaletto Spartano, Cilento National Park (Campania)
Access: Short 5–10 minute walk from the parking lot
Key Feature: Spring-fed mossy waterfall, cold river pools, and an old stone bridge
Admission: €3 entry fee for Area Capello (cash only at the booth; often unmanned off-season)

Capelli di Venere. Casaletto Spartano, Cilento National Park (Campania)

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The Legend of Venus’s Hair

One day, Venus wandered into the vicinity of Casaletto Spartano and discovered a beautiful place in the forest . She decided to settle there. Venus, as we know, was famous for her beauty, so one shepherd fell madly in love with her. The goddess, like all goddesses, preoccupied with her beauty, didn’t give a damn about the man. Besides, if she did, there would have been a misalliance, and the other gods would gossip and make fun of her, so no odd romances.

One night, while Venus slept, a desperately in love man committed a terrible crime: he cut off a lock of her hair.

Water trickling down thick moss-covered rock ledges into the river at Capelli di Venere, Casaletto Spartano.

Bad luck – because Venus woke up and flew into a rage. The beautiful and not entirely mentally stable goddess turned the lock of hair into a stream, in which she drowned the poor shepherd. Pretty cruel, I’d say.

Venus, however, took pity on the drowned shepherd and even tried to save him, but apparently she wasn’t familiar with first aid. He died for good. So she used her magical powers again and transformed the shepherd’s body into a plant growing next to the “hair” stream. Cleverly, she didn’t have to water it. Remorse, or perhaps she simply liked the shepherd in his plant form, caused her to stay there.

And so the Capelli di Venere Casaletto Spartano waterfalls in Campania were born.

Curtain of water flowing from a large mossy rock formation into a shallow pool at Capelli di Venere waterfall, Campania.

Capelli di Venere Casaletto Spartano – How to Get and Where to Park

Drive to Casaletto Spartano, a small village of just a thousand people. The Capelli di Venere Waterfalls are less than a kilometre from the village, so you can take a really easy walk in Cliento.

But you can also enter, as we did, Area Capello Casaletto Spartano in your GPS and drive to the parking lot right at the entrance to the park. There is also a ticket office there (cash only), but it was closed at Easter, so lucky us – we admired these picturesque waterfalls for free.

The Trail Down to the Waterfalls

Walking down, we passed a wooden house on the left and got to a wooden bridge.

From there, we saw the spot where Venus committed her crime against the poor man. The view from the bridge is absolutely magical: narrow streams of water flow from the green undergrowth (or vegetal shepherd). An old stone bridge, partly hidden under plants, looms over it.

From the bank, just opposite Capelli di Venere waterfall, the impression is even more fairy-tale-like: the water flows through moss and lichen, giving the plants a beautiful, vibrant green colour. It looks a bit like the plants are hidden beneath a crystal-whitish veil. Capelli di Venere Casaletto Spartano and its delicate waterfalls are an absolutely enchanting place.

Old stone arch bridge spanning above a clear stream with moss-covered cliffs and dripping waterfalls at Capelli di Venere, Casaletto Spartano.

I believe in the summer it’s busy there, especially since this so-called Cilento National Park hidden gem is hidden only for foreign tourists. The locals know this place very well, and because the area of Capelli di Venere Casaletto Spartano is family-friendly, it’s better to visit it in the low season if you want to avoid crowds.

We also went down to the river on the other side of the waterfalls, where we had lunch in peace.

What else to do in Area Capello, Cilento National Park

If Venus’s waterfall puts you in too romantic or fairytale a mood, stepping into the cold river will bring you back to reality. Even in summer, it doesn’t reach 10 degrees Celsius, so it works like a down-to-earth hydromassage.

Across the road, just behind the parking area, wooden stairs lead down to another part of the river. It’s certainly not breathtaking, but the colour of the water under an ugly small dam is surprisingly nice. Beyond that and a few quiet paths and nature, there isn’t much else to do here—which is exactly why going on a weekday means having the place largely to yourself.

Is this easy nature walk in Campania worth it? Absolutely. If I lived in Campania, Capello Area is one of the few places I’d actually come back to.

If this post made you laugh, annoyed you, or just reminded you of your own trip, tell me in the comments or drop me an email. I actually want to hear about your experiences—the good and the frustrating.

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