It has always been a village fishermen. Cetara was the farthest eastern possession of the Amalfi Republic.Then, fallen into the hands of Saracens (879 a.C.), it suffered domination for a long time. Moreover, it was one of the most important port bases of Arabian pirates due to the precious shelter afforded by the nearby Cala Fuenti. From there fast boats of the raiders sailed in order to hit and sack the coast centres of the middle and southern Tyrrhenian Sea.  In fact, both the Longobards who dominated this part of Southern Italy, and the Sea Republie of Amalfi, the other great power of region, could not efficiently control their coastal possessions.  As a matter of fact, the Longobards were not very familiar with sea activities, while Amalfì was mainly a commercial and not a military power.  Finally after Christian governors had driven the Saracens out of Southern Italy (and out of Sicily), Cetara shared Amalfi's decline and in the following centuries, it was more and more under the influence of Salerno.  In the 16th century Cetara suffered a terrible raid carried out by the Turks of Sinan Pascià that reduced to slavery more than three hundred inhabitants, exterminating all those people who had not managed to escape.

Today the town lives a more tranquil life, made of summery tourism and winter fishing.It is a calm and industrious village, that has preserved its urbanistic structure almost intact surrounding its sandy beach and port.