The south of Italy is different. The climate, the landscapes and the people. In this blog our impression of the south of Italy. We drive from Naples to Sorrento and Salerno via inland to Manfredonia. We continue our way via the trail of the Italian boot and the Adriatic coast back inland.
This is the route we drove.
Herculaneum | Ercolano
In a neighborhood of Naples, Ercolano, is the Herculaneum site . Like Pompeii, this town was buried under volcanic ash and lava during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
We have read that the city is better preserved than Pompeii and especially that it is much less crowded.
We leave early to avoid the worst crowds. That is a good decision, at 10 o’clock various groups with coaches arrive and there is a line at the entrance. We have already largely completed our round.
Herculaneum makes a great impression on us, much is very well preserved. This gives us a glimpse into everyday life in the 1st century AD. We were surprised that life here was so “modern”.
The murals and floor mosaics in particular have been beautifully preserved.
This video gives a nice insight into the excavations and conservation taking place in Herculaneum:
Sorrento and the interior
We have lunch with a real Pizza di Napoli, delicious!
From Naples we drive on, passing Pompeii, where we are confirmed in the crowds that have been predicted.
We follow the coastal road along the Sorrento peninsula and via Salerno.
Then we drive inland to find a nice wild camping spot in the Parco Regionale Monti Picentini.
Inland, the landscapes become more and more autumnal and the views more expansive.
The trail of the boot
That evening we find a campsite in Manfredonia, at the bottom of the spur of the boot. With a beautiful sandy beach and wonderful weather, the Adriatic sea welcomes us.
A few days of nothing with sun and sea are wonderful.
We continue through the mountains of the Parco Nazionale del Gargano and visit the Santuario di San Michele Arcangelo. This church is largely built in a cave in the town of Monte Sant’Angelo, very special.
The Adriatic Coast
A last stop on the Adriatic coast is a camping site with a beautiful pebble beach.
Then we head inland, heading west, into the mountains, to the Abruzzo National Park.
