Campania Travel Guide

Campania is a Region in the south of Italy rich in history, culture and traditions, but also of beautiful natural parks and landscapes.

I'm speaking of Costiera Amalfitana, Cilento, the islands of Capri and Ischia, the many volcanos, some of them asleep, some others still active. It is the land where pizza was invented. It has become today one of the symbols of the italian culture abroad. If you are curios to learn something more about this Region, you can also read our green travel guides: 

Avellino

Benevento

Caserta

Naples

Salerno

Holiday in the nature

In Campania there are many natural landscapes, offering many opportunities if you are thinking about escaping in the green. The hinterland shows rolling hills and verdant mountains, through which you can go walking or cycling following many paths. Worth of a visit are Matese Mountains, where you can relax on the banks of Matese Lake, but also Trebulani Mountains. The main protected areas are the National Park of Vesuvio, where you can walk until the top of this volcano, and the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano which includes the peninsula between Salerno and Policastro Gulf, in the south part of the Region. It covers a wide area along the coast but also the hinterland with its colored hills where you can admire the renowned yellow primroses and visit Petrosa Caves.

Many rivers also run through the Region. The main are Garigliano, marking the boarder with Lazio and Volturno, rising in Molise and crossing Campania up to the city of Castel Volturno: its flows is surrounded by poplars, creating suggestive landscapes.

A dip in the blue

In Campania you will also find many enchanting and scenting beaches, where to relax watching at the sea. If you like the idea to live on an island, Ischia, Capri or Procida are the perfect place: three small island off the Gulf of Naples that can be reached with the boat. At Ischia you will find warm thermal waters, springing from the ground, at Capri you can visit many bays and rocky coves, where the sea has dig many caves. The marine area surrounding Procida is part of the protected area Regno di Nettuno: you will find beautiful untouched nature.

On the Gulf of Neaples there are many other perfect places for an holiday such as Sorrento or Torri del Greco. Moving to the south you will meet the beautiful Costiera Amalfitana, renowned for its rocky coast, looking down on the sea, where are built many small colored towns, for its wild nature and typical products: Limoncello, a kind of grappa made with lemons and hand-made painted ceramics. In the southern part of the Region you can visit Cilento, with its villages and towns rich of history and traditions, but also of many beautiful soft sandy beaches.

Ancient history to admire

Many are also the traces of ancient civilizations living in Campania in the ancient past, that can be admired walking through archeological areas. Famous are the Roman cities of Pompei and Ercolano covered of lava and volcanic ash by the Vesuvius in 79 AD. You can admire perfectly preserved buildings: aqueducts, baths, theaters, basilicas and houses, but also organic materials, such as wood and clothes. Walking through the rests of these two cities, you can dive in the ancient history and in the everyday life of their inhabitants before being surprised by the volcanic eruption. In Paestum, a city founded by the Ancient Greeks and dedicated to the God Poseidon, you can visit the ruins of some grand temples and public buildings, still well preserved.

Between music and dance

Campania has a great music tradition. In fact, starting from the Baroque period it has always been known for its innovativeness, especially in opera and composition. Among the most famous Neapolitan artist, there are Enrico Caruso, Renato Carosone, Edoardo Bennato and Pino Daniele. The “mandolino”, musical instrument known all over the world, is a common sound in the Neapolitan music. Also, if you're lucky you'll have the possibility to admire tarantella dancers, a folk dance very hectic and charming.

Something Mediterranean..to taste

Don't forget to try the local cuisine and its Mediterranean flavors: you will be surprised by the many tastes and flavors but also by the genuine products offered by this land! First of all Pizza, with tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella, cooked on wood oven: it is the symbol of the Italian tradition abroad and it was invented here in Campania! Another traditional plate is Spaghetti: according to someone this type of pasta has been invented in Neaples not in China..in the past they were cooked along the streets in big pots of water, and then enjoyed with oil and Parmesan. You can taste Spaghetti allo Scoglio, with a sauce made of fresh fish. Other typical dishes are Pasta with beans, especially in the city of Benevento and Caprese, a big salad made with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.

In Campania you can also taste delicious desserts: the almond nougat, the Babà, pastries filled with cream, Pastiera, a cake of pastry filled with ricotta cheese, candied fruit and wheat or rice boiled in milk.

Where to sleep in Campania

Here you can find some suggestions if you are thinking about going on holiday in Campania:

Residence Ancora, Acciaroli (SA). The Residence offers a complete immersion into the tranquillity of the seaside hamlet of Acciaroli, one of the most important tourist locality long the Cilento Coast, right next to a large equipped beach, at the foot of the hills on the splendid Coast of the Cilento National Park. barefoot if you like! 

Casanatura Avellaneta, San Marco la Catola (FG). The structure includes accommodation, meeting and teaching spaces, an organic garden, areas for organized sports activities and trails for horseback riding in the countryside. It 'a good starting point for excursions to Lake Occhito, where you can practice sport fishing, or along the paths that lead to 1000 meters of Mount Elder and St. Onofrio, a lovely town enriched by the memory of an ancient hermitage.

Find out other eco friendly accommodations in Campania

Green travel suggestions:

If you are looking for other suggestions for your trip to Abruzzo, you can read these articles:

The top 5 DOs of the Amalfi Coast destination

2 must-do walking tours to discover Cilento area, between Myth and Nature

Trekking in Valle delle Ferriere, Amalfi

Author: Anita Cason

Cover image: Amalfi Coast, ph. by Giuseppe Milo, via Flickr