A Travel Guide to Campania, Italy
Campania is a region of Italy that lies below the central region of Lazio on its northwest; Molise on its northern border; Puglia on its northeast; and Basilicata completing the embrace on the eastern border all the way to the south where it shares the Tyrrhenian Sea with Campania. The capital of Campania is Naples.
The capital is a great place to start before hitting the sun drenched coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Naples is rich in history dating back to the early Roman and Greek civilisations. The city’s National Archaeological Museum is a great place to read up on the history of nearby Herculaneum, Pompeii and also Naples early civilisation, before actually visiting some of their ancient buildings for real below their city. Like Rome, Naples has trouble trying to extend its underground train network due to finding remains of early history. There are splendid Roman remains that lie below the San Lorenzo Maggiore Church. It was a Roman Market whose walls and ceilings are still intact with ancient storefronts, laundry and bread ovens.
Another historical landmark is the UNESCO recognised site of the Royal Palace of Caserta. Here you will see some astonishing architecture and magnificent works of art in the form of paintings and statues that lie within majestic rooms. It also lies within landscaped gardens. Besides history, Naples is also modern with some beautiful shops and boutiques offering the latest fashion and there are plenty of eateries from cafes with outdoor seating areas to fine dining restaurants. Before leaving ensure you book yourself a visit to the volcanic ash immortalised ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum that lie in the aftermath of the anger of Vesuvius.
Naples lies on the shoreline of The Tyrrhenian Sea – that offers bathers and coastal visitors average annual temperatures that can hit the sizzling thirties in the summer and still stay moderately cool during the winter. The predominant shoreline offers three beautiful gulfs of Naples itself and those of Salerno and Policastro and also three beautiful islands of Capri, Ischia Procida and not forgetting the luxurious stretch of the Amalfi Coast. There are many pleasant beaches that can vary from the natural sheltering cliffs as a backdrop to historical neoclassical buildings. The shoreline in Campania is well endowed with the Blue Flag – the European award for eco-friendly beaches with high levels of cleanliness. In particular there are four marinas that enjoy this award, these are based in: Pozzuoli, Pollica, Camerota and the tourist focused island of Capri. There are also 28 beaches that also enjoy the European award, those with three or more are: Ascea; Castellabate; Pollica; Positano; and Vibonati.
Finally, there is also the Vallo di Diano and Cilento National Park that contains not only some of the shore’s most scenic coastline but some of the best preserved Greek temples in the world and it also the habitat of many species of birds and mammals.
There is a wide variety of self catering holiday accommodation in Campania ranging from cheap apartments in Naples and Sorrento to private luxury villas overlooking the dramatic coast line and the beautiful beaches.
