Anyone who thinks of Campania as a region of cities and crowded coastlines alone is in for a surprise: between volcanoes, mountains, rivers and seabeds, a large part of its territory is protected. We have walked in the parks, watched birds in the oases and swum in the marine areas, and here we give you the map to find your way, with links to our dedicated articles. We start from Naples, but we go everywhere.
The two national parks
Campania has two great national parks, very different from each other. Vesuvius National Park, established on 5 June 1995, protects Europe's most famous volcano and the woods and lava flows that surround it. The park's trails lead right up to the crater: for the volcano's history, read Mount Vesuvius: its history.
The Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, established in 1991, is one of the largest in Italy, covering about 181,000 hectares. Since 1998 it has been a UNESCO site together with Paestum, Velia and the Certosa di Padula. Inside the park are places we love dearly, such as The Calore Gorges and the wild coastline of the Bay of Infreschi. To find your way around the area, start from The Cilento: what to do and what to see.
The regional parks
Alongside the national parks, the Campania Region protects several mountain ranges and landscapes with its regional parks. Here are those we have written about or recommend:
- the Taburno-Camposauro Park, with the profile of the "Sleeping Woman of the Sannio": you will find it in our article on the Taburno-Camposauro Park;
- the Roccamonfina-Foce Garigliano Park, created in 1993 around an extinct volcano: read our article on the Roccamonfina volcano and its park;
- the Picentini Mountains Park, a water reserve for half the region, between Salerno and Avellino;
- the Lattari Mountains Park, which embraces the Sorrento peninsula and the Amalfi Coast;
- the Campi Flegrei Park, among craters, volcanic lakes and archaeology;
- the Matese Park and the Partenio Park, for lovers of the Apennine mountains.
The WWF oases
The oases are the places where we felt closest to nature. In Campania the WWF manages precious areas, often created around artificial lakes or old hunting reserves.
The Persano Oasis, between Serre and Campagna, was created in 1980 around a reservoir on the Sele and is home to the otter: we tell you about it in our article on the Persano WWF Oasis. In Alta Irpinia the Lake Conza Oasis, at Conza della Campania, is the largest wetland in the region, covering about 800 hectares, with more than 140 bird species recorded: you will find it in our article on the Lake Conza WWF Oasis.
In the Picentini there are two twin oases, Monte Polveracchio and Valle della Caccia, among beech woods, streams and wolves, which we describe in our article on the Picentini oases. Finally, on the doorstep of Naples, there is the Astroni Crater, at Pozzuoli: an extinct volcano covered by a forest, once a hunting reserve of the Aragonese and the Bourbons, now a state nature reserve managed by the WWF. The boundary wall and towers were built at the behest of Charles of Bourbon from 1739; inside the crater are small lakes and about 130 bird species.
The marine protected areas
Campania's sea has its own reserves. The Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area, established in 1997, protects the tip of the Sorrento peninsula and includes places such as The Bay of Ieranto. The Regno di Nettuno ("Kingdom of Neptune"), from 2007, protects the seabed around Ischia and Procida. In the Cilento, the areas of Santa Maria di Castellabate and of the Costa degli Infreschi e della Masseta were created in 2009.
In the Gulf of Naples there are also two underwater parks from 2002, where nature intertwines with archaeology: the Gaiola, described in Marechiaro and the Gaiola Underwater Park, and Baia, with its underwater Roman villas, which you will find in The Archaeological Park of Baia.
How to plan your visits
Each area has its own rules: in the WWF oases visits are often guided and on set days, while in the marine areas there are zones where navigation and fishing are restricted. Before you set off, check opening hours and tickets on the official website and always stick to the marked trails. The best period for birdwatching is between autumn and spring, during the migrations; for the marine areas, summer, of course.
Nearby
For a broader picture of outdoor tourism, read our article on green tourism in Campania, with its parks, reserves and countryside. If you are looking for freshwater ideas, there is our guide to the lakes of Campania, with destinations such as Lake Laceno and its plateau. For the trails of the Amalfi Coast, start from the Valle delle Ferriere, and to plan your trip around the gulf, from our guide Naples and its surroundings.
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