I’ve traveled to all 20 regions in Italy — but I’ll always return to this one in the south

Last month, I accomplished my goal of visiting all 20 regions in Italy when I set foot in Molise (which Italians cheekily refer to as “the region that doesn’t exist,” because it’s so small).

Although I have great memories of Emilia-Romagna’s incredible food and Sardinia’s therapeutic salty air, nowhere has quite stolen my heart like Basilicata — a region I’ve visited six times since 2021, and come to think of as the country’s best-kept secret.

Basilicata is located in Southern Italy, right between Puglia and Calabria. I’ll admit that I have an emotional connection to the area, too: My great-grandmother hails from a small town called Pignola, right in the heart of the region near its capital, Potenza.

That said, I also happen to just genuinely love this part of Italy, from its dramatic rolling hills to its niche cuisine. Whenever someone asks me which part of the country they should visit, I always encourage them to plan a trip there.

Not only is it beautiful, but I’ve found it to be less crowded than other parts of the country. As of 2024, the population of the entire region of Basilicata is less than 550,000, whereas the population of Rome, which is just a city, is close to 3 million.

From seaside paradise and dramatic mountains, Basilicata has it all

Uniquely surrounded by the sea on two coasts — to the south, the Ionian Sea, and to the west, the Tyrrhenian Sea — Basilicata offers a beach escape on a budget.

Most notably, Maratea is my favorite Amalfi Coast “dupe” in the country. The beaches in this town are top-notch with clear, sparkling water, and their beauty has been recognized by Borghi Più Belli d’Italia, a nonprofit that works to preserve the most beautiful small villages in Italy.

Plus, Maratea offers easy access to Pollino National Park, the country’s largest national park. Pollino is full of dreamy hiking trails lined with Loricato pine trees.

You’ll also want to visit Matera, one of the world’s oldest continuously lived-in cities, with history dating back nearly 10,000 years. It’s famous for its Sassi di Matera, the network of buildings carved out of caves.

The food goes far beyond pizza and pasta

Throughout my visits to every Italian region, I have fallen in love with the diversity of the country’s cuisine.

Yes, everyone knows that Italy is home to plenty of pizza and pasta — but each Italian region has specific, niche dishes, too.

With a strong socioeconomic divide between Northern and Southern Italy, Basilicata has historically been one of the most impoverished parts of the country. That history shows through the region’s food.

For example, in Matera, a popular meal is “bread balls” that have the same seasonings as regular meatballs, only sans meat and thus cheaper to prepare.

No visit to Basilicata is complete without trying peperone crusco. These crunchy, bright red, sweet peppers are served on just about everything.

I’ve had them on a variety of pasta dishes (especially pasta mollicata, a pasta topped with breadcrumbs), and I even had them covered in chocolate at a small pasticceria in Pignola.

Cheese fanatics will be pleased to try caciocavallo. This teardrop-shaped cheese is usually made from sheep’s milk (though it can also be made from cow’s milk), and has a similar flavor profile to provolone.

It’s served in various ways, from fried discs to a bubbly skillet melt. You can even simply eat it fresh from the deli counter.

I love all of Italy, but I’ll always come back to Basilicata

Despite having reached my goal of seeing all 20 regions in Italy, I still feel I’ve only scraped the surface of the country.

Though I can’t guarantee I’ll return to every region, I know I will be back to Basilicata over and over again — because, at the end of the day, there’s simply no place like home.

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