Join us in exploring Campania, where ancient ruins and culinary delights create an enchanting experience for every traveler.

I have visited many regions in Italy more than a dozen times. However, one region that had always been at the top of my list, yet I had not been to, was Campania. Located on the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, with the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, Campania is the third most populous region in Italy and home to some of the most famous destinations, including the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, and Naples. Campania is derived from Latin and translates into “fertile countryside”. It is a region rich in culture, ranging from architecture and archeology to gastronomy, and I explored this wonderful region for six days.

I welcome you to join me as I wander to Italy to explore Campania.

Visiting Sorrento

Overlooking the Bay of Naples, Sorrento is a coastal town and a popular tourist destination. The town sits atop cliffs that separate it from the marinas. It was the perfect spot to begin exploring Campania.

Sorrento is on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Photo by Kirk Fisher via Pixabay

Sorrento is a resort town and a good home base when exploring the region. It is easily accessible by boat, bus, or car. The historic center is a charming town filled with narrow streets that are easy to navigate on foot.

Explore the streets of Sorrento in Italy’s Campania region. Photo by Allison Levine

I found a modern boutique hotel, Palazzo Abagnale & Tritone, in the center of town. The room was clean and renovated, the staff was friendly and helpful, and a lovely breakfast was offered each morning.

A comfortable stay awaits at Palazzo Abagnale & Tritone in Sorrento. Photo by Allison Levine

Where To Eat in Sorrento

Sorrento is known for its seafood, and it is hard not to eat well here. But, if you are looking for a memorable and delicious dining experience, head to the 1-star Michelin restaurant Il Buco, located in the wine cellars of an old monastery.

Il Buco, in an old monastery, holds one Michelin star. Photo by Allison Levine

Considered one of the best restaurants in Sorrento, Il Buco has been open for more than 20 years and has held its Michelin Star for 14 years. Chef and owner of Il Buco, Giuseppe “Peppe” Aversa, is a very friendly man who visits guests at the table. Il Buco offers a tasting menu featuring fresh fish and a tasting menu focused more on the land. You can also order from the a la carte menu. I selected the “I Trust You” menu, which Chef Peppe created for me.

Day Trips from Sorrento

With Sorrento as a home base, it is easy to plan day trips to give you more opportunities to explore Campania. There is plenty of time to explore during the day and then return and relax in Sorrento each evening.

Pompeii is an easy day trip from Sorrento. Photo by Allison Levine

Exploring Pompeii, Herculaneium, and Vesuvius

Pompeii is an ancient Roman city buried under ash and pumice after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The site has been preserved, and you can explore the excavated ruins of streets and houses.

You can explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii. Photo by Allison Levine

Down the road from Pompeii is the smaller town of Herculaneum, which was also destroyed by Vesuvius but in a different way. Instead of ash and pumice, Herculaneum was destroyed by a pyroclastic flow, a dense collection of fragments and gases from a volcanic eruption. Pompeii is bigger and packed with tourists, whereas Herculaneum is smaller and less crowded. Due to the difference in how the towns were destroyed, Herculaneum is better preserved with complete homes and mosaics.

Herculaneum, also destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption, is better preserved than Pompeii and less busy. Photo by Allison Levine

It is worth seeing both towns, starting with Pompeii and followed by Herculaneum. But I also wanted to visit Mount Vesuvius, which looms above the towns.

Mt. Vesuvius looms above the towns in Italy’s Campania region. Photo by rosemaria via Pixabay

Many companies offer Pompeii and Vesuvius or Pompeii and Herculaneum tours, but I wanted to see all three in one day. The best way to do this is with a private driver and guide. I booked a tour with Top Excursion Sorrento with Giovanni Guidonne. A private driver picked me up at my hotel in a luxury, air-conditioned car. We drove 40 minutes to Pompeii, where I was met by a private guide who took me through the ruins.

I preferred my guide as we could maneuver through the throngs of tourists and go at our own pace. We drove 20 minutes to Herculaneum, where my private guide took me through the ruins, pointing out mosaics and other interesting historical facts.

Exploring the ruins of Pompeii was easier with a guide. Photo by Allison Levine

My driver then took me to Mount Vesuvius and waited for me at the base while I climbed to the top of the volcano. The hike is strenuous as it is straight uphill for 30 minutes, but it is worth it when you can look into the bowl of the volcano.

Looking down into Vesuvius. Photo by Allison Levine

After hiking Vesuvius, my driver offered to stop by Tenuta Sorrentino, a winery on the southwest side of the volcano. Located 600 meters above sea level on 85 acres of volcanic sandy soils, Tenuta Sorrentino is owned by the Sorrentino family, which has been there for three generations. They grow the native grapes Caprettone, Falanghina, Pedirosso, and Aglianico for the historic Lacryma Christi DOC wine produced on the slope of Vesuvius, and you can stop in for a tasting or for a meal.

Explore the Amalfi Coast

While exploring Campania, I recommend a few days to enjoy the Amalfi coast. Booking a hotel in one of the towns for a few days is great. But if you do not have a lot of time, there are two ways to explore the coast in one day, either by bus or by boat.

Explore the small towns along the Amalfi Coast. Photo by Allison Levine

The bus takes the high road that winds along the coast but can also be quite congested, especially in the summer. I opted for a boat trip down the coast with Travel Etc. The boat is a relaxing and enjoyable way to experience the coast. The boat holds a maximum of a dozen people and we watched the coast pass by as we relaxed on the deck under the sun.

Amalfi is a picturesque town on the Amalfi Coast. Photo by Anemone123 via Pixabay

We made two stops in Amalfi and Positano, where we had an hour or two to wander around and get a feel for the towns. We also made several stops to swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea to complete a wonderful day trip.

Wine Tasting at Feudi di San Gregorio

While exploring Campania, I recommend checking out the local wines. Hire a driver to take you one hour from Sorrento to Avellino where you will find Feudi di San Gregorio.

Head out of Sorrento to Feudi di San Gregorio to taste local wines. Photo by Allison Levine

Surrounded by mountains, the winery was established in 1986 and was the sixth winery in the province at the time (today, there are more than 100 wineries). Rebuilt in 2004, the winery is a beautiful modern structure with gardens to walk through, beautiful views, a restaurant, and a large tasting room where you can taste wines made from Falanghina, Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico grapes.

The winery at Feudi di San Gregorio is a beautiful modern structure. Photo by Allison Levine

Tour through the barrel room, 12 meters underground, where more than 2000 barrels of different sizes are stored, as madrigal music plays overhead.

Day Trip to Capri

Capri is an island destination for the rich and famous in the Bay of Naples. Every hour, a ferry leaves from Sorrento or Naples, making it an easy day trip. Once I arrived at the Capri marina, I booked a boat tour around the island, seeing the rugged landscape and visiting the green grotto.

Take a boat tour around Capri. Photo by Allison Levine

We tried to visit the legendary Blue Grotto, but the wait was between two and four hours, so we decided it was not worth the time. I guess I will have to return in the future to try again. Once the boat tour was over, I took the tram from the marina to the town of Capri, followed by a local bus to Ana Capri, located above Capri.

In Ana Capri, a chairlift goes to the top of the island for views of the rugged landscape from above. I spent the rest of the day wandering around the towns of Ana Capri and Capri.

There are excellent shopping options in Capri. Photo by Allison Levine

While wandering, I noticed lots of handmade leather sandal stores, but I sought out the original store. Canfora, a third-generation family business, is where Jackie Kennedy Onassis shopped, and I splurged on a pair of custom-made sandals. To end my day, I enjoyed a gelato, Gelateria Buonocore Capri, a place you can find by smelling freshly made waffle cones. The line can be long, but it is worth it for the deliciously creamy artisanal gelato.

The Island of Ischia

Past Capri is the island of Ischia. Ferries head to this island from Sorrento, Naples, and Capri. I decided to spend a couple of nights on this island, so I took my bags with me from Sorrento to Capri, where I stored them for the day in a luggage store in the marina that I found via a quick Google search.

After my day trip to Capri, I took the ferry to Ischia, a volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples known for its mineral-rich thermal waters. This is an island for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Ischia is a volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples. Photo by Maarit Jokinen via Pixabay

Where to Stay in Ischia

Hotel della Baia Negombo is located in San Montano Bay in Lacco Ameno. The hotel is a modern boutique hotel across the road from the Negombo Thermal Baths. As a guest of the hotel, you have free access to the thermal water park, which houses twelve different pools and baths ranging from 18 to 38 degrees Celsius (55 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit), as well as a 33-meter (108-foot) sea-water pool and a private beach. A spa also offers a range of massages to complete a day of relaxation.

Where to Eat in Ischia

As a guest at Hotel della Baia Negombo, breakfast is included, and you can also select one or two meals each day. I selected one meal and enjoyed my lunch at the Trattoria Casa Colonica, located inside the park and overlooking the beach.

For dinner, I splurged for a magical meal and went into town to dine at the two-star Michelin restaurant Dani Maison.

Splurge at the two-Michelin-starred Dani Maison in Ischia. Photo by Allison Levine

Exploring Naples

Many people may warn you that Naples is dangerous and dirty. But once outside the port, Naples is amazing. The largest city in Campania and the third-largest city in Italy, the energy of Naples is palpable. You really cannot miss Naples while exploring Campania.

Explore Naples and get outside the port areas. Photo by Guglielmo Dell’Isola via Pixabay

I decided to spend the last two nights of my journey to Campania in Naples exploring the city and eating nonstop. After searching the internet, I booked a room at the Albergo Palazzo Decumani, located in the heart of Naples.

Naples is a generally walkable city with a few neighborhoods better accessed by bus or car. In one and a half days, I walked more than 15 kilometers (9 miles) on my quest for food.

Naples is a walkable city. Photo by Allison Levine

With only a little time in Naples, I did not know where to begin when it came to eating. Naples is known for its mozzarella di bufala, fresh ripe tomatoes, pastries, such as the babà (a rum cake), sfogliatella, and zeppole. It also has great meats, seafood, vegetables, and pastas. To get a sense of the cuisine of Naples and taste all of the flavors while also seeing the city, I enjoyed a walking food tour with Eating Europe.

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Naples is also famous for its pizza, which is likely the most popular creation of all Neapolitan cuisine. In Naples, you can find pizza everywhere and cannot go wrong when looking for a pizza with its chewy dough, fresh tomato sauce, and fior di latte cheese. But I managed to eat five pizzas in my day-and-a-half and concluded that there are three must-eat-at pizza places in Naples: Sorbillo, 50 Kalo, and L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, the restaurant made famous in Eat, Pray, Love. You will likely have to wait in line for each at any of these spots, but it is worth the wait.

Naples is home to L’Antica Pizzeria, which was made famous in the movie Eat, Pray, Love. Photo by Allison Levine

Naples is also known for its fried pizza, and I headed to the Sanita neighborhood to try one at Isabella de Cham. In this neighborhood, I found an eclectic wine bar called La Antica Cantina. Since the 1920s, third-generation family member Francesco joined his father in 2014. Showcasing wines from Campania, as well as throughout Italy and France, wines are available on draft or by bottle. After walking as much as I did, I took a break and enjoyed a glass of wine.

There is much to see along the Amalfi Coast. Save time to relax on the beach. Photo by falco via Pixabay

There is so much to see while exploring Campania; I feel it can be covered in six days. The next time I return, I think I will find myself on a beach along the Amalfi Coast.