Comprehensive Guide Collection for Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park

Italy's largest national park, blending Mediterranean coastline, limestone peaks, and ancient Greek heritage

Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park

Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park represents one of Italy's most important protected areas, covering a vast territory in the southern part of Campania along the Tyrrhenian coast. The park encompasses the entire Cilento peninsula, the Vallo di Diano intermontane basin, and the Monti Alburni mountain chain, creating a protected landscape of remarkable geographical and ecological diversity. The park's establishment in 1991 marked a significant achievement in Italian conservation history, driven by growing concern over uncontrolled urban development threatening the region's natural beauty and cultural heritage. Today the park serves as a model of integrated conservation, combining protection of natural ecosystems with preservation of archaeological sites and traditional rural landscapes. The park's territory extends from the Piana del Sele plain in the north to the Basilicata border in the east and south, with the Tyrrhenian Sea forming its western boundary. This strategic location at the crossroads of different environmental zones results in extraordinary biodiversity, with Mediterranean maquis along the coast transitioning to deciduous forests in the hills and beech forests at higher elevations. The park administration works closely with the 80 municipalities within its boundaries to balance conservation objectives with sustainable development, recognizing that the region's long-term prosperity depends on protecting its natural and cultural assets.