Are you thinking of a trip to Cilento? Would you like to know the most beautiful things to see in this splendid part of Campania?
If you too were captivated by the beauty of the Greek temples of Paestum and are thinking of booking a holiday in Cilento, I have a few tips for you.
By the way, have you already read my article on the archaeological park of Paestum?
Cilento is a land rich both in nature and in history. Winding roads thread between the beautiful Campanian coast and the gentle hills covered in olive trees. I loved it enormously.
I bet it will be the same for you, especially if you are a nature lover!
Much of the area lies within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, which preserves a wonderfully rich natural heritage. It is the ideal place if you love long walks and unforgettable views.
It is worth visiting Cilento for this alone, and that’s not all.
Would you rather spend your holiday by the sea?
Great, the beaches of Cilento are among the most beautiful in Italy. The water is so clear it feels like swimming in a pool. It reminded me a lot of my holiday in Rhodes.
But what are the things to see in Cilento?
In this short guide I have selected the 9 things to see in Cilento that you absolutely must know, between seaside spots and places of art unique in the world. It took me about a week to see them all, but you can take all the time you want.
Ready to find out more?
Let’s begin!
1 – Visiting Acciaroli: between Hemingway and the sea
If you want to know what to see in Cilento you cannot miss Acciaroli.
This hamlet of the municipality of Pollica is a fishing village by the sea, made of old traditions, small shops and traditional restaurants. We stayed a little inland, at Canniclo, but I truly loved walking along Acciaroli’s seafront and enjoying the fantastic Cilento sunsets.
Acciaroli is so picturesque that, it is said, even Ernest Hemingway stayed here in 1953: legend has it that the old fisherman of his masterpiece The Old Man and the Sea was inspired by a man from this very place.
And there’s more: Acciaroli has become world-famous for the extraordinary longevity of its inhabitants. A 2016 study (La Sapienza University and the University of California San Diego) found here a very high concentration of centenarians, linked to the Cilento Mediterranean diet (oily fish, olive oil, rosemary) and to the local way of life.
The sea at Acciaroli is among the finest in Cilento: the town has been awarded Legambiente’s 5 Sails for clean sea for several years running, and the whole area breathes a great respect for the environment.
Where to swim?
We plunged into the splendid beaches of Acciaroli, not far from the harbour: the one to the left of the port is sandier, the one to the right of the village more pebbly.
Artistically there is not a great deal, but I recommend a look at the church of the Annunziata, right by the sea, and the remains of the Angevin defensive tower. Impossible to miss!
If you want to know where to eat in Acciaroli, an excellent fish and pizza restaurant is Luca e la Lucciola, where we went back several times. I recommend it.
2 – The archaeological park of Paestum
Can’t wait to visit the beautiful temples of Paestum?
If you too love classical art, you can read my in-depth piece on Paestum, but nothing will really prepare you for the sight before your eyes.
The archaeological park of Paestum has stayed in my heart, and I couldn’t leave it out of this list of what to see in Cilento.
Why is it so important?
Along the park you can admire three great Doric temples of ancient Greece, among the best preserved in the world: not only from outside, but walking among the ruins of the ancient city too, with its houses, streets and public buildings, just as at Pompeii and Ostia Antica.
If you are thinking of visiting Paestum, I also recommend spending time at the National Archaeological Museum, home to extraordinary finds such as the famous Tomb of the Diver.
Paestum is a wonderful place that every traveller should know: it is part of our history.
3 – The caves of Pertosa-Auletta
Still undecided about what to see in Cilento?
If you like adventures, get ready to discover a place where nature has given its very best.
Beyond the beauties of the sea and of art, among the most beautiful things to see in Cilento I couldn’t leave out a wonder of nature: the caves of Pertosa-Auletta.
They are not the first caves I have visited, but they are the ones that struck me most, because they have a great peculiarity: they are the only caves in Italy crossed by a navigable underground river.
You mean there’s a river inside the caves?!
Exactly!
As soon as you enter, a boat awaits to take you onto the bed of the river Negro (from the Latin niger, “dark”), which rises deep inside the mountain. Listening to the slow sound of the water and the flowing waterfalls, as you sail in the dark, is one of the most beautiful experiences to have in Cilento: it almost felt like sailing on the Acheron!
The route inside the caves of Pertosa-Auletta is about three kilometres long, among stalactites, stalagmites, coloured rocks and spaces that look like cathedrals of stone.
Please: don’t touch the stalactites, because you risk ruining their growth forever.
4 – The Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte in Padula
This is a little-known place that, in my opinion, belongs among the things to see in Cilento.
The reason?
It is rare, perhaps unique in the world.
We know that in antiquity baptism was performed on adults, by full immersion. I had seen basins of various sizes from that period, but I had never visited a building like this.
What makes it special?
Inside the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte there are no basins or tubs, but a perennial spring that wells up and feeds the baptismal font directly. It is considered the only baptistery in the world built over a living spring, and its origins go all the way back to the 4th century: one of the oldest early Christian baptisteries in the West.
Fragments of frescoes from later periods survive, sadly poorly preserved because of the damp and the abandonment of the building. The Roman-style masonry, the icy waters, the countryside all around make this place poetic and very evocative.
I was genuinely amazed! And of course I couldn’t resist dipping my feet in the water.
5 – Visiting Pisciotta: where the sea meets the mountain
Pisciotta is a small town that dominates the valley from the top of a hill.
It lies within the Cilento National Park and has kept all its medieval charm. The little alleys, the stone houses and the relaxed atmosphere will carry you back in time. The town is dominated by the large Pappacoda marquis palace and by the beautiful 16th-century church dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul.
The best time to visit the town?
I was lucky enough to arrive at sunset: I recommend it!
I included Pisciotta among the places to visit in Cilento also for the beauty of its beaches. Its shoreline has been awarded the Blue Flag for cleanliness and beauty: a beach of sand and pebbles surrounded by olive trees.
The sea at Pisciotta is truly spectacular: the water is so crystal-clear that it reminded me once again of my holiday in Rhodes. It makes you want to stay in the water for hours.
Nearby there are other beautiful beaches, including sandy Pietracciaio and the more pebbly ones towards Ascea and Palinuro.
6 – Marina di Camerota
To tell you what to see in Cilento I couldn’t fail to mention Marina di Camerota.
Why?
With its beaches, among the finest on the peninsula, it is one of the most famous seaside resorts in Italy and has drawn visitors from all over the world for years. If you are looking for a naturist beach in Cilento, the Troncone beach is one of the few in Italy where naturism is allowed.
Like Acciaroli and Pisciotta, Marina di Camerota too has received Legambiente’s Five Sails.
If you love swimming among the fish and are looking for a spot for snorkelling in Cilento, this is the right place. The coastline is jagged and the water has carved beautiful sea-level caves along the shore. This area is so scenic that it has been chosen as a film set for several movies, including the recent Wonder Woman, shot right between Marina di Camerota and Palinuro.
Which are the best beaches?
Among the most beautiful beaches of Marina di Camerota I recommend San Domenico, with white sand and turquoise sea, not far from the old town and the port. I swam right here and, at times, I felt as though I were in the tropics.
7 – The Charterhouse of Padula
Set in the Vallo di Diano and dedicated to Saint Lawrence, the Charterhouse of Padula is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Cilento.
Founded in the 14th century and later reworked in Baroque style, it is the largest charterhouse in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. Masterpieces of inlay, frescoes, monumental staircases and sculptures will leave you open-mouthed.
What makes it special?
The complex has over 300 rooms and covers more than 50,000 square metres. The Great Cloister, with its roughly 15,000 square metres and the 84 pillars it rests on, is among the largest in the world.
Incredible, isn’t it?
The importance of this place led UNESCO in 1998 to declare it a World Heritage Site, together with the Cilento National Park and the archaeological sites of Paestum and Velia.
If you love art and history, you can’t let this place, so dense with beauty, slip away.
8 – Cape Palinuro and the natural arch
The sea at Cape Palinuro is a spectacle.
The water is clear and full of fish. We took a boat trip that led us to the Blue Grotto of Palinuro, a sea inlet with an underwater opening that lets the light through, tinting the water an unreal blue. We swam in a little bay along the coast and I never wanted to leave!
Wonderful too is the natural arch carved by the sea nearby: over the centuries the waves will wear it away completely, but for now we can still enjoy this wonder of nature.
If you want to live this experience too, the easiest way is to hop on a boat tour along the Palinuro coast, which takes in the Blue Grotto and the other sea caves with stops for a swim.
9 – The Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park
In this nature reserve you find a varied and largely unspoilt landscape. It is one of the largest national parks in Italy, with very different scenery: from sea to mountain, from caves to rivers. The park too, together with Paestum, Velia and the Charterhouse of Padula, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
Human settlement in this cave-rich area goes back around 500,000 years, to the Palaeolithic. Besides the coastal strip, the Cilento National Park includes mountains, forests and rivers that make its habitat extraordinary both for wildlife and for the great variety of native plants.
Within the park lies another marine jewel: Porto Infreschi, voted the most beautiful beach in Italy by Legambiente in 2014. It is a natural harbour, already known to the ancient Romans as a safe landing: a little corner of paradise where the waves break against the rocks and, not rarely, dolphins are spotted.
If you are looking for an unusual place to swim in Cilento, I warmly recommend it.
Before you leave for Cilento
Cilento is one of those lands that stay with you: the scent of olive trees, transparent sea and a history that runs from the Greek temples to the early Christian baptisteries. Take your time and don’t try to see everything in one day.
If you love this mix of sea, nature and archaeology, after Cilento I also recommend the archaeological park of Paestum, Ostia Antica and the Royal Palace of Caserta, to round off your trip to Campania and beyond.
And you, where would you start your trip to Cilento: from the temples of Paestum, the navigable caves or a dip at Palinuro?
