In 2024 Italy is fifth on the list of most visited countries in the world. Tourism is booming, hotels are packed, cruise ships tower over small ports, people queue for hours to get into the Vatican or even worse, to a certain bar because it went viral on social media. However, the crowds are concentrated in a handful of cities like Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan or Como.
Overtourism in Italy
These cities are all suffering from the negative effects of overtourism. They are not what they used to be in the past century. If you go to Venice or Rome, you really need to know where you are going and where you are staying. While you need to fight your way through thousands of people to see the Trevi fountain, there are quiet places where you can admire the amazing art of Bernini or Caravaggio, with only a few fellow travelers around. You can visit farmers’ markets full of local residents and eat the best artichokes in a tiny trattoria off the main tourist routes. In the most visited areas of Italy food is often mediocre, overpriced and the service lacks warmth and heart.
For decades, books, both fiction and guidebooks, were all about the North of Italy, as if the South did not exist. My 1996 Frommer’s guidebook has 636 pages about general information and the North, then 103 pages about Naples, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Capri and a few places in Sicily. That’s it. Not a word about Sardinia, Abruzzo, Cilento, Puglia or Calabria, which, in my opinion, are the most stunning regions of Italy.
Southern Italy in the limelight
By 2024 a lot has changed: the airport of Bari is busy with low-cost flights arriving from all over Europe, cruise ship passengers flood the streets of Alberobello and Polignano a Mare, and after the success of The White Lotus – season two set in Sicily – fans make a pilgrimage to Taormina. But the South of Italy – the Mezzogiorno – is still packed with undiscovered places where you will only meet local people, who are happy to see you, curious to know who you are and have the time to share their stories with you while serving you a huge plate of fried anchovies.
When my friends from all over the world see my photos, they tell me that my Italy is so different from what they experience. Yes, because they go to Venice, Rome or Jesolo, while I always travel in less-traveled areas like Abruzzo, Salento or Basilicata. In Italia autentica.
I am passionate about Southern Italy. It has everything I need to feel truly alive. And now I will tell you about my new favourite area, a hidden gem in Italy: Cilento.
CILENTO
Already the name itself sounds wonderful. Lento in Italian means slow, while silente means quiet. Both words perfectly describe the area. The best combination for a slow traveler like me.
Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park is the second largest national park in Italy, Pollino in Calabria and Basilicata being the first. Located in Campania, it reaches from Salerno to the Gulf of Policastro, and has all I need for happiness: sea, hills and mountains, river gorges, vineyards, olive groves and white fig trees, huge areas of wild nature, medieval villages, tiny fishing harbours, 2,500-year-old Greek ruins, simple, traditional, healthy food, a slow way of life and above all, the friendliest, warmest people, who welcome you with open arms and say goodbye with a strong hug.
Wherever you go in Cilento, the scenery is spectacular, most of the hills are covered by olive trees and green mediterranean shrub all year around. The Cilento coast of Italy offers plenty of hidden turquoise bays, and while I personally prefer rocky coves and grottos, you will also find long sandy beaches if that’s what you like.
Blue cave in Palinuro
La Grotta Azzurra in Palinuro is probably the most beautiful sea cave I have ever seen, and every time we went there there was no other boat in sight. Of course Palinuro and the entire Cilento coastline gets busy in August, when most of Italy goes on holiday, but other than that, you can enjoy a relaxing time around here. And while you are having an aperitivo on board, with just your captain and the incredible blue colour of the grotto around, tourists in Capri are lining up for two hours just to get into the blue cave there.
Paradise in the shade of the Amalfi coast
Cilento is a well-kept secret, seems that Italians want to keep it for themselves. Many families from Rome and Naples have second houses here. It does attract a certain type of sophisticated, curious traveler, people arrive from Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries, but unlike the world-famous Italian playground of the Amalfi coast, very few international travelers have heard of Cilento.
From the Cilento coast, you can always see the Amalfi coast in the background, with picture-perfect sunsets. All these years, Cilento existed in the shade of the Amalfi coast. People fly to Rome or Naples, drive down to Amalfi or Positano, but don’t go further south, although you only have to drive an extra hour. Trust me, do the extra drive and you will find yourself in paradise.
A winemaker from Cilento told me: we are no worse than the Amalfi coast. Absolutely not! The Amalfi coast is stunning, but it’s the victim of overtourism, with constant traffic jams on the only road and prices skyrocketing. Full of tourist traps and bad food. You really need to know where you are going if you decide to stay there. Cilento is so easy, quiet, with fantastic and much cheaper accommodation options, authentic farmhouses, cosy B&Bs with seaview, fantastic meals and lovely people. If you are a slow traveler, looking for deep, authentic Italian experiences, Cilento is the place to go.
Home of the Mediterranean Diet
If you are spending more time in Cilento, you will not only fall in love with it, but it’s also good for your health. The area is famous for its centenarians and for being the home of the concept of the Mediterranean Diet.
Things to do in Cilento
To discover all of Cilento you need weeks, or even months, as there is so much to see and do. If you only have a few days or a week, here are some tips about what to do and where to stay in Cilento. I will write in detail about all of these in separate blog posts.
Castellabate, a medieval hilltop town, a great home base for discovering the northern part of Cilento.
Paestum archaeological site, with three beautifully preserved ancient Greek temples, dating back to the 6th century BC. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, together with the national park.
Cheese factories producing the world’s best buffalo mozzarella.
Farms, agriturismos, cooperatives, wineries, boutique factories producing local products like white fig jam and chocolate, pasta, dried chickpeas, salted anchovies, cheese, olive oil and wine.
Hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails all around Cilento.
The Via Silente bike path that circuits the national park, divided into fifteen sections.
The Museum of the Mediterranean Diet in Pioppi.
Acciaroli, a pleasant fishing village with a special vibe, where even Hemingway found inspiration.
The village of Pisciotta with great local life and seaview.
Palinuro, a quiet fishing port and beach town, the best base for discovering the southern part of Cilento.
A boat tour from Palinuro visiting the Grotta Azzurra and several hidden bays.
Booking Cilento accommodation
If you need help booking accommodation or creating your Cilento itinerary, drop me a line.
I was just guiding a small group tour in Cilento in November and in so many places my clients were asking me: "how did you find this place?" Well, it’s my work and my passion, I am traveling around Italy, reading about Italy, searching for hidden places in Italy, writing and talking about Italy all the time.
Some people might say, there is nothing in Cilento. Well, if you ask me, this is my answer: there is everything you need for a slow, healthy, long and happy life.
