Italy's Cilento Coast is 'the new Amalfi' and it's cheaper and less crowded
This secret wonder of Italy is blowing travellers' minds with its crystal-clear water, incredible food, cheap wine and lack of crowds.
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What do you get when you take the Amalfi Coast, but get rid all the pesky tourists?
I'll give you a clue. It starts with "C" and ends in "lento." Why hello, Cilento...
Cilento is the hottest thing since proposals in Positano, and is now cooking up a storm on social media.
Travellers are losing their minds over the little-known coast, which is just south of the Amalfi Coast in the Salerno province of southern Campania, with similar scenery and fewer crowds.
See also: Australia's answer to Italy's Polignano a Mare is head and shoulders better
As Walks Of Italy explains: "Because most international travelers have never heard of Cilento, exploring the region can really give travelers a sense of discovery and adventure."
After seeing just a few clips of it, I'm ready to tell Amalfi to go jump, Tuscany to take a hike, and Sorrento to lay low.
Cilento is my new calling.
The intrepid Amalfi alternative has tourists raving about its top notch food, dirt cheap prices, affordable beach houses and sense of authenticity (as one visitor pointed out: "You gotta speak Italian but some hand gestures will do the heavy lifting").
One of Italy's seven wonders, Cilento is a UNESCO-protected town full to the rosso-stained brim with craggy beaches (and historic and cultural heritage).
If you sit overlooking the Cilento hills and Tyrrhenian Sea from one of the town's 17th century villas, you can almost see (in your mind's eye) the Greek colonies of Magna Graecia and the indigenous Etruscan and Lucanian peoples trading and farming on the fertile landscape below.
Amid 400+ year old water tanks (converted into infinity pools for Airbnb guests) and ancient libraries there is an innovative wine making scene, cute festivals for days and beaches to sprawl for.
On TikTok, one traveller called it "spettacolo" and I don't even need to know Italian to know what that means (#spectacular).
Another said Cilento "hits different," showcasing a bay that would give the best cays of the south of France a run for their money: all floating platforms and sun-kissed bodies lounging around in uranium-blue waters, in the shade of towering cliffs and dangling trees.
Yet another surmised it with a love heart emoji.
Other videos flaunt Cilento's sailing adventures, Greek temples, spectacular zipline and surprisingly decent nightlife scene.
See also: Why Giovinazzo is better than the Amalfi Coast
If that's not la dolce vita I don't know what is.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to frantically research cheap Europe flight deals and check how much annual leave I've got left.
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Originally published as Italy's Cilento Coast is 'the new Amalfi' and it's cheaper and less crowded
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