Instead of the Amalfi Coast: Cilento, the Campanian Coastline That Tourism Forgot
One hundred and fifty kilometres of wild coast between Paestum and Sapri, with deserted coves, hilltop borghi and the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet.
Foto: Geofix (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons
The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world, but also one of the most unsustainable: the SS163 is a permanent gridlock from April to October, parking costs as much as a hotel room, and Positano has become a stage set for influencers where real life has been replaced by a permanent performance.
Just a hundred kilometres further south, beyond Salerno and the temples of Paestum, the Cilento begins: one hundred and fifty kilometres of coast protected by the National Park, where the mountains descend directly into the Tyrrhenian Sea and the fishing villages remain exactly as they were thirty years ago.
Acciaroli, where Hemingway stayed in the 1950s, is a fishing village with a tiny harbour, taverns serving fried anchovies and a seafront promenade where old men play cards outside the bar in the evening. Pioppi, a few kilometres further south, is the town where Ancel Keys lived for decades and codified the Mediterranean Diet — the museum dedicated to him tells the story of how the simplest food is also the healthiest.
The Cilento beaches are another world compared to the Amalfi Coast: long stretches of golden sand alternating with coves reachable only by boat or on foot. Cala Bianca beach, near Marina di Camerota, has been voted Italy's most beautiful beach multiple times, and in low season you will find it deserted.
The inland borghi — Castellabate, Perdifumo, Roscigno Vecchia — cling to the hills among olive groves and prickly pears, preserving a rural architecture that has been erased elsewhere by speculative building. Castellabate gained some fame from the film Welcome to the South, but the borgo is too large and too alive to be reduced to a film set.
Eating in Cilento is an experience: buffalo mozzarella from the Vallo di Diano, Cilento white figs DOP, fusilli with goat ragù, acquasale (bread soaked with tomatoes and oregano). Prices are those of authentic southern Italy: a full dinner with local wine for under twenty euros a head.
Getting there is straightforward: Agropoli-Castellabate station is on the Naples-Reggio Calabria line, and from there all the coastal borghi are within reach. The A2 motorway has exits at Battipaglia and Sala Consilina. The nearest airport is Naples Capodichino, an hour and a half away.
Practical guides for Amalfi
Practical info
When is the best time to visit Instead of the Amalfi Coast?
The recommended time is May, June, September and October, when it is less crowded.
Is Instead of the Amalfi Coast crowded?
Instead of the Amalfi Coast is a very quiet destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is Instead of the Amalfi Coast?
Instead of the Amalfi Coast is located in Cilento, Campania, Italy.
Altre alternative a Costiera Amalfitana
Guide selezionate dalla nostra redazione, tutte alternative alla stessa meta affollata:
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Roscigno Vecchia, the stone village that the landslides emptied
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How to get there
- 🚆 Nearest station: Ascea ~3 km as the crow flies
Nearest points as the crow flies (source OpenStreetMap): actual times depend on the roads, often mountain ones.
