If you are looking for an Italian holiday during high summer and want somewhere beautiful but untouched by droves of tourists then a trip to Puglia and Basilicata could be your perfect escape. Just before the pandemic I asked an Italian friend for her recommendation of somewhere not thronging with British holidaymakers, perhaps somewhere Italians themselves holidayed, and most presciently for what was about to happen on the world economic stage – somewhere it was possible to have a beautiful holiday without breaking the bank.

We had stayed in Puglia, the heel of Italys boot, before, and absolutely adored it’s endless expanse of olive trees and seaside towns to the north (see my previous travel guide here) but I wanted to explore a little further afield. When Carlotta suggested Matera in Basilicata, it looked the perfect solution as we could combine a trip to Matera and it’s outlaying countryside with one to Puglia which would take in Lecce and the award winning beach resorts on the Salentine coast we had missed previously.

This was going to be our first summer holiday taken in August as 2020 was Teds first school year. It may not have happened until 2022, but I was still very conscious of making money stretch as far as I could. I knew that February was the best time to book flights and we did this, costing around £30 per person each way. I decided that unlike 2018, I wouldn’t drive this time since we would mainly be staying in central towns and I could see transport connections between them. I also looked at accommodation options in February, conscious that I like to do research and that the best places at the best prices would be most readily available (I know last minute can work out very well, but I am far more of a natural planner than a spontaneous type!). We selected two really lovely looking Airbnb apartments in Matera and Lecce, with a short break somewhere a little more luxurious in the countryside of Basilicata as a bridge in the middle.

.

Matera

The region of Basilicata doesn’t have an airport, but it’s central town, Matera is reachable by car and bus in just under 50 minutes from Bari airport in Puglia. Matera is a UNESCO world heritage site and was a European city of culture in 2019. It is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with dwellings built on the Sassi (stone) hills on either side of its ancient river canyon from Neolithic times onward. Homes were carved into the hills one on top of the other, becoming modified over time, and in very recent times some have transformed to become boutique hotels. The ancient foundation of Matera’s evolution gives the town a unique architectural landscape. It is a popular site with directors, appearing in many films, most recently in the opening chase sequence of the latest James Bond ‘No Time To Die’.

‘Christ Stopped at Eboli’

To understand Matera’s unique foundation also requires an understanding of its less romantic past. Before going, I started reading Carlo Levi’s ‘Christ stopped at Eboli’. Eboli, the furthest outpost of Campania, is allegorised by the author as the last place touched or looked over by god before descending into the desperate poverty of the region of Basilicata. Levi was an artist who was exiled to Basilicata in the 1930’s by Mussolini, and his fictionalised account of his time in Matera illuminated the dire poverty and slum living conditions of whole families and their cattle inhabiting small, humid and unforgiving cave dwellings, which would become known as the shame of Italy. During the 1950’s the government began the process of resettling inhabitants to modern dwellings and by the 1980’s the Sassi’s of Matera began to welcome tourists.

You cannot walk the streets, far less venture to the abandoned caves, without thinking of this vast history of civilisation built upon the rocks of Matera. Despite being August, and streets having a gentle throng of tourists, you will rarely hear an English voice, this is a place Italians visit to discover their history. The layers of history are all still here for discovery, from homes modified over centuries, to churches built thousands of years ago, to the Neolithic caves themselves.

.

Walking the Neolithic Caves & Ravine

The Neolithic caves were the absolute highlight of our visit, but don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t a slightly treacherous journey to take, especially if you are accompanied by a seven year old or a husband with a dodgy leg! We sort of accidentally started our route, I had read that you could descend steps between Porto Pistola and Chiesa Rupestre di Santa Maria di Idris which would take you to a natural path built into the ravine over centuries. I had also read the advice to take water with you, however I had imagined that I would find a shop on the central street outside the town, I didn’t. And my sons enthusiasm to find ancient caves meant we started our descent with only one Diet Coke (if you know me, you will know I’m never far from one of these) stowed in my bag. Please do not be idiots like us, take water, wear trainers (my espadrilles were not the one!), and if you are with a smaller person expect the journey to take you several hours. Was it worth it?! Oh my gosh yes! If you go to Matera for more than a day I absolutely recommend you take the route to the Neolithic caves. Along the paths that wind back and forth along the ravine you will see natural beauty and views of Matera from below which can’t be beaten, the swaying bridge across the water is an incredible spot for looking out as both sides of this canyon present in ascent, and when you finally reach the first of the abandoned caves you won’t be disappointed by the effect of seeing these ancient dwellings up close in person.

.

Sleeping & Eating

We stayed in a lovely apartment in Matera, it was perfectly located in the Sassi near to all of the main sights in the old town and eateries. It was sympathetically restored with charming touches, the vaulted ceilings and chequerboard floors were beautiful and most charming of all was the view over the town crowned by the cathedral which was twenty steps from the bed to vista. We were very lucky with the timing of our trip to Matera too, as it coincided with the annual star gazing celebration where the people of Matera turn their lights off leaving only lampposts on to better see the stars. If all of Matera is like stepping back in time, then gazing out at the barely lit town and up at the stars is an even more atmospheric experience with the past. On the winding streets and squares of Matera’s town you will pass many gelatorias, but if you happen to be passing by Via Domenico Ridola you would regret not trying a cone with a scoop or bitter almond and a scoop of lavender ice cream at I Vizi degli Angeli.

.

The Countryside of Basilicata

If you don’t have a car, then heading out into the countryside around Matera will require a taxi. The taxi to the Masseria we stayed in took 20 minutes, however if we’d walked it without the direct route of a highway it would have taken us over 2.5 hours. The countryside is very different from Puglia, fewer olive groves for sure, but it is a beautifully peaceful and untouched part of the world I highly recommend. You may be a far cry from walkable amenities but under the open sky with a backdrop of farm lands complete with old ruins you can really take in the beauty and stillness of this region.

.

Masseria Fontana Di Vite

We had a two night break at a Masseria in the Basilicatan countryside. We love staying in Masseria’s (Italian farmhouses) as you combine a stay in nature with the freedoms of apartment living but the luxury of daily cleaning and fresh towels you would receive at a hotel. We stayed at Masseria Fontana di Vite which is a real gem of a location. Nestled away from towns and hamlets, this Masseria has its own chapel (perfect for a quiet moment shielded from the afternoon heat), swimming pool, beautifully pared back rooms with well chosen antiques, a restaurant with gourmet cuisine and the carefully curated eye of an interior designer (the bookcases are filled with volumes of Italian Architectural Digest, and you get a real feeling that the person involved in the form and function of the Masseria has a keen eye for simple beauty and luxury).

.

The nights we spent here were the perfect place for some family rest and relaxation (when Ted wasn’t practicing swimming skills). And it was a very restorative break which set us up well for the next leg of our journey. I could have happily taken up post here for the week, but then I would have missed much Puglia inspiration. Pop back in a few days for Part Two of our trip which includes Monopoli, Lecce and Torre della’ Orso.