Campeggio in Fattoria

Head down to the coast for the numerous sandy beaches or lidos with bars and restaurants along the Tyrrhenian Sea (half an hour’s drive). If you’re on holiday with kids, treat them to a day on the waterslides, lazy river and pirate ship at Isola Verde Acqua Park (35 minutes), or lead them underground to the extraordinary limestone formations in the Grotte di Castelcivita (20 minutes), first inhabited by Neanderthals 42,000 years ago. Speaking of history, don’t miss the chance to explore the ancient Greek ruins of Paestum (35 minutes), where three huge Doric temples still stand alongside an amphitheatre; there’s also an archaeological museum at the site, liberally crammed with fragments of 2,000-year-old frescoes and mosaics. Miraculously well-preserved Pompei is also only an hour’s drive away for a day of marvelling at the Roman forum, amphitheatre and temples. If you don’t feel like venturing so far, take a nature walk around the lake and marshes at Persano Oasi WWF (15 minutes), where you might get lucky and see rare orchids in bloom or watch migratory birds fly in during spring and early autumn.