Join our Basilicata Beach and Culture tour. Be amazed by Matera, Craco, Aliano, Castelmezzano, Pietrapertosa

Here, in the deep southeast of Italy, nature and history are powerful influences, the locals still wink cheekily and the relaxed and communal way of life is in harmony with the sunny climate. Famed for its passionate embrace of life, simple cuisine, flavoursome wines, historic cities and charming coastal villages, it’s a delightful place to get away from it all.

The Basilicata region is really the place you don’t expect. Imagine a region that has miles of white sand beaches on one coast, picturesque rocky bays on the other, two mountainous national parks, and one of the world’s oldest cities, Matera. Only by visiting you can find out what makes Matera so special. It didn’t take long to work out – this city is like nowhere else on Earth.
The Calanchi – or Badlands – is all about  lunar landscape and steep cliffs that stand out against rolling and  gentle hills.    It is an amazing place, it looks like the Cappadocia in Turkey.
The Lucanian Dolomites is all about deep valleys, spine-like ridges and weird rock formations. The two charming hilltop villages of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa, both members of the exclusive Borghi più belli d’Italia (the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy) stay at its heart.

Basilicata Beach & Culture Tour itinerary

Day 1: Bari/Brindisi airport – Scanzano Ionico

Transfer by private bus to the resort. Room check-in and time for leisure to enjoy resort and beach facilities before dinner. (D)

Day 2: FD Matera

After breakfast our representative will escort the group to Matera, to meet our English-speaking guide for a city tour of Matera: Italy’s magical city of stone. This fascinating historical setting that has been used as a backdrop location for Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ”. Matera is one of the most interesting, unusual and memorable tourist destinations in Italy. In the remote southern region of Basilicata, still little-visited by foreign travellers, it is a town famous for its extensive cave-dwelling districts, the Sassi. The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993. Old Matera is split into two sections – the Sasso Barisano and the Sasso Caveoso – separated by a ridge upon which sits Matera’s cathedral.  Guests will visit a cave that once was used to be a house.  Back to the resort for dinner. (Meal: B,D)

Day 3: Day at leisure

Enjoy resort and beach facilities. Full board at the buffet restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 4: FD Calanchi (Badlands): Craco and Aliano

After breakfast, Guests will meet our English-speaking tour guide.  The Calanchi – or Badlands – is all about  lunar landscape and steep cliffs that stand out against rolling and  gentle hills.    It is an amazing place, it looks like the Cappadocia in Turkey. The same geological context: a clay soil with water flowing on, digging deep grooves.

Craco

For centuries, Craco was a dynamic place with a large population of agricultural laborers, artisans, clergymen, and professionals. Today, what is left is an eerie look at a once-thriving village that now is a ghost town. Craco was built at the apex of a large and isolated hill, a beautiful location which was perfect for the Normans to build a defensive tower in 1040.  In 1972, a violent flood, the last among others, removed any consideration of ever repopulating the old town center, and an earthquake in 1980 caused the site to be abandoned completely. Buildings started to crumble and decay.  As the town emptied out, Craco slowly became a shell of its former self. The crumbling buildings and hilltop setting provided the perfect set for scenes in movies like Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ and the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Due to its historic nature and architectural value, the town was added to the World Monuments Fund watch list in 2010.

Aliano

The tour continues  to Aliano, a mysterious village perched on the badlands, just like an island in a sea made of clay. Aliano is the perfect choice for those who want to visit a place beyond space and time. Even Aliano had been choosen as the perfect set for some of the most touching scenes of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ were shooted in here. Aliano was the setting of Carlo Levi’s book Christ Stopped at Eboli, published in 1945, the book gives an account of Levi’s exile in 1935–1936 during fascism age. Carlo Levi’s exile in Aliano lasted two years (1935 and 1936), and and still today Aliano lives on his footprints.
Rumors has that witches, crones, jinxes and naughty spirites (called “monachicchi”) wander around silent Aliano. To keep them aways, Aliano inhabitants used to give to their houses’ main entrance the shape of human faces. The so-called “Casa del malocchio” (Jinx house) is a perfect witness of this habit.

Back to the resort  for dinner. (Meal:B, D)

Day 5: Day at leisure

Enjoy resort and beach facilities. Full board at the buffet restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa – Lucanian Dolomites

The Lucanian Dolomites is all about deep valleys, spine-like ridges and weird rock formations. The two charming hilltop villages of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa, both members of the exclusive Borghi più belli d’Italia (the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy) stay at its heart. Pietrapertosa is the highest village and is built on a mountainside. It is a maze of small streets that go up and down, offering at every turn a panorama worthy of the gods. Castelmezzano is surely one of Italy’s most theatrical villages: the houses huddle along an impossibly narrow ledge that falls away in gorges to the Rio di Caperrino.  To guard this medieval jewels, made of steep stairs, narrow alleys, houses climbing on the rock, are the Lucanian Dolomites which, higher up, following dedicated paths, they reveal an enchanting landscape. Also, from here you can experience the unique emotion of the “Flight of the Angel”, to jump into the void and enjoy the enchanting landscape as never before, alone or in pairs. (Flight of the Angel is not included, more info and booking on request). (B,D)

Day 7: Day at leisure

Enjoy resort and beach facilities. Full board at the buffet restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Scanzano Ionico – Bari/Brindisi airport

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the airport and end of our services.  (B)

The accomodation

The resort is a haven of tranquility on the stunning Ionian coast.
It is adjacent to a lush pine forest, which separates the property from a wide pristine beach and clear sea. The resort, with its long and wide beach, is an exceptional destination for an holiday by the sea.
Boasting exclusive facilities, it offers a range of activities, from the outdoor pool, sport playground, a small shopping area and a Spa and Wellness Centre.
Its 108 guest rooms are bright and comfortable. Featuring a view of the park, with Mediterranean plants and trees.

Included:

Private RT airport transfer
Private bus transportation
English-speaking tour guide
7 nights accomodation, shared room
Half Board meal plan on D2, D4, D6,
Full Board meal plan on D3, D5, D7
Guided tours in Pietrapertosa, Castelmezzano, Craco, Aliano and Matera
Entrance fee in Craco
Entrance fees  as per programme
Beach facilities (1 umbrella+2 sunbeds per room, from the third row)
Insurance

Not included:

Hotel city tax
Extras, drinks and personal expenses
Gratuities and porterage