Campania off the beaten track

Everyone knows Naples — the exuberant city in the shadows of Vesuvius, where espresso, noise, gestures and genius are found in equal measure. Everyone knows Amalfi, with its precarious roads, lemon terraces and glamorous crowds. But travel just a little further south, beyond the postcards and the traffic, and Campania begins to breathe differently. The air cools, the light softens, and olive trees start to take over the hillsides

This is the inland world of Cilento and the Piana del Sele — a place that links mountains to sea, past to present, and hospitality to the land itself. It’s a region that rewards travellers who slow down, wander off the main road, and follow appetite rather than itinerary.

Paestum

An hour from Naples, the Doric temples of Paestum rise unexpectedly from a flat plain, surrounded by wildflowers and buffalo pastures. Few places in Italy bring together such history along with such unique agriculture. The ruins — three vast Greek temples from the 6th century BC — are extraordinary, but so is what surrounds them: the dairies that produce the region’s most famous delicacy, mozzarella di bufala.

Stop at a caseificio around Capaccio or Eboli to taste it still warm from the morning’s milking, soft and elastic, paired with local olive oil and a chilled glass of Fiano. It’s a reminder that in southern Italy, food and landscape are never separate.

From Paestum, head inland. The road climbs gently towards Felitto, threading through the Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano, a UNESCO-listed reserve of forests, limestone ridges and rivers so clear they seem unreal.

Felitto is a small medieval town overlooking the Calore river, surrounded by olive groves that have defined local life for centuries. Among them Frantoio Marco Rizzo produces organic extra-virgin oil from native cultivars like Nostrale di Felitto and Rotondella — pure, intense and aromatic, capturing the character of these hills.

Further east, near Serre, the land flattens toward the plain. Here Madonna dell’Olivo crafts elegant monovarietal oils that reflect the gentler landscape — aromatic, precise, touched by the nearby sea breeze. You don’t need a formal tasting; you’ll taste their work in every good trattoria, folded quietly into the local cooking.

 

A few dishes to look out for when in Campania

• Cicci maritati, a mixed-grain pasta and legumes dish — rich, rustic and perfect with new season oil.
• Cacioricotta del Cilento, crumbly goat’s cheese with a faint sweetness.
• Melanzane imbottite and peperoni imbottiti — stuffed aubergines and peppers baked slowly in olive oil.
• And of course, mozzarella di bufala, best eaten the day it’s made.

And if you happen to be staying near Paestum, or base yourself in one of the small towns of Cilento — Trentinara, Felitto, or Castelcivita you may want to visit:

• The Grotte di Castelcivita, dramatic caves that stretch deep into the limestone hills.
• The Oasi del Fiume Alento, ideal for walks and birdwatching.
• And the Cilento coast itself — quieter beaches like Agropoli and Acciaroli, where the Mediterranean diet still feels lived rather than curated.

 

Days unfold naturally: temples and walks in the morning, a long lunch, a visit to a frantoio or caseificio in the afternoon. Nights are for conversation, stars, and perhaps a local sagra celebrating oil, wine or cheese. Stepping off the beaten track in Italy rewards the curious traveller hugely.