Southern Italy Travel Specialist

Clear Waters of Mondello

Historically, known as the “Mezzogiorno”, Southern Italy is composed of the regions Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Sicily, and Sardinia. Southern Italy has a lot of influence from Greek, Arab, and Spanish colonies which brought about new dialects, religions, and traditions. This becomes quite clear when hearing local dialects in southern regions, which sound nothing like modern-day Italian. With its interesting history, beautiful shores, sunshine, and seafood, southern Italy is not something to miss!

Cuisine:             

Southern Italy has a very wide variety of delicious food. The food differs widely depending on exactly where in southern Italy you’re traveling.

Southern Continental Italy:

     Nothing quite compares to pizza in the south of Italy. Originating in Napoli, the classic pizza portafoglio is one of the best. It’s a different twist on a standard pizza, where instead of lying flat, the pizza is conveniently folded into a portable hand-held triangle.

Then, make your way to Salerno to try the flaky ricotta filled sweet, sflogliatelle. With cinnamon and citrus notes, the pastry is easy to love, and it isn’t difficult to understand how it has quickly grown in popularity.  

Don’t leave without trying the Limoncello. The second most popular liqueur in Italy, it is very rich lemon-flavored go-to. It is normally served chilled as a digestif after dinner and sipped slowly.

Sicily:

In Sicily, you must try pane e panelle and arancini. Pane e panelle consists of warm chickpea fritters on traditional Sicilian bread and is often served with pieces of fluffy fried potato inside. Arancini on the other hand, are rice balls stuffed with either a meat or cheese filling, coated with breadcrumbs and fried. Both are very popular in Sicily, easily found in street markets, and very portable food options.

For dessert, try a traditional Sicilian Cannoli, Sicily is where they’re made right. Large shells, stuffed with sweet ricotta, dipped in chocolate chips or pistachio, and topped with a generous layer of powdered sugar. You can’t miss out on this classic.

A traditional Sicilian wine to try is Nero d’Avola. The Nero d’Avola grape is indigenous to Sicily and was imported by Greeks in the 8th century BC. This red wine has a slightly acidic dry flavor with a blackberry scent. It pairs well with dark meats and spicy foods.

Sardinia:

Southern Italy is renowned for its seafood-based dishes, and there’s no better place to try one than Sardinia. Spaghetti with sea urchin (spaghetti ai ricci di mare) is a perfect dish to start with. It’s best to order this dish between November and April in Castelsardo. This dish is perfect for seafood lovers.

Seadas are the perfect sweet treat to end the day. An icon in the Sardinian region, seadas are a deep fried pastry that is sweet and savory at the same time. Filled with a lemony oozy cheese and drizzled with warm sweet honey, seadas are super unique pastry perfection!

Sardinia is home to many famous wines, one of which being Cannonau. Derived from a red wine grape grown in Sardinia, this wine has a soft acidity with notes of raspberries and strawberries. It is a wine that is also best suited for the hot and dry weather conditions typical of the region. This wine pairs very nicely with spaghetti ai ricci di mare which I mentioned before.

Cities & Sites:

Southern Continental Italy             

Popular:

·Naples – Campania: Galleria Borbonica

·Positano – Campania: La Tagliata

·Pompei – Campania: Foro di Pompei             

Off-the-beaten-path:

·Tropea – Calabria: Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola

·Matera – Basilicata: Cripta del Peccato Originale

·Alberobello – Apulia: Sassi di Matera

Sicily               

Popular:

·Taormina – Sicily: Villa Comunale do Taormina

·Scopello – Sicily: Tonnara Di Scopello

·Catania – Sicily: Mt. Etna

Off-the-beaten-path:

·Cefalu – Sicily: Porta Pescara

·Modica – Sicily: Chiesa Rupestre de San Nicolo Inferiore

·Ustica – Sicily: Faro Punta Cavazzi

Sardinia             

Popular:

·Cagliari – Sardinia: Civic Market of San Benedetto

·Olbia – Sardinia: Tenute Olbios

·Alghero – Sardinia: Grotta di Nettuno             

Off-the-beaten-path:

·Bosa – Sardinia: Torre Argentina

·Cala Mariolu – Sardinia: Ispuligedenie/ cala Mariolu

·Gola di Gorropu – Sardinia: Cascata de Sa Giuntura 

Things to do:             

There are so many fun things to do in the Mezzogiorno! Start by soaking up the sun on the shores and enjoying the scenic coastal drives. Explore some historical heritage sites that define the region, eat to your hearts content, and explore some of the unique landscapes including volcanos and ancient caves.