The 14 top things to do in Southern Italy

Known to locals as the Mezzogiorno, Southern Italy can feel like another world after the crowded commotion of Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan. In the south, life moves more slowly, landscapes are wilder, lunches take longer, and the history stretches back through ancient Greek civilizations into distant prehistory. Add in rich cuisine, sublime beaches, towns dripping with baroque architecture and a balmy Mediterranean climate and the appeal is impossible to deny. 

Most visitors start in Naples or Sicily, hitting must-see sights such as Pompeii and Herculaneum or the ancient ruins at Syracuse and Taormina, but a calmer experience awaits in rural Campania, Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria, where the tourist trail feels more like an arrow made from sticks on the ground pointing to hidden wonders.

To help you get the best from a trip to Mezzogiorno, here are the top things to do in Southern Italy. 

1. Seek out the perfect pizza in Naples

Rome and Naples have long competed for Italy’s pizza crown, but Neapolitans have no doubts about the merits of their hometown’s magnificent pie. For newcomers to Italian pizza, the Naples version has a puffier, chewier crust compared to the thin and crispy Roman pizza, with toppings that vary from tomato sauce and mozzarella to cheese-free pizza marinara. 

Begin the pizza quest at L’Antica Pizza Da Michele in the Centro Storico, a local favorite, or head over to Lombardi 1892, which has been dishing out pizzas for over a century. Then there’s Pizzeria Oliva da Carla e Salvatore, where other chefs go when they’re looking for good pizza, and Concettina ai Tre Santi, with branches in Naples and on the ritzy island of Capri.

Planning tip: If you love your pizza, time your trip to coincide with Pizza Village, Europe's biggest pizza party, with 10 nights of pizza tasting, master classes and live music on the Naples waterfront in June or July. 

2. Take a spin along the Amalfi Coast

Tracing the rocky Amalfi Coast, the superstrada 163 (expressway) from Sorrento to Salerno is one of the most iconic driving routes in Europe. Unfortunately, it can get unbelievably congested during the summer high season. To avoid contributing to the gridlock on the road known as the Nastro Azzurro (Blue Ribbon), come out of season, or take the SITA bus, which connects the 22 towns along the Sorrento Peninsula. 

Whenever you come, there's loads to see. Beyond the perfect pastel streets of Positano, you can swim on a stretch of beach fit for a queen outside Sorrento, or climb to the top of the Amalfi Coast at Santa Maria dei Monti. You might even find time to make your own ceramics in Vietri sul Mare or learn how to make Italian cheese in Vico Equense. 

Planning tip: One of the best ways to see the Amalfi Coast is on foot. The path from Agerola to the Santa Maria dei Monti plateau will lift you high above the traffic and crowds. After taking in the vistas, you can sleep at the top at Il Rifugio di Santa Maria dei Monti; drop into Magici Sentieri in Agerola for advice before hitting the trail.

3. Discover Southern Italian wine 

There’s more to Italian wine than a nice Chianti. The south has its own rich wine traditions, producing robust reds such as Puglia’s Primitivo and Basilicata’s Aglianico del Vulture, alongside some of Italy’s best rosato (rosé) wines. Across the Mezzogiorno, underrated wine regions straddle coveted coastlines or sprawl over menacing volcanoes or fig-strewn hills. 

You’re almost guaranteed to discover a new favorite wine that you’d previously never heard of. Start in Sicily, touring cellars at family-run wineries along the Strada del Val di Noto near Noto. Or cycle north from Syracuse along an old railway track to taste Sicily’s oldest wine in a medieval castle at Azienda Agricola Pupillo.

On the mainland, you can attune your taste buds to southern flavors in underground volcanic-rock cellars in Vulture's Cantine del Notaio, or quaff Puglian Primitivo and Negroamaro – the two Kings of Salento – at Castel di Salve in Depressa. For maximum atmosphere, sample wines made from Lacryma Christi grapes on the slopes of Vesuvius at Cantina del Vesuvio.

Planning tip: When visiting vineyards, be sure to book ahead as walk-in visits are not always possible; tasting fees are often waived if you buy a few bottles of wine. In towns and cities, almost every enoteca (wine bar) offers some kind of degustazione (tasting) of local wines.

4. Soak up the baroque charm of Lecce

While Tuscany is the poster child for extravagant Italian architecture, Puglia has its own baroque secret: elegant Lecce, where lavishly ornamented churches and palazzi mark the high point of Southern Italian style. Buy a sightseeing ticket from LeccEcclesiae, then set off to explore. 

An ideal place to start is the Basilica di Santa Croce, with its filigree flourishes and paper-delicate rose window. Not far away, the Piazza del Duomo feels like a baroque theater, with the bell-tower-topped Cattedrale di Lecce, Palazzo Arcivescovile and Palazzo dell'Antico Seminario taking center stage. 

Planning tip: For a break from the baroque marvels, duck into a cafe for a coffee and pasticciotto (a warm, golden pastry shell filled with creamy custard and black cherries). Find the best in town at Bar L’Incontro, northeast of the historic center. 

5. See the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum 

The once-thriving Roman city of Pompeii was buried under a layer of lapilli (burning pumice stone) by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE, preserving a remarkable snapshot of ancient life. In the excavated ruins, visitors can walk down Roman streets and snoop around 2000-year-old houses, temples, shops, cafes and even a brothel – it’s a fascinating piece of time travel.

The same eruption buried nearby Herculaneum under a volcanic mudslide, preserving ancient dwellings like the two-story Casa dei Cervi, with its statues of an intoxicated Hercules and deer being attacked by dogs. Don’t miss the impressively intact Casa Sannitica and L’Antica Spiaggia, which became a temporary refuge for some 300 people before mudflows consumed the warehouse and everyone inside. 

Planning tip: Before you come, drop into the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli in Naples to view mosaics and other treasures recovered from the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

6. Slip back in time in historic Palermo

Sicily has ancient sites to spare, but it’s in the city of Palermo that the island’s storied history comes most vividly to life. Vendors of grattatella (ice shavings soaked in fruit syrup) whittle away at half-meter slabs of ice in the city market, while roving street vendors sell snacks from hand-pushed carts, street artists paint polemics against the Mafia, and historic districts bubble with multilingual chatter. 

Begin the adventure at the intersection known as Il Teatro del Sole (the Sun Theater), where the sunlight plays across a perfect circle of curving facades, then enter the Palazzo dei Normanni (Palazzo Reale), an Arab fortress remodeled by Christian conquerors into a mosaic-filled marvel showcasing the artistic brilliance of the Byzantine period. 

Planning tip: To discover more about the organized crime gangs collectively known as the Cosa Nostra, the No Mafia Memorial on Via Vittorio Emanuele strips away the glamorous vision of the Mafia depicted in Hollywood movies. 

7. Climb a volcano

There’s a certain frisson to hiking up an active volcano, and the Mezzogiorno has two celebrity cones that draw hikers in droves. The soaring buttress of Mt Vesuvius, which exploded into world history when it showered Pompeii in ashes, rises against the Naples skyline – a reminder of the awesome forces simmering below the ground. 

Every year, thousands hike through Vesuvius National Park to the summit to stand at the precipice of the 450m-wide crater. It’s a tough climb, taking up to 3 hours, so carry plenty of water and wear a hat. 

Get more from the hike by taking a tour led by a local volcanologist, or ride uphill on horseback and finish with a tasting of wines produced from the local Lacryma Christi grape. Alternatively, the Vesuvio Express shuttle can whisk you directly from Herculaneum train station to the top of the cone. 

The Mezzogiorno’s other big hitter is Mt Etna, which regularly sends lava dribbling downhill toward Catania. It is forbidden to trek above 2500m on the slopes of this ancient stratovolcano without a professional guide, but organized hikes are easy to arrange in Catania or Taormina. 

Starting from Catania, buses and taxis can get you as far as the Piazzale Rifugio Sapienza, where you can follow footpaths around minor craters or board the Funivia dell’Etna cable car up to the cafe and viewpoint at Montagnola, at 2500m, the starting point for more ambitious hikes or 4WD tours. 

Planning tip: If you’d rather approach Etna from Taormina, guided treks leave from the Piano Provenzana ski station at 1800m. 

8. Roam around Sicily’s ancient sites

The ancient cities of Sicily were ancient before even the Romans arrived on the scene. Many settlements here were founded by Greek settlers in the 6th century BCE before receiving a makeover from later civilizations. Few places in Italy have such a depth of history so close to the surface. 

Kick off a journey back through millennia at the Greek and Roman amphitheaters along Sicily’s east coast. Catania and Taormina have fine examples, but the biggest show in town is at Syracuse’s supremely well-preserved amphitheater, where performances of traditional Greek tragedies are staged by Inda Fondazione during the summer months.  

On the south coast near Agrigento, you can picture Carthaginian galleys filling the bay at Sicily's priceless Valley of the Temples, where the ruins of ancient Akragas are dominated by the colonnades of the Tempio della Concordia and other grand temples from the 5th century BCE. 

Planning tip: After exploring the Valley of the Temples, hit the beach; head west to Lido Rossello, with its excellent seafood restaurants, or Lido Scala dei Turchi, with its scenic white cliff views. 

9. Experience Southern Italy’s spiritual side 

Religion has inspired many of Southern Italy’s most magnificent works of art and architecture, from poignant sculptures to glorious, fresco-covered cathedrals, and these monuments live on as dazzling testaments to the passion and genius of the Mezzogiorno’s artists and builders. 

Christian symbolism flows in Southern Italy’s veins – a metaphor taken literally in the Duomo di Napoli, where Neapolitans gather to watch ampules of the blood of San Gennaro miraculously liquefy on special feast days. For more miracles, visit Gargano's Monte Sant'Angelo, where St Michael appeared to a medieval archer in a sacred grotto.

If religious art captures your imagination, see biblical episodes brought to life in the meticulous mosaics of Sicily’s Cattedrale di Monreale, or view precious Lombard-era frescoes inside Matera’s Cripta del Peccato Originale, one of Basilicata’s many chiese rupestri (cave churches). 

Saints’ feast days are a cause for vibrant celebrations across the region. Visit Palmi in Calabria on the last Sunday of August for Varia, when a sacred chariot is carried around town, or attend the festas celebrating Sant’Agata in Catania in February and San Sebastiano in Syracuse in January.

Planning tip: Some churches and sacred sites may refuse entry to visitors who are deemed inappropriately dressed, so cover your shoulders and knees. Churches often close for an hour or so at lunch, and many prohibit sightseeing during services.

10. Hit the beach 

The coastline of Southern Italy has seduced everyone from Odysseus to Onassis, and sole e mare (sun and sea) is an ongoing passion for Southern Italians. The shoreline in Mezzogiorno is endlessly varied – rocky coves framed by sea-sculpted crags, sandy beaches that draw families in droves, and pebble-dotted strips backed by dance clubs that throng with party people. 

If you like your seashore with a touch of glamor, try the bays and beaches of the Costa degli Dei; summer hot spots such as Tropea lure Italian sunseekers in their thousands. Then there’s elegant Capri, where swimmers dive off rock-cut platforms below the villas of Roman emperors. Further south, Puglia’s Gallipoli blends an old town with a sweep of uber-cool beach clubs where the party bounces till morning.  

Families love the busy beaches of Sicily; for a more peaceful beach experience, sip granita (crushed ice) on black sand beaches on the off-grid Aeolian Islands, or hike the so-called Path of Love to the remote Baia delle Zagare in Puglia’s wild Gargano region. 

Planning tip: Many Italian beaches are cordoned off into public and private sections. Paying for entrance to a private lido or bagno (beach club) typically gets you a parasol-shaded sun lounger, plus a drink, snack service and sometimes access to a pool. 

11. Enter a fairy-tale world in Alberobello

In a landscape of rolling green fields and vineyards, conical, stone-tiled buildings sprout from the soil like gnome dwellings from a fairy tale. Welcome to the picturesque, UNESCO-listed village of Alberobello, home to the greatest collection of traditional trulli homes in Southern Italy. While Alberobello is firmly on the tourist map, if you avoid the daytime crowds of summer, the town has an atmosphere unlike anywhere else.

Detour: This corner of Puglia is also known for its orecchiette pasta – the name means “small ears” – and you can learn to make this local staple in cooking classes around the town of Ceglie Messapica. Book ahead with Orechhiette con Dora or Trullo Santangelo. 

12. Stay in a cave dwelling in Matera

Said to be one of Europe’s oldest settlements, the città sotterranea (underground city) of Matera is made up of stone streets lined with hundreds of cave dwellings, hollowed out of the sides of a steep gorge over three millennia. Matera fell into desperate hardship in the early 20th century, before public works and EU investment restored the city once decried as “the shame of Italy” to its original splendor. 

After wandering winding alleyways and exploring mural-filled, rock-cut churches, you can hike down into the Matera Gravina gorge, used as a filming location for the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, then retreat for the night into a cave-set hotel or guesthouse to sleep surrounded by cool-to-the-touch rock walls. 

Planning tip: For the full Matera experience, stay in rock-hewn rooms at Sextantio, or take things upmarket at Casa Diva, where elegant boutique rooms offer breathtaking views across Matera’s centuries-old center.

13. Discover Southern Italy’s best villages

The towns and cities may be jam-packed with museums and monuments, but it’s in the borghi (villages) that you’ll find the soul of Southern Italy. Pick a village and stay awhile, ambling along the backstreets and striking up conversations with locals in cafes and coffee bars – you’ll soon feel a deeper connection to the life of the Mezzogiorno. 

To get you started, sit down to a feast in Vico Equense on the bay of Naples – a favored escape for local foodies. If you love a village with a view, ride a cable car to hilltop Erice to feast on almond-stuffed Sicilian pastries while gazing toward the distant coast of Africa, or zip-line through the clouds in Pietrapertosa. Basilicata’s highest village. 

Planning tip: The association I Borgi più belli d’Italia offers a handy directory of exceptionally beautiful small towns and villages throughout the south.

14. Hike into the untamed Parco Nazionale del Pollino

Connecting southern Basilicata and northern Calabria, the Parco Nazionale del Pollino is the largest national park in Italy, protecting steep mountains and plunging valleys. Crowned by 2267m Serra Dolcedorme, the proclaimed Mountains of Apollo are a treasured repository for rare flora and fauna, including Italus, a gigantic 1300-year-old tree said to be the oldest in Europe. 

Hike through forests of oak, maple, beech, pine and fir; forage for fruit and edible fungi; rock climb up the peaks (or mountain bike down them); and attend fascinating Celtic-origin rituals such as the Marriage of the Trees in Accettura. The small towns of Viggianello, Latronico, Terranova di Pollino and Rotonda are good bases for exploring. 

Planning tip: Local agency Pollino Adventure can organize all sorts of outdoor activities, from easy day hikes to a challenging multiday Basilicata coast-to-coast route, a hiking or e-bike trail that takes in some of the park’s most incredible scenery.  

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Southern Italy guidebook, published in May 2025.