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Cilento National Park

Cilento National Park Holidays – Italy’s Quiet Coast of Nature and Heritage

South of the Amalfi Coast lies a gentler world — a land of olive groves, ancient temples and sea-washed villages where time keeps its own rhythm.

This is the Cilento, part of a vast UNESCO-listed National Park that stretches from the plains of Paestum to the limestone peaks of the Alburni Mountains.

For travellers who value space, authenticity and local character, it is Italy’s most rewarding secret.

Ancient Greek temples of Paestum in the Cilento National Park, Italy — The Doric temples of Paestum — among the best-preserved in the ancient Greek world and the cultural symbol of the Cilento National Park.

How to Explore the Cilento with ExpertoItaly

ExpertoItaly holidays are designed around comfort, curiosity and rhythm — letting you experience the Cilento as locals live it.

Choose between:

✦ A week’s stay combining coast and countryside (for example, Paestum + a hill village)

✦ A car-light itinerary with private transfers, scenic train rides and guided days out

✦ A multi-centre journey linking the Cilento with Naples, the Amalfi Coast or Matera

Unveiling Italy’s Hidden Gems: A Bespoke Twin Centre Holiday between the Amalfi Coast and Cilento Park

£ 3250 per person - 14 nights

Enchanting Southern Italy: A 14-Night Self-Drive Extravaganza

£ 3250 per person - 14 nights

Accommodation ranges from seaside retreats to rural agriturismi — always small, characterful and family-run.

We arrange everything from car hire to private transfers, weaving nature, culture and rest into one seamless experience.

Why Visit the Cilento?

The Cilento combines everything that makes Italy irresistible — without the crowds.

It’s a place for slow mornings, clear horizons and unhurried encounters, where culture, sea and countryside blend seamlessly.

Here you can:

✦ Walk among Greek temples older than the Parthenon ✦

✦ Swim from quiet coves beneath pine woods ✦

✦ Wander through stone villages that still bake their own bread ✦

✦ Taste food rooted in the original Mediterranean Diet ✦

Easily reached from Naples or Salerno, the Cilento is perfect for travellers who prefer authenticity to spectacle and value local life over showmanship.

Highlights of the Region

Below are the places and experiences that define the park — each linked to a deeper feature for when you’re ready to explore further.

Paestum and the Coastal Plain

Step into Ancient Italy at Paestum, where three Doric temples rise from fields of wildflowers and the scent of oregano fills the air.

Nearby, long sandy beaches and mozzarella farms make this an ideal first base in the Cilento.

Caves, Rivers and Hidden Canyons

Under the limestone spine of the Alburni Mountains, the region reveals a world shaped by water.

Follow the underground river through the Grotte di Castelcivita or descend into the emerald gorge of the Gole del Bussento at Morigerati — two of southern Italy’s most extraordinary natural wonders.

Villages and Everyday Italy

High above the sea, villages such as Laurino, Pollica, Morigerati and Castellabate capture the Cilento’s soul: balconies draped with geraniums, old men playing cards, evenings that end with home-made wine.

A route through the most evocative hill towns is traced in Villages of the Cilento.

Faith and Hidden Valleys

Long before travellers arrived, hermits and monks shaped this landscape with prayer and patience.

Their chapels and sanctuaries still dot the hills — quiet places where devotion meets nature.

The deeper story unfolds in Monks, Faith & Hidden Valleys.

Outdoors

The Gole del Bussento – Cilento’s Hidden Canyon of Water and Silence

At Morigerati, the Bussento River disappears into rock and re-emerges in a gorge of emerald pools — one of Cilento’s most moving natural sanctuaries.

Cilento National Park

The Grotte di Castelcivita – Step Inside Cilento’s Hidden World

Beneath the Alburni Mountains, the Grotte di Castelcivita invite you into Cilento’s hidden world — an ancient labyrinth of stone, water, and silence.

Cilento National Park

Capaccio–Paestum — Where Stillness Commands Attention

Discover Paestum with ExpertoItaly: ancient temples, Cilento coastline, buffalo mozzarella, and Borgo La Pietraia – tailor-made, car-free or self-drive holidays in sunny southern Italy today.

Cilento National Park

Villages of the Cilento — Where Time Still Has Neighbours

The real Cilento lies in its villages — Castellabate, Acciaroli, Pioppi, Pisciotta, and Agropoli — where the sea, olive trees, and daily life still set the rhythm.