Action Areas
Where to find southern Italy's best outdoor activities: marked mountain trails, volcanic slopes, island waters, underwater ruins, long-distance cycling and family-sized adventures.
ACTION AREAS
Southern Italy's outdoor choices are spread across very different landscapes. Choose between a marked mountain trail, a volcanic slope, an island crossing, a dive among archaeological remains, a long-distance cycle or an easy family day by the water. The detailed outdoors chapter carries the route-level information; this page is a quick way to decide which kind of day belongs in your itinerary.
Hiking and mountain days
The south is crossed by sentieri ranging from short walks to multi-day treks. Start with Lago d'Averno, Mount Vesuvius, Capri, Ischia or the Amalfi Coast in Campania; choose the Sentiero degli Dei or Sentiero delle Ferriere for different views of the coast; or move into the Cilento, Gargano, Matera Gravina, Maratea, Pollino, Sila, Serre, Aspromonte, Madonie or Nebrodi for a stronger mountain focus.
Water and underwater archaeology
Water-based days run from a pedalo on Calabria's Costa degli Dei to a guided dive at the Parco Archeologico di Baia Sommersa. The Aeolian Islands, Ustica, Puglia's Tremiti Islands and the Campanian islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida add clear water, caves and marine life. The Baia park is the choice when the landscape below the surface matters as much as the sea itself: Roman villas, mosaics and statues lie underwater in the Campi Flegrei.
Adventure by bike, rope and river
Cycle the 545 km Ciclovia dei Parchi through Calabria, fly between Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa on one of Basilicata's long zip lines, climb Monte Epomeo on Ischia or kayak between the Aeolian Islands. The Lao River offers whitewater in Calabria, Maratea provides diving from Basilicata's Tyrrhenian coast and Lake Arvo in La Sila opens the mountain landscape to horseback riding.
Family-sized action
- ✦Snorkel or dive among the Roman remains of Baia Sommersa.
- ✦Cycle between beaches and stone quarries on Favignana.
- ✦Learn fishing techniques at a traditional trabucco on the Gargano promontory.
- ✦Raft the Lao River with older children and adults.
- ✦Paddle, swim and snorkel from a pedalo on the Costa degli Dei.
- ✦Take a guided Mount Etna walk to look for lava, old snow and ash slopes.
| If you want | Start here | Useful places |
|---|---|---|
| A hike | A marked sentiero or a national park | Sentiero degli Dei, Cilento, Pollino, Sila and Aspromonte |
| A sea day | A protected coast or island | Costa degli Dei, Tremiti Islands, Aeolians and Baia Sommersa |
| A bigger challenge | A volcano, gorge or long route | Stromboli, Mount Etna, Ciclovia dei Parchi and the Lao River |
| An easy family outing | A short, guided or water-based activity | Favignana, a Gargano trabucco, Lake Arvo or a Costa degli Dei beach |