The Cilento Coast Part 1 - The hidden gem in Italy's crown Salerno, Paestum & Padula
Long a retreat for the chic Italians to holiday and stay cooler than in cities like Rome when the temperatures soar, the Amalfi Coast has kept its traditional Italian seaside retreat vibe with (mostly) rocky beaches, indulgences in a long lunches, shopping, siestas, Aperitivos and then indulgences in another long dinner. The people of the Cilento seemed to be a bit more like the coast itself: wild and rugged. Here is where the Italian adventurers have been hiding, or rather, flocking to each summer. But in true Italian fashion, even the adventurers can appreciate the finer things in life.
The Cilento Coast has miles of sandy beaches and less than one hour from Salerno, Paestum is home to some of the best preserved ancient Greek temples in the world. You may well think that you may have been transported to the Parthenon in Athens. In fact, you are at the Greek temples of Paestum, the oldest of which dates back to the 6th century BC. Home to one of Europe's most glorious archaeological zones, Paestum was deemed a World Heritage site by UNESCO, and includes three of the world's best-preserved ancient Greek temples, and the obligatory museum crammed with millennia-old frescoes, ceramics and artefacts. The iconic Tomba del tuffatore (Tomb of the Diver) is the most famous.
Paestum is also home to a cluster of buffalo farms that produce Italy’s best mozzarella di bufala. founded by the Greek Achaeans around 600BC under the original name Poseidonia, it became Paestum in 273BC after the Graeco-Italian Poseidonians sided with the loser, Pyrrhus, in war against the Romans. It was a major ancient Greek city with a system of roads, temples and defensive walls. It’s also home to the Temple of Neptune.
The buffalo haven’t been around quite as long as the Greek temples and it isn’t exactly known how they got here. Some say that the buffalo were brought to Sicily from Egypt; others say that the Goths brought them. Either way, they’ve been around for many centuries. It also wasn’t until the 18th century that their fatty, rich milk was turned in to cheese. Since the milk is too fatty and rich to drink like cow’s milk, it’s perfect for making the creamy mozzarella di bufala. Anyway, enough about Buffalo, because aside from stunning Greek temples and delicious mozzarella di bufala, Paestum also has miles of beautiful white sand beaches. And unlike the Amalfi Coast where nearly every sunbed was occupied even mid-week, there were barely a handful of people on the beach. Of course, this all changes in August when the Italian holiday makers reclaim their heritage in vast numbers.
Paestum – or Poseidonia as the city was originally called, in honour of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea – was founded in the 6th century BC by Greek settlers and fell under Roman control in 273 BC. Following the demise of the Roman Empire and savage raids by the Saracens and periodic outbreaks of malaria and disease, it fell into decline as the dwindling population were forced to abandon the city altogether. But today, Paestum offers a vivid, to-scale glimpse of the grandeur and sophistication of the area's past life.
The northernmost point of the Cilento is considered to be Salerno. Now initially this doesn’t appear to be much on the surface but seek out its historic centre where medieval churches, and a wonderful 11th century cathedral in the Plaza Alfano (ripe for exploration) and lunch at one of the neighbourhood trattorias and suddenly the whole places just screeches southern Italy. After dark, the atmosphere is Salerno goes up a peg and it’s a rather lively place. The locals, called the “salernitani” know how to enjoy themselves!
Salerno is up and coming again with a lot of investment especially in the historic area, of which the tree-lined seafront promenade is one of the prettiest in southern Italy and perfect for a late-afternoon wander or a “passeggiata”. I’d also head up to the Castello di Arechi, a medieval castle with great park nature trails for a wander and some enjoy very special panoramic views.
If rugged is your thing then head inland to the natural beauty of the Parco Nazionale del Cilento. Of note the Vallo di Diano e Alburni where dense woods and flower filled meadows seamlessly combine with daunting mountains, rivers and waterfalls. It is the second-largest national park in Italy, covering 1810 sq. km, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and encompasses around 80 towns and villages. Whilst the Cilento is known for its eclectic orchids, it also has vast, spectacular underground cave complexes and romantic but dangerous looking hilltop villages. The park area itself was founded in 1991 and now covers most of the Cilento area, but some areas are more outstanding than other.
I strongly recommend that you look at the parks website: http://www.parks.it/parco.nazionale.cilento/Eindex.php where they suggest some day time itineraries to get the most out of the area. I would particularity recommend The Pearls of Cilento, a gentle 1.2km walk which takes you to the Castelcivita subterranean caves and a visit to the historic town. The Pertosa Caves are also another great visit.
Next up would be a visit to Padula, famous for its enormous Carthusian monastery, the 14th-century Certosa di San Lorenzo (a must see). It was once one of the most powerful feudal estates in the kingdom of Naples and is famous for its festival called the “Frittata della 1000 Uova”, where you can get a bit of party vibe whilst they cook a huge potato omelette. It goes back thousands of years and in 2019 it starts on 8 August with a procession at 8pm. It goes on with live music, and lots of street food for 3 days. The August fete is a medieval extravaganza of costumes, crafts and shows that culminates in the giant frittata, a tasty recreation of a celebratory event in the town's history that lauded Charles V on his return from Tunisia in the Middle Ages. Today, it's a fun way to spend a day and get a glimpse of the Old World through its flavours and aromas!
Not far from the Certosa is the fabled Valle delle Orchidee (Valley of the Orchids), whose 70-plus varieties of orchid create a spectacular blaze of springtime colour.
In part two we explore further south. See you there!