L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES CELIA ABERNETHY T he region of Campa- nia holds classic trea- sures like the Palace of Caserta and arche- ological sites such as P omp eii and H erculaneum. Seductive resorts like Amalfi and the island of Capri attract visitors from all over the world, but the Cilento Coast of Campa- nia has remained one of Italy's best-kept secrets. The Cilento coastline stretch- es south of Salerno from the tow n s of Capaccio S calo to Scario, encompassing the Cilen- to National Park of the Diano Valley. Comfortable being the Amalfi Coast's quiet neighbor, Cilento keeps its doors open but hidden. The people are unpretentious and genuine. The untouched nat- ural landscape and ancient histo- ry offer the curious traveler an authentic Italy experience. Here are twelve ways to dis- cover the richness and beauty of the Cilento Coast: S troll th e lan es of a medieval village Castellabate Il Borgo is a 12 th century village surrounding the Abate Castle overlooking the crystalline blue waters of the Mediterranean. Once the most important domain in Cilento, it was a beacon of commerce and culture. The walls and structure of the city remain intact and the 900 residents proudly maintain the villas and gardens. It is so well kept, that it has been listed in the Italy Touring Club guide I Borghi Più Belli d'Italia (The M os t Beautiful V illages of Italy). Go back in time to ancient Greece Upon discovery in the late 1700s, behind an overgrown for- est of trees and bushes, Paestum quickly became a major land- mark for anyone doing a grand tour of Italy and Europe. Today it is a recognized UNESCO Her- itage site and must-see destina- tion while visiting Cilento. The small town center is a charming collection of ancient houses, modern cafés, pizzerias, shops, the archeological museum and S t. A nnunziata, a beautiful ancient church dating back to the 5th century. Eat from "the Garden of Italy" Cilento is known as the "Gar- den of Italy" for its rich agricul- ture. Cilento boas ts the largest tomato crops in Italy and the dairy farms produce the high- est quality milks, creams and cheeses; in particular mozzarella di bufala (buffalo milk mozzarel- la cheese). Olive trees, hot pep- per and wine grapes also grow abundantly here. The Cilento National Park of the Diano Val- ley is a UNESCO World Her- itage site. Watch a fiery sunset The summer sun sets over the Cilento Coast in layers of red and orange. Perched up on the hill, the best viewpoint is from the small family run restaurant La Civetta in Agropoli. Their westward terrace overlooks the valley and sea, a view framed in beauty and peace. The food is definitely worth staying for; everything is homemade and lov- ingly prepared by M amma Alfonsina. Lou n ge on th e clean es t beaches in Italy Unlike other rocky coastlines of Italy, the beaches of Cilento are long and wide stretches of light, powdery sand. This year, 12 communities were awarded the prestigious Bandiera Blu, the blue flag which marks the most environmentally friendly beaches in Italy. The beaches of Cilento that were awarded the Blue Flag are Agropoli, Capaccio Paestum, Cas tellabate, M ontecorice (Agnone and Capitello), Polli- ca (Acciaroli and Pioppi), Casal Velino, Ascea, Pisciotta, Cento- Cilento keeps its doors open but hidden, its people are genuine and unpretentious 12 things to do in Cilento, Campania's untouched gem Cilento is known as "the garden of Italy" for its rich agriculture © Tanialerro | Dreamstime.com Cilento may also hold the secret of eternal youth… or at least of how to keep healthy for longer © Tanialerro | Dreamstime.com Continued to page 14

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