During our previous trips to Cilento we mostly explored the coastline, so this time we decided to head inland, towards the wilder hills and mountains of the region. The official name of the park is Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, and today our destination was the Alburni mountains.
On the road to Castelcivita
Our main goal for the day was Castelcivita, a medieval village clinging to the mountainside. It took us forever to get there, not only because of the countless bends in the road, but also because we kept stopping for photos. We spent over an hour in an olive grove filled with colourful spring flowers, and I could easily have stayed there all day with a hammock and a book. We also stopped on a bridge over the green Calore river.
Once we finally arrived, we parked the car at the bottom of the village and got lost in a maze of narrow alleyways. We slowly made our way up to the Angevin tower at the top, a well-known landmark that allows you to recognize Castelcivita even from far away.
Searching for lunch
It was already past lunchtime when we realized we were hungry — a big mistake, as much of Southern Italy shuts down for a long siesta after 3 p.m. After taking hundreds of photos of empty streets and local cats, we eventually found the only bar still open. The lady must have seen our disappointment when she told us there was no food left, because she called her husband. Five minutes later, he arrived with three sandwiches he had just made at home. Can you imagine this happening in Venice or Rome?
Sitting on the piazza
April was unusually cold, so we pulled our chairs into the sunshine to warm up. There we were, sitting in the piazza beneath the death notices, suddenly becoming something like local celebrities. People passing by stopped to talk to us, curious about where we came from. We spent hours in the village, yet met only about ten locals, and we were certainly the only travelers there.
Vendesi
Castelcivita has around 1,400 inhabitants, and we noticed many apartments for sale. I asked at the bar, and they told me you could buy an apartment here for around €20,000. Not a bad deal if you’re looking for a quiet Italian life, especially if you’re retired or able to work from home.
After siesta, we stopped by the local shop to buy some sweets. The lady working there told us they live a good life here: a relaxed, quiet one. They don’t have much, she said, but they have enough. More and more people from larger cities are buying second homes in the area, escaping their busy, hectic lives to enjoy the slowness, fresh air, and tranquillity of the Cilento countryside.
On the way back, we took a different route, driving along a stunning road lined with chestnut trees and through a landscape dotted with small limestone rocks.
Dinner at Al Vicoletto
In the evening, we met Ciro and Cristina at Al Vicoletto, our favourite restaurant in Castellabate, where Costabile treated us wonderfully, as always. After a selection of typical local antipasti, he served an octopus salad and a mixed seafood ragù — everything, of course, delicious. While most of Cilento is still very quiet in April, Costabile’s restaurant was full of both locals and travelers. A couple from Chile, who had been traveling for months, told us it was the best meal and the friendliest service they’d experienced on their entire journey. That came as no surprise to me. There is something special about Cilento and its people: a warmth and kindness that feels increasingly rare in our hectic world.
The following morning, we met the Chilean couple again in the breakfast room of our accommodation. They were heading on to Calabria and Sicily, and luckily for them, they had a slow-travel expert on hand: me. Together with Ciro, we helped them put together a list of must-visit places in Calabria and Sicily, well off the beaten path.
