Calabria & Basilicata

Basilicata is the remote Southern Italian region which separates Calabria and Puglia with its lush mountains and adorning forests. Boasting several beautiful national parks, including Sila and Aspromonte and snow-capped mountains. The Pollino National Park, with impressive lakes and incredible scenery, is home to diverse wildlife and even archaeological places of interest.

A region rich in history, Basilicata has been conquered by many prominent powers from the Greeks, Romans Byzantines, Normans and the Saracens. The cultural influences of its past invaders can still be seen in the remains of fortified towns, medieval castles, and even tasted in local cuisine of honest simple recipes.

A vast dramatic gorge separates the towns of Montescaglioso and Matera, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and famous for its unique and once poverish “sassi” of stone dwellings carved out of rocky cave and cliff faces. It also boasts around 150 churches hewn from the rock, with beautiful frescoes; narrow alleyways and stone staircases making it one of Basilica’s best loved gems. For something a little different, you can even stay in a hotel converted from an extraordinary 13th century rock church and cave at L’Hotel In Pietra. Acquafredda di Maratea is a lovely, traditional beach resort with attractive pebble and shingle beaches and clear waters.

Calabria is the toe of Italy’s boot, gently nudging Sicily into the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean. The region sits between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas with attractive resorts on both and tiny rustic villages. Acquafredda di Maratea is a lovely, traditional beach resort with attractive pebble and shingle beaches and clear waters. It is largely untouched by tourism, which is what makes it such a great place to visit. Inland are rugged mountains, forests and agricultural land, as well as two stunning national parks, Sila and Aspromonte. On the coast lies the pretty seaside town of Tropea, perched on a cliff-top overlooking white sandy beaches, perfect for sunseekers wishing to avoid the crowds.