Palinuro

Palinuro

Location: Italy (CAMPANIA – Province of SALERNO)
Village type: Tents then huts
Year opened: 1955
Year closed: 1981

For a bit of background: The village was featured on the front page of Trident magazine, issue #32, January 1955, as the new village of the year. The newspaper presented it as the Italian Corfu. A large area planted with olive trees where tents were pitched, a beach bordering the Mediterranean, traditional activities such as water skiing, scuba diving, and excursions, as well as an annex village in Marina di Camarotta—this was the village's profile.

During the first season, things weren't perfect at the village. Significant difficulties arose with the presence of pebbles and rocks just a few meters from the shore, hindering water sports like swimming and water skiing. Guests had to walk several hundred meters to find more suitable conditions.
The installation of a wooden pontoon helped improve the situation, but it was quickly swept away by a storm, undoing all the efforts made.

During the winter of 1955/56, work was carried out. A stone and concrete pontoon allowed water skiers to depart from the village starting the following summer.

1957 Palinuro first sailing village.   

1957 The GMs discover a whole new Palinuro. Cabins replace tents. On the water sports side, they discover a new activity: Sailing.

The program of excursions/campsites/Odysseys has also been expanded. Thanks to 3 annex villages – Marina di Camarotta, Villa Pena di Capri and Marcellinna – outings can last several days.

Throughout its history, Palinuro has always been a village oriented towards the sea. During the day, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and boat trips to Marcellinna for picnics or camping are what make the village so popular. On land, there's no tennis, but there is judo (like in Donoratico), a small miniature golf course, and fencing, not to mention the renowned applied arts and the late afternoon concerts of recorded music.    

The journey

The first Club Med guests departed under the watchful eye of Gérard Blitz on the morning of May 28, 1955, aboard the special Club Med train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Turin-Rome-Brindisi, which also carried guests to Barrati, Capri, and Corfu.
That same year, the Club also offered the option of flying from Paris to Rome followed by a bus transfer to the resort. This offer was discontinued in subsequent years due to negative feedback from guests forced to endure a 10-hour bus journey.

It was at the small Pisciotta-Palinuro station that the GMs arrived and departed. 

Village chiefs

Jean Pierre BECRET opened the village in 1955. He was the village chief for the first four years. Marcel CONTAL was in charge of diving/underwater photography during the early years.
Roger CAILLET spent five consecutive seasons there from 1961 onwards.

Pierrot CHIQUERILLE, known as Pierrot la Tendresse, closed the village in 1981