South of the Amalfi Coast, Cilento brings together sandy beaches, olive-covered hills and villages where the evening still gathers around the piazza. Italy’s second-largest national park, the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape alongside Paestum, Velia and the Certosa di Padula. Come for the Greek history and the sea; stay for the food, country walks and leisurely village life.
Here, a beach holiday can include Greek temples, a buffalo mozzarella tasting and a walk through a hill village, with time for a long lunch between them. The Mediterranean diet belongs to daily life: olive oil, vegetables, pulses, fish and seasonal cooking, enjoyed around a shared table. Inland, wooded mountains, caves and river gorges give the holiday another dimension.
Sandy beach days, a pool and harbour evenings on foot make this a particularly comfortable family choice. Hotel La Pineta lets you park the car for local days and use it for a little culture and exploring.
Stay above the coast at Marulivo, have breakfast with a sea view and choose dinner in the village. Swimming and a Palinuro boat day sit alongside the pleasure of being in Pisciotta.
Borgo La Pietraia brings a pool, panoramic terraces and accomplished dining to a self-drive stay. Greek archaeology, mozzarella farms and the northern Cilento coast are the natural outings.
Choose one hotel for a relaxed week, or combine two contrasting stays for a fuller Cilento holiday. Our selection gives you three distinct ways to enjoy the area: beach life in Acciaroli, village evenings in Pisciotta and the countryside above Paestum.
Our leading family beach choice in Acciaroli: flexible suites, two outdoor pools and a separate sandy beach club reached by a short walk. Walk to the harbour and village restaurants, with room and beach arrangements chosen to suit your family.
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An intimate restored monastery in Pisciotta, with sea-view breakfasts and terrace drinks before dinner in the village. Particularly suited to couples; there is no pool or full restaurant. Historic stairs make the hotel unsuitable for children under eight or guests requiring step-free access.
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A small country property above Paestum, with private outdoor space, a seasonal pool and Pietre restaurant. For couples and families who enjoy driving out to archaeology and food producers, then returning for a relaxed evening.
View Borgo La Pietraia →
Build the days around the things you enjoy: a guide who brings ancient ruins to life, a visit to a food producer, a coastal boat trip or an afternoon with no plans beyond the beach.
Walk among Paestum’s Greek temples, explore ancient Velia, then return to the living history of Cilento’s villages. Pisciotta’s lanes, Castellabate’s hilltop setting and Acciaroli’s harbour each offer a different view of the area. Our Cilento villages guide helps you choose where to spend time.
Discover the food traditions associated with the Mediterranean diet around Pioppi and the wider Cilento: garden vegetables, olive oil, pulses and fish, with recipes passed between generations. Around Paestum, visit a buffalo mozzarella producer and taste it freshly made. Food is a reason to travel here, from a farm visit to an unhurried village dinner.
Enjoy Acciaroli’s sandy shore, swim below Pisciotta or take a boat around Cape Palinuro for sea caves, bays and swimming stops. Head inland for woodland paths and the Castelcivita caves, or discover Morigerati and the Bussento gorge from a southern base.
A twin-centre holiday works particularly well here. Stay in two different parts of the park to enjoy their local beaches, villages and landscapes, with one hotel move and fewer long drives back at the end of the day.
Begin in the hills above Paestum for temples, mozzarella producers and pool afternoons, then move south to Pisciotta for sea-view breakfasts, village dinners and boat trips around Palinuro. A rewarding combination for couples who enjoy food, history and independent exploring.
Spend the first part of the holiday in Pisciotta, exploring the southern coast, then settle into Acciaroli for sandy beaches and harbour evenings. This suits couples and families with older children who want a change of setting followed by an easy beach routine.
Cilento fits naturally into a journey through southern Italy. Choose one contrasting destination for a twin-centre holiday, or allow more time to continue through Basilicata and Calabria.
Start with the art, neighbourhood walks and food of Naples, then head south for village life or a beach stay. Collect the hire car after your city break; Acciaroli works especially well for families wanting a longer seaside finish.
Combine the celebrated views and towns of the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula with Cilento’s beaches, countryside and village traditions. Our Relais Blu and Marulivo holiday idea shows how the two can work together, with the hotels and length of stay adapted to you.
Head south to Maratea for a different coastal setting: steep green hills, small coves and a historic hill village. Pair Cilento’s food and archaeology with a few indulgent days overlooking Basilicata’s coast.
Turn inland for Matera’s Sassi and rock churches. Several nights here give a striking architectural contrast to Cilento’s coast and country villages, with time to explore on foot and enjoy the city in the evening.
Continue south into Calabria, choosing coastal stays, mountain landscapes or a mixture of both. Maratea can provide an intermediate stop. We build the route around the time available, with several nights in each place and manageable driving days.
Our Coastal South: From Amalfi to Matera holiday idea brings together the Sorrento Peninsula, Pisciotta, Maratea and Matera. Use it as inspiration: we can simplify the route, extend a favourite stay or build a longer journey around it.
A hire car is the normal choice for exploring Cilento. We arrange collection and return around the wider route, with parking and arrival advice for your hotel. Acciaroli allows local beach days and evenings on foot; Borgo La Pietraia relies on a car, while Marulivo requires clear parking and luggage arrangements.
May, June and September often offer a good balance for coast, culture and walking. July and August bring a livelier seaside atmosphere. Beach clubs, pools and boat trips operate seasonally; exact services are confirmed in the proposal.
For an inland excursion, choose one area. Morigerati and the Bussento gorge and Padula and the interior valleys are different outings, best assessed from your actual base.
Tell us what draws you to Cilento: sandy beaches, village life, food, history or time in nature. We will help choose the accommodation and shape a single stay, a twin-centre holiday within the park or a wider southern Italian journey.
ExpertoItaly designs tailor-made, land-only holidays, arranging accommodation, transfers, rail or ferry travel and selected experiences. Flights are booked separately.
Tailor-made Italy holidays, designed personally by Antonio Cresce.
Characterful places to stay, thoughtful routes and well-planned travel between them — across one region or several.
We arrange your accommodation, transport and experiences in Italy. Flights are booked separately.
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