Rich in natural and cultural treasures, Campania has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Programme … excursions for lovers of art, nature and good eating around Campania.
Tour 1 CAPRI & ANACAPRI
No holiday in Campania would be complete without a trip to the evocative Island of Capri. Departure from your hotel by coach to the harbour of Salerno. Sailing by ferry-boat to Capri. For so small an Island, about 4 miles long and 2 miles wide, Capri has had much said, sung and written about her.
Tour of the island by private coach. Then you will visit the fabulous villa of Dr. Axel Munthe, a Swedish doctor who’s best selling book “Story of S. Michele” tells of his time on Capri. His villa was built with the remains of Roman ruins, there is a beautiful shady garden with terrace affording splendid views of the island or you can decide to visit “Capri in Miniatura”. We then go down to Capri town which is very chic with shops, hotels and restaurants lying along winding streets. The main square, Piazza Umberto I has a little white church and several open-air cafes where you can sit and watch the world drift by.
Leading off the square are medieval looking alleyways and arcades full of shops selling the handicrafts of the island, jewellery made from coral and gold , shoes and ceramics. Admire colourful gardens of Augustus overlooking the famed Faraglioni Rocks and Marina Piccola.
Return by ferry-boat and transfer to your hotel.
Tour 2 CAPRI SPRINT
Departure from hotel by coach to the harbour of Salerno. Sailing by ferry-boat to Capri. Free time in Capri. In the afternoon departure from Capri to Salerno by ferry-boat. Transfer to your hotel.
Tour 3 POMPEI & VESUVIO
Pompei holds an intense fascination for visitors today. Following the eruption of the Volcano Mount Vesuvius in the year of 79 AD, Pompei lay buried an forgotten for hundreds of years. The town is high on the list of the World and the excavations begun in the 18th Century are still being carried out today. Our guide will take you slowly through some of the ancient streets of Pompei where you can see Baths, Forums and Villas built by prosperous Roman in the years 80 BC. Marvel at the fabulously preserved Frescos which adorned the walls and floors of the Villas.
Mount Vesuvius dominates the Bay of Naples. It is the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe. The slopes were once covered with vineyards and woods and provided an innocent looking backdrop for the bustling towns of Pompei and Herculaneum below. The coach will take you within 1.000 metres of the top of Vesuvius and from here you can walk to the very top and admire the splendid panoramic view across the bay. From the blackened crater rises a single plume of smoke, a reminder that the volcano is only sleeping for no.
Departure from your hotel by coach to Pompei. Guided visit to the excavations. Free time and lunch. In the afternoon excursion to Vesuvius by bus up to 1.000 feet and by foot to the crater. Guided visit of the volcano. Return to your hotel.
Tour 4 AMALFI & RAVELLO
The “Amalfi Drive” is said to be the most spectacular in Europe, the winding cliff top road offers breathtaking panoramic views at every turn. Each spot is a world of it own, a fantastic world that which dazzles the imagination and inspires unforgettable impressions.
We make a stop just above Positano, splendid jewel of this coastline. Then on the Amalfi, which gives it the name to the whole coast on which it lies. Once a thriving Marine Republic, powerful and prosperous and now a thriving holiday resort. The unmistakeable cluster of white tightly packed houses rising up the hillside is dominated by the beautiful Cathedral. Housed in the magnificent Cathedral are remains of the Patron Saint of Amalfi and also Scotland – Saint Andrew.
From Amalfi we visit Ravello which nestles eleven hundred feet above the sea in the mountainside. We visit the Villa Rufolo which gave the musician Richard Wagner the inspiration to create some of his most famous works. As a result of this, the gardens of the villa are the venue for the Wagner Festival which take place each summer.
Tour 5 CERTOSA DI PADULA & GROTTE DI PERTOSA
Being fascinated by the grandeur of San Lorenzo, of the Basilian monks of the Abbey of Montevergine, Tommaso Sanseverino II, bought the area of Padula, in the Vallo di Diano, in 1296. Later, in 1306, this nucleus was donated to the Carthusian monks, a religious order founded in 1084, by San Brunone in Chartreuse, France. The construction of the Certosa di Padula, dedicated to San Lorenzo, built in 1306 in the Carthusian province, “Sancti Brunonis”, was instigated and funded by Tommaso Sanseverino, Count of Marsico and Lord of Vallo di Diano. Today, after a long programme of restoration, the “Certosa” is resplendent in its restored, antique beauty.
A short distance away, the well-known Caves of Pertosa provide a very memorable visit, including a short, boat crossing over a small lake, formed by an underground river, after which, it is possible to continue, on foot, along the few hundred metres of various caverns.
Departure from your hotel by coach to Padula. Arrival and visit of the famous “Certosa”. In the afternoon departure to Pertosa. Visit of the Grotto with guide. Return to the hotel.
Tour 6 GROTTE DI CASTELCIVITA
A one-day visit should definitely be dedicated to the Castelcività Caves and the Oasi del WWF di Felitto, where the more courageous can canoe along the River Calore. So the Cilentan hinterland is a continual alternation between hill and mountain, interspersed with hidden villages, still tranquilly, untouched in their time-bubble.
A suggestive itinerary inside Cilento, alternative to the usual touristic routes with the visit of these wonderful grottos situated on the slopes of the Alburni mountains and on the river Calore. A view of unforgettable beauty.
Tour 7 PALINURO
The Cilentan coast is made up of golden, sandy beaches, sheer cliffs facing the sea, half hidden, silent bays and fishing villages alternating with tiny ports. The long list of coastal villages requires a long visit: Acciaroli, where, stopping off on his south bound voyage, Ernest Hemingway fell so deeply in love with the place that he was inspired to write his most famous book; Pioppi, with its marine museum and 17th century, Palazzo Vinciprova; the marinas of Casalvelino and Ascea, characterized by long, uncontaminated beaches; Pisciotta, an original village, set among the mountains, on a hillside, at 170m above sea level. Palinuro, with its Blue Grotto, homonym with that of Capri … all these places have the same, clear, blue, Mediterranean sea!
Departure from the hotel by bus. Arrival in Palinuro. Embarkation and visit of the grottos. Free time for shopping at Palinuro. Return to the hotel.
Tour 8 CILENTO ANTICO
Uncontaminated nature and untamed scenery, majestic mountains alternating with gentle valleys and deep gorges and evocative, picturesque villages characterize the hinterland of Cilento. Here, a secret chemistry combines nature, history, culture, tradition and Cilentan cuisine to welcome and astound visitors.
A tour through ancient villages full of history and traditions. Visit of ancient und modern oil-mills and explanation of the cycle of olive-oil Extravergine. Lunch based on typical products: olive-oil, wine, fusilli …
EXCURSIONS BY BOAT: ISOLA DI LICOSA
Visit to the Leucosia Syren. Departure by boat from the harbour of San Marco to Punta Licosa-Ogliastro-Acciaroli. Lunch on board. Stops for sea bathing.
EXCURSIONS INSIDE THE “PARCO NAZIONALE DEL CILENTO”
On request we organize naturalistic and cultural excursions inside the National Park of Cilento, on foot, by bike, by riding …