Highlights of Southern Italy & Calabria

Welcome to Naples, the gateway to southern Italy and capital of the region of Campagnia. Naples is a city proud of recent endeavours to gentrify and brighten its city sights to more accurately represent its rich past. In the 16th and 17th Centuries Naples was arguably a more important city in world affairs than Rome which was, in this period, in a state of decline. Naples was under Spanish rule and much of her impressive architecture and grandiose monuments owe their construction to this period. There are no activities planned today so we may arrive at any time. Whilst at your discretion, we recommend arriving/ departing by train where possible within Europe due to this method of transports minimal carbon emissions. Please make your own way to the joining hotel (details are in your travel documents) that is located in the historic centre of the city. In the evening we meet our tour leader and our fellow travelling companions at a Welcome Meeting (this is usually at 6pm, but you will be advised as to the exact time and place in a notice, located near the reception at our hotel), where our leader will give us a briefing on what lies ahead on our tour. Afterwards, we can dine together in one of the sidewalk restaurants in the charming city centre and perhaps have a drink in a central square.

A transfer by private minibus brings us into one of Italy's best kept secrets, the Cilento National Park. Tourism hasn't found its way this far south yet and the towns and countryside remain functional and practical rather than polished and chic. Mountains are wild and the coastline beautiful. Either way, it means good things for exploring! En route, we stop at the amazing site of Paestum, Italy's best preserved Greek temples. After a light lunch in the shadow of the temples we continue southbound. A wonderful coastal road through the olive groves brings us to the mythical Cape Palinuro, where we enjoy a great boat ride, under the spectacular towering limestone cliffs to the amazing 'Blue Grotto' (even more spectacular than the one in Capri). We navigate around the Cape and we have time to relax and swim at an isolated beach. Our bus then brings us to a charming hotel in the nice seaside village of Marina di Camerota.(Total driving time today is around 3 hours).

This morning, after breakfast, we walk directly from our hotel down to the beach and then start following the coast along a number of intriguing caves. A short climb then brings us onto the cliffs, from where we have wonderful views on the 'Costa degli Infreschi', one of the last unspoilt parts of the Southern Italian coast. This is easy and absolutely superb sightseeing, along the ancient footpath which connects the seaside village of Camerota to the ancient Roman harbour. On the way we will come through several little inlets, where the desolate beaches are reminiscent of a tropical island. Upon arrival on the beach a lunch will be cooked by local fishermen. We have some time for a rest or a swim and we then return by boat to Marina di Camerota. The rest of the afternoon is free to stroll around or relax on the beach (optional visit to an intriguing abandoned village just inland). In the evening we will dine on local specialties again.

A short drive this morning takes us along a panoramic road above the coast to San Giovanni a Piro, the old Greek Pyros. We then start travelling inland, into the country's 'Deep South', the old Roman 'Lucania', now called Basilicata ('land of the basiliques'). We'll stop for a visit at the Certosa of Padula, one of the biggest and wealthiest monasteries of southern Italy. Then we visit one of the most characteristic and intriguing places of this virtually undiscovered area: the museum of the painter-writer Carlo Levi ('Christ stopped at Eboli') in the village of Aliano. We'll have lunch on the way and at the end of the afternoon have the option of enjoying an 'aperitivo' in the white washed village of Pisticci. Moving on, we then arrive at one of the most extraordinary spots on earth, Matera, listed by UNESCO among its official World Heritage listed locations. This unique town is famous for its 'Sassi' (which literally means 'stones') style housing. These dwellings were carved out of the stone sides of the cliffs and tell of a time when there were few options for the poor citizens of the region. The evening walk through the Sassi is stunning.(Total driving time today is around 4 hours)

Following a leisurely breakfast, we enjoy a walking tour of the 'Sassi' area, divided in the more ancient Sasso Caveoso and the more built-up Sasso Barisano areas. The unworldly atmosphere, the style of housing and life in the cliffs are unique. Tiny streets and back street cafes are endlessly turning up around each corner and well worth exploring. During our walk we will discover the unusual architecture of this city. There are many options for lunch and you may wish to choose somewhere with a terrace overlooking the city and the canyon. The remainder of the day is free for you to visit other sites, all conveniently located in the medieval and Renaissance parts of Matera. There's an impressive series of cave churches, with wonderful medieval frescos, the Museum of the rural civilisation, the unfinished 15th-century castle, the D'Errico Gallery of Neapolitan Art in Palazzo Lanfranchi, the churches of Purgatory, St. Francis of Assisi, S. Lucia and Materdomini, and of course the cathedral, standing out with its Romanesque silhouette. In the evening we have several options for a nice dinner near to hotel.

We depart Matera after breakfast and head south down to the Ionian Sea with its broad sandy beaches. We can choose to make an optional stop at Montescaglioso, the 'small Matera', before driving along the coast to the Greek Metapontum where you have a short stop to see the remains of Greek temples. We then drive on to Sibari, once one of the most affluent (sybaritic) Greek cities. After a visit to the archaeological area we go to the pleasant sandy beach nearby, with the opportunity of a swim. A short drive will take us to Corigliano, where we have time for an 'aperitivo' and perhaps a visit to the Castle. We then head to our next base, a beautiful agriturismo surrounded by orange groves, just outside Rossano, one of the most important towns of the Byzantine period. (Total driving time today is about 2 hours)

After a hearty breakfast we start a circular walk directly from our agriturismo. Our goal is the unknown archaeological site of Castiglione, only a few kilometres away from our agriturismo. Castiglione, was founded as a pre-historic Bruzio settlement, then colonised by the Greeks (IV century BC). The site is impressive and completely without tourists. We return to the agriturismo for lunch. The afternoon is at leisure, to allow some for relax or a visit to nearby Rossano, which has a beautiful historical town centre. It is also home to one the most important Byzantine Gospels in the world, the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, illustrated with beautiful miniatures, written in gold and silver. Rossano is also the capital of liquorice, and the Giorgio Amarelli's Museum of Liquorice is worth an visit (optional). A drink on one of the town squares is also a nice way to end the day. In the evening we'll have another wonderful dinner together and we'll sleep in between the orange groves for another night.

After breakfast we head north towards the Pollino National Park. From here we embark on a great walk through forest and rocky terrain, reaching some of the most interesting sites of the area: the villages of San Lorenzo and Cerchiara and the stunning Madonna degli Armi; a Byzantine church with magnificent views over the Ionian Sea. In the afternoon we travel to the Albanian village of Civita, dominating the entrance of the Raganello river gorge. From here we'll take a short but easy walk to the 'Devil's Bridge' over the most narrow part of the canyon. We spend the evening in Civita for a full immersion into the local culture. Together with our guide, we walk through the historical heart of Civita, learning more about its origins, and absorbing the great atmosphere before dining on fantastic local southern Italian cuisine in a nearby restaurant.

Our last day of activities is a day full of emotions, again a full immersion in local culture, and surrounded by impressive nature. Today a short drive brings us to Morano Calabro, one of Italy's most scenic villages, where we have the time for a morning coffee break and a stroll before travelling on through the high plains of the Orsomarso Mountains and to the canyon of the Lao River, one of southern Italy's most spectacular canyons. From here we embark on a short, but wonderful walk, into the canyon, heading for a pre-historic cave dwelling, the Grotta del Romito, where some amazing ancient drawings can be seen. There is the option of having a picnic lunch and a rest by the river. Those who want can then add another experience to this tour: a few hours of rafting down the river towards Scalea. The river is relatively easy, and the rafting trip is a full immersion into the lush vegetation. Alternative, we travel by bus down to Scalea, where we settle into our hotel, just outside the village centre, on a beautiful sandy beach. Tonight we enjoy our last dinner group dinner together.

Our trip ends after breakfast in Scalea. From Scalea are many trains and boats to other destinations in Italy, either in a northern direction, towards Naples/Rome, or in a southern direction, towards Sicily.