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Amalfi Coast? Skip it. And head to the Cilento Coast instead. It's one of the best places you can visit in southern Italy. While the Amalfi Coast is obviously very beautiful, it's also very crowded, being a popular tourist destination. I actually hadn't heard of this area of Italy before, but I was very pleased we visited! We drive down to the charming coastal town of Agropoli from Naples (the closest airport to the area), took about 1.5 hours, and we rented our car at the airport.
Less than 10 minutes from the city centre you'll find the stunning B&B Baia di Trentova located in the Cilento National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you're wondering where to stay in Italy, this is the place. Perched high up in the national park, the views of the sea below are breathtaking, as are the views of the roaming hills in the other direction. It's a family run B&B, with five rooms in total, each with their own patio so you can sit out and enjoy the fantastic weather and scenery. The family couldn't be any nicer if they tried, and are very accommodating to any needs you may have. They have a lot of recommendations for things to do in the area, and even run their own cooking class. We gave that a spin and learned how to make pasta from scratch, a delicious pasta sauce, and got some insight into how to make traditional Italian dishes too.
There is a lot to do in this "hidden" area of the Italian coast. We went on a mini southern Italian road trip on our final full day, stopping at a number of beautiful villages and driving back through the rolling hills of the national park. Hiking is also one of the top things to do in Agropoli and Cilento in general, and there's no shortage of routes to take. Check out some of my photos from our trip below:
B&B Baia di Trentova
The view from B&B Baia di Trentova was incredible. It looked like a postcard, and I would have gladly sat there staring out at the Cilentan Coast and Agropoli below for hours. We visited in April and the weather was perfect for our 3 night stay - not too hot! If you want to visit somewhere in Italy that's not touristy, this area is a great choice.
There are 5 bedrooms in total at the B&B, and each one has been given its own name, relating to the surrounding area. Ours was San Francesco, a thin white sand beach only 1km from the centre of Agropoli.
Who doesn't love a big bed? I slept very well all three nights, and the window in our room overlooked the sea which was amazing to wake up to. There's a wardrobe, desk, and TV in the room also, as well as a minibar.
This was such a lovely bathroom. It's tiled from floor to ceiling, and everything is top quality and spotless. My favourite kind of bathroom! There is a hairdryer and some shower accessories too. This has actually been one of the nicest bathrooms I've come across.
It's the little touches that makes a room so personal. As well as a lovely arrangement of flowers, we were given some chocolate Easter eggs too, since we visited very close to the holiday. We actually visited the shop where they are produced. Torre di Oricchio Giuseppe is a family run business, where everything is made by hand. It's a bit tricky to find using Google maps since it sits in the national park, and I drove past the turnoff at least five times, but the chocolate is amazing and worth visiting.
What's a visit to Italy without getting into the apéritif spirit? For those of you who don't know, an apéritif is an alcoholic drink served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and it's often served with some little snacks too. Our wine was complimented by this amazing view,
I loved the dining room. It was really unique, and a lot of it was constructed by the owners which is very impressive. Dinner is provided on request, and honestly I would highly, highly recommend doing this at least one night of your stay because the food is fantastic and all freshly prepared. We stayed for three nights and had dinner there two of those nights.
Can you say you've visited Italy without having some pasta? Probably not. This was nicer than anything I've had in a restaurant. It's a very simple pasta and chickpea dish but it's bursting with flavour. I make this at home now at least once a week.
The great thing about eating here is that you're not left feeling hungry or disappointed. I loved the idea of sampling different dishes as one of the courses. Some of them I had never even heard of, but it was definitely better than going to a restaurant somewhere else.
And of course they serve dessert too! They don't let anything go to waste which is why the cream is physically sitting inside the lemon. I love anything lemon flavoured, so this was the perfect dessert for me.
Let me take a minute to try and explain how amazing B&B Baia di Trentova's breakfasts are. As long as it's good weather, you'll be seated outside for your breakfast (why waste time sitting inside when you have these views). You'll have a lot of things to choose from as well. Fresh fruits, bread, homemade marmalade's, croissants, eggs, a meat and cheese platter with fresh tomato slices, juice, and coffee. And maybe a few other surprises too. Every morning there is something new on the table, and you can ask them to prepare something specifically if you want.
Things To Do Around the Cilento Coast
If you've rented a car, there are some fantastic spots you can drive to in the Cilento National Park. We did a coastal road trip and were blown away by how beautiful everywhere was. There were so many small towns and villages to stop at, each with their own unique charm. Pioppi, for example, is home to the Mediterranean Diet, and even has its own museum dedicated to it. This may actually be the best road trip in Italy that you'll ever go on.
The fig tour we went on at Santomiele was really fun, and I learned a lot about different ways to use figs. I highly recommend a stop here, even if you just buy something from their shop. I'm not a fig lover, but we were able to sample a variety of stuffed and dipped figs which were very tasty. Their Italian figs are very sought after, and exclusively made too. It's located in a small village very high in the hills, so the views from there of the surrounding national park are amazing.
Ice cream? Yes please! I have an ice cream (and pizza) obsession, so Italy was the perfect destination for me. We stopped at another little town called Torchiara, and tasted some of the country's best ice cream at Gelateria di Matteo. They actually receive awards on an yearly basis, and in the summer months it's extremely busy with locals.
Another great thing to do in the Cilento area and the province of Salerno is to stop at a buffalo farm, where you can see the production of mozzarella and sample it as well. There are many in this area, as it's the birthplace of buffalo mozzarella, and there are a number of day trips too that stop off at various farms in the region. The one we stopped at even had buffalo milk ice cream to try, which was extra creamy and purely delicious.
If you're looking to visit historic sites, driving from Agropoli to Paestum takes less than 20 minutes and takes a couple of hours to go around fully. This was a major highlight of the trip for me. Paestum is a remarkable site where you can see three Greek temples beautifully preserved, in what used to be a major ancient Greek city. Tickets cost €9.50 per person, which gives you access to the entire site, and you can stay for however long you want. Paestum comes out on top for the best Greek ruins in Italy, and is by far one one of the best places to visit in the south of Italy.
Don't forget to explore Agropoli itself. If you're feeling adventurous, there's a castle that overlooks the coastal town which you can drive up to (or walk, but it's very steep). There are lots of inexpensive spots to eat here, and if you're looking for pizza I'd recommend stopping at Pizzeria da Ciccio who have a lot to choose from and are budget friendly.
This was the best experience I've had at a B&B, and it was in such a gorgeous location too. I'd go back tomorrow and haven't stopped talking about it since I left. Like I said, the Amalfi Coast is nice, but the Cilento Coast is better. It really is one of the best places to visit in southern Italy, and it's not overrun by tourists either!
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Thinking of visiting Naples as well? Check out my blog post covering the best things to do in the city in one day, as well as some tips on visiting Pompeii. And here is my recommendation on where to stay in Naples too. Milan is another great city to visit if you're planning a trip to the northern part of Italy, and you can read what we got up to there in 4 Days to Explore Milan. Don't forget to keep up to date with my travels through my Instagram page!
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