An Expressions tailor-made holiday in Basilicata is an opportunity to explore a little-known area of the country. If Calabria is Italy's toe and Puglia its heel, then Basilicata is the elegant, intoxicating instep. Home to a magnificent legacy of architectural splendours reflecting its prosperous past, and peppered with breathtakingly beautiful coves and long, sandy bays, as well as a rugged, unspoiled mountain interior that makes for fabulous walking, Basilicata is one of Italy's most rewarding yet unsung destinations.
With coastlines on both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, Basilicata has been heavily influenced by visiting Greeks and Lombards, Byzantines and Normans, but has been relatively neglected by holidaying visitors in recent years. Sprinkled with a clutch of gorgeous beach resorts and hotels, the temptation in Basilicata is just to relax. However away from the beach the region offers huge rewards, with a rugged, remote sparsely populated interior with craggy, arid plateaux of pine and beech, terraces of chestnut and oaks, studded with sparkling lakes - it's Italy from another time and age, with leafy, cobbled village squares where you could sip cappuccinos all day long, watching the ancient pace of village life play out around you. Rich in archaeological relics, Basilicata has Greek ruins at Metaponto, while ruins of the Roman Age can be seen in Venosa. Mediaeval art also abounds, with the churches in Venosa and Cerenza particularly impressive. Architecturally, the region bears traces of many fascinating, contrasting influences, with Matera, Melfi and Lagopesole rich in Arab-Byzantine and French influences, while Neapolitan Baroque influences also abound. Finally, wherever you venture in Basilicata, eating out is a hugely enjoyable aspect of local life. Here in this arid land, gastronomy is based on traditional, strong, sharp and sun-filled flavours, washed down with rich and full-bodied reds. Basilicata is an excellent destination for those who wish to discover fascinating architecture as well as to relax in beautiful surroundings.
With coastlines on both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, Basilicata has been heavily influenced by visiting Greeks and Lombards, Byzantines and Normans, but has been relatively neglected by holidaying visitors in recent years. Sprinkled with a clutch of gorgeous beach resorts and hotels, the temptation in Basilicata is just to relax. However away from the beach the region offers huge rewards, with a rugged, remote sparsely populated interior with craggy, arid plateaux of pine and beech, terraces of chestnut and oaks, studded with sparkling lakes - it's Italy from another time and age, with leafy, cobbled village squares where you could sip cappuccinos all day long, watching the ancient pace of village life play out around you. Rich in archaeological relics, Basilicata has Greek ruins at Metaponto, while ruins of the Roman Age can be seen in Venosa. Mediaeval art also abounds, with the churches in Venosa and Cerenza particularly impressive. Architecturally, the region bears traces of many fascinating, contrasting influences, with Matera, Melfi and Lagopesole rich in Arab-Byzantine and French influences, while Neapolitan Baroque influences also abound. Finally, wherever you venture in Basilicata, eating out is a hugely enjoyable aspect of local life. Here in this arid land, gastronomy is based on traditional, strong, sharp and sun-filled flavours, washed down with rich and full-bodied reds. Basilicata is an excellent destination for those who wish to discover fascinating architecture as well as to relax in beautiful surroundings.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Sassi are Matera's ancient cave districts, houses and churches dug directly into the soft tufa rock over many centuries, inhabited continuously until the mid-twentieth century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most visitors see them on a brief stop between Puglia and the Amalfi Coast, which barely scratches the surface of a place best understood by staying inside it. We can arrange a stay at Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, a boutique hotel of eighteen rooms carved directly into the restored troglodyte village, or at Vetera Matera, a Relais & Châteaux albergo diffuso with cave and noble-floor rooms, a rock-hewn spa and Lucanian cooking, both genuinely immersive rather than a hotel that merely overlooks the Sassi. Two or three nights allow time to see the 13th-century cathedral and its Madonna della Bruna, the frescoes of Santa Maria di Idris, and the Sassi itself at both dawn and dusk, when the honey-coloured rock is at its most striking.
Maratea sits on Basilicata's short stretch of Tyrrhenian coastline, a historic town of coves and headlands crowned by a monumental statue of Christ the Redeemer on the summit of Monte Biagio, with sweeping views over the coast below. It has none of the volume of visitors that Amalfi or the Cinque Terre now receive, and its beaches, tucked into rocky coves, feel considerably more private as a result. La Locanda delle Donne Monache, a simple and authentic boutique hotel in the historic town, runs a shuttle to the beach with sunbeds and shade, allowing a stay to move easily between the old town and the coast. For clients who love the idea of the Amalfi Coast but not its summer crowds, Maratea is a genuine and considered alternative, combining a similarly dramatic coastline with a markedly quieter pace of life.
Basilicata's interior is sparsely populated and largely untouched, a landscape of arid plateaux, pine and beech forest, and terraces of chestnut and oak that rewards genuine exploration rather than a passing drive. Its history runs deep and is visibly layered: Greek ruins survive at Metaponto, Roman remains at Venosa, and medieval churches of real quality can be found in both Venosa and Acerenza. Architecturally, Matera, Melfi and Lagopesole show a fascinating mix of Arab-Byzantine and French influence, overlaid in places with later Neapolitan Baroque. Potenza, the regional capital and, at nearly 2,700 feet, the highest in Italy, has its own Romanesque churches and a handsome 12th-century cathedral. For clients who enjoy walking through genuinely quiet countryside between visits to sites most Italy specialists have never mentioned, this interior is Basilicata's least-known but perhaps most rewarding dimension.
Basilicata's cooking reflects its arid, rugged landscape: strong, rustic and unapologetically sharp flavours rather than anything refined for a wider audience. Roast kid with potatoes, peas and artichokes is a regional signature, spicy sausage and fresh game appear at the Sunday markets alongside the region's distinctive ceramics, and rich, full-bodied red wines are the natural accompaniment to a cuisine built on sun and simplicity rather than delicacy. We can arrange a stay based around Matera or Maratea that takes in a local market, a private introduction to the region's wines, and dinner built around Lucanian cooking at a hotel such as Vetera Matera, whose kitchen draws directly on these traditions. For clients who already know the more polished food and wine regions of Tuscany or Piemonte well, Basilicata offers something rawer and, in its way, more revealing of how Italians in this part of the south actually eat.
Basilicata's position, between Campania, Puglia and Calabria, makes it a natural bridge in a longer southern Italian itinerary rather than a destination that needs to stand entirely alone. Our Amalfi Coast, Basilicata and Puglia touring holiday flies into Naples and out of Bari, with stays in Amalfi, Maratea and Monopoli, giving a genuine sense of how the coastline changes character as it moves south and east. Our Naples to the Toe of Italy and Sicily touring holiday takes a similar route further south, from Sorrento through Maratea and Tropea to Taormina in Sicily. Either itinerary allows a stay in Matera to be added at the start or end, so that Basilicata's two great strengths, its coastline at Maratea and its extraordinary cave city inland, both find a place within a wider exploration of southern Italy.
Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Italy and within Italy, combining flights, hire-car, rail, ferries and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Basilicata
● Food and wine holidays● Art, history and heritage holidays
● Family holidays
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
Call us on 01392 441245
Highlights of Basilicata
In Matera, the 13th century cathedral houses the 12th century Madonna della Bruna, while Santa Maria di Idris has 13th century frescoes; also in Matera, visitors can see the “Sassi”, the typical houses and churches dug into the “tufa” crag; the May “chopping festival”, played out in villages right across the region; Sunday markets selling the region's famous ceramics, as well as traditional foods such as spicy sausage and fresh game; the Antiquarium of Metaponto; breath-taking views from the summit of Monte Biagio above Maratea, crowned by a huge statue of Christ the Redeemer; Potenza has some beautiful Romanesque churches and a wonderful 12th cathedral, and is a fascinating regional capital, at 2,687ft above sea level, Italy's highest. A visit to the region is also an opportunity to try local cuisine, with Basilicata particularly known for strong, rustic flavours, such as roast kid with potatoes, peas and artichokes and provolone from Sila.
Basilicata travel arrangements
By air
Daily flights to Naples with British Airways from London Gatwick. Airports at Lamezia Terme and Reggio di Calabria with flights with Alitalia London to Milan or Rome and then a connecting domestic flight. We can also offer you charter flights from UK regional airports to Naples. EasyJet also flies from Stansted to Naples. Ask us for a fare quote at the time of booking if you are interested in this route. You may collect and return the car from and to different locations at no additional cost, ideal for a two-centre holiday.Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Italy and within Italy, combining flights, hire-car, rail, ferries and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Basilicata
● Food and wine holidays● Art, history and heritage holidays
● Family holidays
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
Call us on 01392 441245
Here you will find a map of Basilicata showing the locations of the hotels that we offer
Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be
● Single centre or multi-centre● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Utilise a variety of transport arrangements to Italy and within Italy, combining flights, hire-car, rail, ferries and private transfers
Our special interest holidays to Basilicata
● Food and wine holidays● Art, history and heritage holidays
● Family holidays
Included in all our holidays
● Concierge service● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday
