Southern Italy: Basilicata and Calabria

5 days · ~11 h 35 driving ·Mountains, Hill towns

A journey through one of the quietest corners of southern Italy. From Venosa, birthplace of the poet Horace, and the cathedral town of Acerenza, the road reaches the sandstone peaks of the Lucanian Dolomites at Pietrapertosa and Castelmezzano. After Maratea on the Tyrrhenian coast, the route turns inland into Calabria's Pollino country, with Morano Calabro, the Arbëreshë village of Civita and Altomonte.

  • Venosa
  • Acerenza
  • Pietrapertosa
  • Castelmezzano
  • Guardia Perticara
  • Maratea
  • Aieta
  • Morano Calabro

Day by day

Driving times are approximate, from OpenStreetMap roads without traffic; long legs are rougher estimates. The Google Maps links give up-to-date times.

  1. Day 1

    ~2 h 25 driving · 4 h visiting

    1. Bari AirportLeaving from
    2. ~1 h 40 driving · 118 km
    3. ~45 min driving · 41 km
      AcerenzaBasilicata
    4. Overnight in Acerenza

  2. Day 2

    ~2 h 35 driving · 6 h visiting

    1. ~1 h 05 driving · 61 km
    2. ~15 min driving · 9 km
    3. ~1 h 15 driving · 63 km
    4. Overnight in Guardia Perticara

  3. Day 3

    ~2 h 30 driving · 4 h visiting

    1. ~1 h 55 driving · 105 km
    2. ~35 min driving · 26 km
    3. Overnight in Aieta

  4. Day 4

    ~2 h 30 driving · 6 h visiting

    1. ~1 h 15 driving · 78 km
    2. ~25 min driving · 21 km
      CivitaCalabria
    3. ~50 min driving · 40 km
      AltomonteCalabria
    4. Overnight in Altomonte

  5. Day 5

    ~1 h 35 driving

    1. ~1 h 35 driving · 122 km
      Lamezia Terme AirportReturning to