t Narrow street in the historic centre of Naples
Rich in archaeological sites, as well as some extraordinarily varied landscapes and coasts, southern Italy is a fascinating region. Although the Roman site of Pompeii is high on everyone’s list, there are also Greek ruins in Sicily and mysterious nuraghi (ancient structures) in Sardinia. The cuisine alone, with its eclectic heritage and diverse flavours, provides an excuse to dawdle on the coast or in pretty mountain villages.
Experience Southern Italy
A chaotic yet spectacular metropolis, Naples sprawls noisily and dirtily around the edge of the magnificent Bay of Naples. To one side is Mount Vesuvius, to the other the smouldering sulphurous fields of the Campi Flegrei, while out at sea, across from the city, are the enticing islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida. Everything about Naples is exuberant, from its streetlife and traditional music to the lavish interiors of its many churches and two royal palaces. Naples is also home to what is reckoned to be the best pizza in Italy.
Best for Full-on streetlife and lavish religious festivals
Home to Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Experience The original pizza Margherita
Experience Southern Italy
t Narrow street in the historic centre of Naples
Experience Southern Italy
To the north of Naples, fertile plains sweep down to the town of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, home to one of the largest remaining amphitheatres in Italy. The remote, mountainous and little-visited interior of Campania is overshadowed by the glories of the Amalfi Coast with its famous cornice road, and the astonishing Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, preserved under ash from the volcano that destroyed them in AD79. Before the Romans, the area was colonized by the Greeks, who left behind the ruins of a beautiful temple at Paestum.
Best for Celebrity spotting in Capri
Home to Pompeii, Herculaneum and the winding roads of the Amalfi Coast
Experience Diving above the ruins of the sunken Roman city of Baie
Experience Southern Italy
t Rooftops of Positano, on the Amalfi Coast
Experience Southern Italy
Puglia is the “heel” of the Italian boot, the picturesque, serrated coastline of the Gargano Peninsula is its “spur” and Abruzzo and Molise together form the “ankle”. The mountainous regions of Abruzzo and Molise are wonderful for hiking and exploring rarely visited villages. Puglia is a wealthy, agricultural region with a beautiful coastline. Its jewel is Baroque Lecce, but the curious trulli houses around Alberobello, the labyrinthine centre of old Bari, and the Castel del Monte, are all worth visiting.
Best for Eating sundried tomatoes and freshly picked produce
Home to The florid Baroque buildings of Lecce and the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise
Experience Burrata from the region’s cheese makers
Experience Southern Italy
t Trulli in Alberobello
Experience Southern Italy
Basilicata and Calabria receive relatively few tourists, except for the incredible cave-city of Matera and the fabulous coastline between Tropea and Maratea. Mostly upland country, Basilicata is peppered with Greek ruins, medieval abbeys and Norman castles. Calabria, bounded by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas, has many lovely beaches. Greek ruins can be found at Locri Epizephiri, while the slopes of the Aspromonte and Sila mountains are popular with walkers and skiiers.
Best for Getting off the beaten track
Home to Matera, wild mountains and beautiful beaches
Experience Sleeping in a cave hotel
Experience Southern Italy
t The Sassi district in Matera
Experience Southern Italy
Lying at the heart of the Mediterranean, the island of Sicily has been fought over and colonized by Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, English and French, all of whom influenced the food and the language, as well as its art and architecture. Palermo, the busy capital, and Siracusa, with its island centre Ortigia, are the most interesting cities. The island’s coastline has hundreds of sandy beaches, while the varied interior is characterized by remote hill-towns and plains punctuated by mountains. Among the most famous sights are the Mount Etna and Stromboli volcanoes.
Best for Visiting ancient Greek temples and lazing on the beach
Home to Palermo, the Valley of the Temples and Mount Etna
Experience The aperitivo scene on the Baroque island of Ortigia
Experience Southern Italy
t Castello di Cáccamo, near Cefalù
Experience Southern Italy
With an interior of dramatic, soaring uplands and a coastline of beguiling sandy beaches and marine caves, Sardinia is extraordinarily beautiful – and in places still utterly wild. Cagliari, Alghero and Sassari are all worth visiting, but the true highlight of the island is its amazingly varied coastline, ranging from the white quartz beaches of the Sila peninsula to the exclusive resorts of the Costa Smeralda. Sardinia’s ancient inhabitants are known as nuraghic after the strange truncated drystone structures with which they peppered the island.
Best for Snorkelling in crystalline waters
Home to Relics of the nuraghic civilization, the exclusive resorts of the Costa Smeralda
Experience Flamingoes flying above Cagliari on their way to the salt flats on a spring evening
Experience Southern Italy
t Snorkellers at Porto Giunco beach in Villasimius, near Cagliari