Cilento Mountains

Address: Cilento region, Campania, Italy

Website: http://www.parks.it/parco.cilento/

Cilento is a coastal and mountainous region in southern Campania, Italy, noted for its Mediterranean coastline, archaeological sites and protected natural areas; it forms part of a UNESCO-listed cultural landscape.

The area combines rugged coastline and beaches with interior hills and ancient sites; highlights include the Greek temples at Paestum and the ruins at Velia, along with traditional hill towns and seaside villages. The national park protects a range of habitats from coastal dunes to inland mountains.

Cilento has been inhabited since antiquity by Greek colonists and later Roman and medieval communities; its archaeological remains include classical Greek temples and city remains dating to the 1st millennium BCE. Over centuries the region preserved distinctive rural and maritime cultures.

Stretching along the Tyrrhenian coast of southern Campania in the Province of Salerno, Cilento extends from the plain of Paestum southward toward the Gulf of Policastro and includes both coastal towns and inland mountain communities.

• UNESCO: The region forms part of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape for its natural and historical values.

What to See#

• Cilento National Park: An extensive protected area that includes coastal cliffs, beaches, olive terraces and interior mountain zones established to conserve landscape and biodiversity.
• Paestum: The archaeological area of Paestum with well-preserved Greek Doric temples and associated ruins dating to the 6th and 5th centuries BCE.
• Velia (Elea): The classical site of Velia (ancient Elea), an important Greek colony known for its Hellenistic remains and city walls.

Cilento is reachable by train to stations such as Agropoli and Paestum from Naples, followed by regional buses or car hires; driving offers the most flexibility for exploring dispersed towns and the national park.

• Explore the Cilento National Park's less-visited inland trails to find medieval hill towns with fewer tourists.
• Taste local buffalo mozzarella and anchovy dishes in coastal towns; Cilento cuisine is regionally distinct from Naples.
• Hire a local guide for archaeological sites like Paestum to understand the Greek colonial layers beneath Roman narratives.