With its picturesque towns built into the cliffs, dramatic rocky coastline, and glamorous resorts, the Amalfi Coast tends to steal the spotlight, but just south of it lies Cilento, an area full of rugged beauty within the southern part of the Campania region bordering Basilicata. Home to a large national park full of mountains and hill towns, Cilento boasts sandy beaches, awe-inspiring ancient Greek temples, and peaceful monasteries. It’s also the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet.
According to International Living, Cilento is an alternative for the Amalfi Coast. “It may not have the cliff-hanging town of Positano, but the Cilento Coast does keep a string of pretty seaside towns that rival the more-famous coastline for its beautiful beaches and easier accessibility,” Valerie Fortney-Schneider, an International Living contributor, told Travel + Leisure. “No heart-pounding road with buses careening at you here; just green hills with olive groves, vineyards and pinewoods, authentic fishing villages, a pleasant laid-back vibe, great food, lower prices, and southern hospitality.”
Art historian and travel expert Danielle Oteri, who organizes trips to Cilento, where her family comes from, calls it “a heaven for pescatarians” and encourages travelers who want to see a more laid-back, authentic part of Italy to visit.
“Cilento offers what many travelers hope to find in Amalfi but rarely do anymore: natural beauty, ancient history, and extraordinary food,” she told Travel + Leisure. “The region is reasonably priced, known for its pristine beaches and turquoise sea, and offers some of the freshest fish and vegetables in Italy, as well as the best buffalo mozzarella.”
The gateway to Cilento (though not technically part of it) is Salerno, a port city on the southern end of the Amalfi Coast. Often likened to a smaller version of Naples, Salerno also has a hilly topography. Its historic center is a warren of stone-paved streets lined with shops, restaurants, and bars. During a trip to the area with my family last year, we had a fantastic dinner at Botteghelle 65, a century-old salumeria that’s been given a new life as a casual restaurant serving simple, homestyle cuisine like baked pasta and local cheeses.
From there, it takes just under an hour to drive to Paestum, the start of Cilento. Home to incredibly well preserved Greek temples, Paestum is also interesting for history buffs fascinated by the Second World War. It was on the beaches between Salerno and Paestum that American troops first landed on the Italian mainland in 1943 in a bloody battle known as Operation Avalanche. Walking along the sandy beach on a warm day last May, my dad, sister, brother-in-law and I found an abandoned German bunker left over after the war.
We also made a stop at Tenuta Vannulo, the area’s most renowned dairy farm, where we gazed at historic farm equipment in the Museum of Farming Culture. Thanks to buffalo brought to this part of Italy many centuries ago, Cilento is known for producing some of Italy’s best buffalo milk mozzarella. At Tenuta Vannulo, you can sample delicious yogurt, gelato, and other dairy products. (If you want to buy some of their mozzarella, you have to order it in advance.)
In addition to Paestum, Oteri recommends spending time in towns like the Medieval village of Agropoli, which is crowned by a 15th-century Spanish castle; Trentinara, a formerly abandoned town in the mountains that was recently revitalized; Castellabate, which has sandy beaches and beautiful views of the Cilento coast from the upper part of town; Capaccio, where you can go hiking and foraging for truffles; Pisciotta, a vertical village overlooking the sea that she compares to Positano; Marina di Camerota, a fishing village where you can go out on a boat and see how anchovy fishermen fish by night; and Palinuro, which has a blue grotto that’s larger and less crowded than the one in Capri.
According to Oteri, the Amalfi Coast is still the place to go if you want to feel like a movie star and have the quintessential resort experience, but if you’d rather explore coastal villages that have remained authentic, eat delicious food, delve into the culture, and have access to sandy beaches for a fraction of the amount you’d spend on the Amalfi Coast, go to Cilento. “In its small mountain villages, you’ll find excellent restaurants and wine bars, along with plenty of opportunities to share space with Italians who live and vacation there,” she said.