Matera was the second stop on our 2025 Italian family trip, and one I’d planned with intention. Tucked into the southern region of Basilicata, this wasn’t my first visit. Dan and I had traveled to Matera back in 2021, and I knew it was somewhere worth returning to, especially if you want an Italy experience that feels completely different from the usual Rome–Florence–Venice (or Amalfi) circuit.
Welcome Matera, Italia. It doesn’t look anything like the Italian hotspots.
We based ourselves in Matera for a special, and specific, reason: it’s the closest city to our friend’s ancestral hometown of Irsina. That made Matera the perfect home base for a day trip to Irsina, which ended up being one of the most memorable parts of our trip. While Irsina was the reason for our visit, we spent a decent amount of time in Matera itself.
Matera’s Sassi.
If you haven’t been, Matera doesn’t feel like anywhere else in Italy. The cave dwellings, the winding stone alleys, the layered views over the Sassi; it almost feels cinematic (and for good reason). This post walks you through exactly how we spent our time in Matera—what we prioritized, where we ate and drank, and how I’d recommend doing the same if you’re following a similar itinerary.
MATERA, ITALY: A [VERY] BRIEF BACKGROUND
Matera is the second-largest city in Basilicata and easily the region’s most visited, but it feels absolutely nothing like the rest of Italy. It’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, with roots dating back to the 8th millennium BC. Adding to its ancientness, Matera is carved directly into limestone rock and split between two historic cliffside districts known as the Sassi, plus a modern town above.
Matera against a bright blue background. We had great weather when we arrived…
We stayed in the Sassi, and I’d recommend doing the same, unless you have mobility issues, as the Sassi is where you really experience what makes Matera special. Indeed, walking through the Sassi feels like stepping into another time entirely. It feels older and quieter that Italy’s more popular destiations, and a little surreal. The closest comparisons I can make are Petra in Jordan, Cappadocia in Türkiye, or Mdina in Malta, with its layered stone buildings and dramatic views carved into the landscape.
My friend, Pryor, and I in Matera. There are many, many viewpoints like this with excellent vistas of Matera.
Matera has, not surprisingly, been used as a backdrop for many movies, including, most famously,The Passion of the Christ and the more recent James Bond movie, No Time to Die, among many others. The restaurant, La Lopa (which is incredible), plays clips from films made in Matera continuously in its basement. Tourists can stop in for a drink to watch the clips.
This could easily be a scene in a move.
Even though it looks ancient, Matera today is very much a modern destination. Over the past decade, it’s gone through a huge transformation, with beautifully restored cave hotels, great restaurants, wine bars, and small shops throughout the Sassi. It’s the kind of place where you can spend the morning getting lost in stone alleyways and the afternoon sitting down for a long, relaxed meal. That said, the city’s history isn’t perfect. In the 1950s through the 1970s, the Italian government considered the Sassi unfit for modern living and relocated many residents to the newer part of town. Parts of Matera were left abandoned for years, and it’s still something people have strong feelings about today. Knowing that history adds another layer to the experience, and it makes what Matera has become feel even more impressive.
Matera today, with many of its ancient Sassi having been restored.
HOW TO GET TO MATERA
One of the only real challenges with Matera is getting there. There’s no especially easy or direct route. Matera does have a small train station, but it’s not connected to Italy’s high-speed rail network. The only train option is a slower regional line from Bari (and it’s not even run by Trenitalia), which takes a little over an hour and isn’t the most seamless experience if you’re coming from elsewhere in Italy.
Matera, Italia. Well worth it once you arrive.
There are also public buses in and out of Matera, but if you’re trying to follow a similar itinerary to ours, I’d strongly recommend either driving or hiring a driver, which is what we did. We arranged a driver to take us from Raito to Matera, which took about 2.5 hours. The drive itself was straightforward, mostly on modern highways, and honestly much easier than you might expect for southern Italy.
If you’re flying in, the closest airport is Bari, which is about an hour away by car. From there, you can decide whether to rent a car, book a transfer, or take the train—but having a car (or driver) will give you the most flexibility, especially if you’re planning to explore nearby towns like we did.
Arriving via a 9 seater black van in Matera. Just ensure your drive has the proper authority to drive in the Sassi.
HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR TIME IN MATERA
Despite being somewhat of a small town and much less known than many of Italy’s other heavy hitters, Matera has much to see, do, and learn. One can easily spend 3 – 4 days in Matera and only scratch the surface. We did not have that much time (unfortunately), so we packed in as much as we could with about 1 full day to explore Matera (excluding early mornings and evenings). These are some of the things we did this time, and what I would recommend for those with only a day in Matera, but its certainly not an exhaustive list.
We caught the sunset.
EXPLORING MATERA ON YOUR OWN
The highlight of any visit to Matera, at least in my opinion, is simple: just walking around and taking it all in. There’s no checklist that really compares to wandering through the Sassi, turning down random stone alleyways, and stopping at different viewpoints overlooking the city. Truly, ever corner leads to another jaw-dropping view. Ensure your camera is fully charged.
Walking through the Sassi in the evening.
That said, Matera is not the easiest place to explore physically. The historic part of Matera is incredibly hilly, with lots of uneven steps and sloped limestone paths. You need to be reasonably comfortable walking and climbing stairs. It’s also worth noting that the limestone can get very slippery, especially if it rains. When wet, some of those paths become genuinely dangerous (I slipped and fell), so good shoes and a bit of caution go a long way.
Matera after the rain stopped.
WALKING TOUR
On this visit, we made a point to do something we skipped the first time: a guided walking tour through Matera. Looking back, not doing a tour on our first trip definitely meant we missed a lot of the history and context that makes Matera so interesting. Even though our tour ended up taking place in a full downpour, it was absolutely worth it. We learned so much more about Matera’s past, how the Sassi were actually lived in, and how the city has evolved over time. Just as importantly, we were taken to places we never would have found on our own.
If you’re following a similar itinerary, I’d strongly recommend building a walking tour into your time here, as it really changes how you experience the city. Our tour was only two hours and reasonably priced.
Before the rain, our guide showed us this stunning fresco just on the street. It was part of an ancient church.
Another fresco from the same ancient church, just hanging out in Matera.
Really great tour guide showing us the highlights in the rain.
On tour in the rain. Always bring weather gear!
PALOMBARO LUNGO
One stop we missed on our first visit, but made sure to include this time, was the Palombaro Lungo (I think it was closed when we were here in 2021 due to COVID). Palombaro Lungo is one of Matera’s massive underground cisterns, carved directly beneath the city, and it’s surprisingly impressive. Entry is inexpensive (just a few euros), and while the visit itself only takes about 10 minutes, it’s absolutely worth doing.
Of note, to visit you’ll need to navigate a number of stairs up and down. Once inside, it’s a really cool, slightly surreal space and gives you a better sense of how the city historically managed water. Guests walk through the cistern on a small catwalk over water.
Looking down at Palombaro lungo from the entrance.
Palombaro lungo from the inside. It was pretty interesting. Only slightly claustrophobic.
CHIESA DEL PURGATORIO
Another site that we missed in 2021 was the Chiesa del Purgatorio, which is a really interesting church with skulls carved into the door. Constructed in the mid-18th century, it is a church where people went to pray for the souls trapped in limbo between heaven and hell. I think I liked this one so much because it is markedly different than most other churches that you see in Italy.
Chiesa del Purgatorio.
More skeletons on the Chiesa del Purgatorio.
And on the church note, there are a lot of churches in Matera, some built into the limestone rocks. They are all worth visiting if you have time. We were visiting a lot of churches on this trip, so we didn’t visit this time around.
CASA GROTTA NEI SASSI DI MATERA
An historic Cave House museum in Matera.
There is also some art in the restored cave homes.
WHERE WE ATE IN MATERA
My first visit to Matera left me unimpressed with Matera’s food scene. Maybe it was that it was still kind of COVID-times or maybe I did not research properly, but this time around, Matera’s food blew me away. I was incredibly impressed, and we ate incredibly well. I recommend all of the below places.
FOCACCERIA ITALIANA 5 LIRE MATERA
5 Lire Matera is an insanely good, super casual, pizza restaurant on Via Domenico Ridola, a flat main thoroughfare. No reservations. Eat there on one of its few tables, including 1 or 2 on its terrace overlooking Matera, or take the pizza to go. Inexpensive. I cannot recommend 5 Lire enough. We all went back for seconds.
Lots of Focaccia at 5 Lire.
Up close of the Focaccia.
LA LOPA MATERA
One of the absolute best restaurants in Matera, and that we ate at in all of Italy on this trip, is La Lopa Matera. La Lopa is simply fantastic. I cannot recommend it enough. Serving local Lucanian dishes and wine, our meal was excellent. The restaurant also accomodated our group in our own private dining room, which was a super nice touch. A separate review is coming on this wonderful restaurant.
Homemade orecchiette at La Lopa.
A house made Eggplant Parmesan. This was so, so good.
FUOCO DI VINO MATERA
We also dined at Fuoco di Vino, which is more of a “modern” experience than La Lopa. The food at Fuoco di Vino was still delicious ,and the restaurant was beautifully decorated. Come here for a more modern dinner with gorgeous presentation.
A vegetarian pasta dish.
Black pig ravioli. This was excellent.
AREA OTTO
Area Otto is a cool, hipster-y cocktail bar in Matera that makes excellent cocktails. We first visited in 2021 and returned this time around. Come here for local, young person vibes, excellent cocktails, and small bites.
Cocktails at Area Otto.
Vibes at Area Otto.
WHERE WE STAYED IN MATERA: LE MALVE CAVE HOTEL
We stayed at Le Malve Cave Retreat, one of Matera’s well-known “cave hotels.” And despite the name, you’re not literally roughing it in a cave. In Matera, “cave hotels” are typically built into the limestone of the Sassi, blending the historic structure with modern updates—so you get the atmosphere without giving up comfort. That said, there’s definitely a range. Some are beautifully renovated and very comfortable, while others are a bit more basic, so it’s worth choosing carefully.
One thing to know (and plan for): these hotels are often spread out rather than contained in a single building. Our group was split across three different buildings, all within about a two-minute walk of each other. This was actually the same setup we had on our 2021 visit, so it seems pretty typical for Matera.
Le Malve Cave Retreat entrance in Matera.
Waiting with all of our luggage to check into Le Malve.
Overall, we had a great experience at Le Malve. The rooms were clean, the staff was very friendly, and breakfast each morning was solid and easy. It’s a great option if you want the full “stay in the Sassi” experience without sacrificing comfort—and I’d absolutely stay here again. I previously stayed at Palazzotto Residence & Winery, where I would also stay again in Matera.
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR VISITING MATERA
- Make dinner reservations in advance. On both our trips, places surprisingly booked up, especially those known by tourists.
- Ensure that your transportation can drop you off very close to your hotel. Matera is incredibly hilly and difficult to navigate; you do not want to walk through town to your hotel with luggage. Given that the Sassi bars most cars, drivers need advance permission to enter the area. Local transportation companies know this. Confirm before booking.
- If you have any mobility issues, stay in the new part of town, which is flat. The Sassi is hilly and all cobblestone streets. Not easy to manage. As I mentioned, Matera’s limestone becomes incredibly slippery in the rain (I fell).
- Matera’s history is ancient and not necessarily easily visible to everyday tourists. Our guided tour provided a lot of context regarding Matera. The tour was not expensive. I recommend one if you have time.
- Bring headphones of the air-pod style if you plan to visit any museums. The information was available in English via an app, but you needed headphones to listen to the app on your phone.
- There is a lot of cool stuff to do around Matera, such as hiking, horseback riding, and exploring the nearby canyon. Active tourists may want to spend a few days here.
- Do your research and don’t go to the most touristy spots for food and drink. We made this mistake in 2021 and did not repeat it this time.
- When leaving Matera, leave ample time to reach your train station or airport, especially if its far away. There is only 1 real road in and out of Matera and if its backed up, you are delayed. This happened to us. Luckily, the road cleared and we did not have a real problem.
- Try the local food and drink. Matera has some excellent local dishes, which are hard to find outside of Matera. For example, orecchiette (pasta, also common in Puglia), peperoni cruschi (sun dried red peppars), agnello alla lucana (lamb, very popular here), Caciocavallo Podolico cheese, and Aglianico del Vulture (a local red wine).
- You will see the word Lucanian or Lucania all over Matera. It can be a bit confusing. Lucania was a historical region of Southern Italy in around the same area as current day Basilicata. Today, Lucania is generally synonymous for Basilicata. People residing in Basilicata are called Lucani, as is theire Italian language dialect.
Matera in the rain. Watch out for the slippery streets.
STEAL OUR TRIP TO MATERA
Ferrovie Appulo Lucane: This is the train that runs in and around Matera.
Made in South of Italy: We used this company to organize our drive to and from Matera. Everything worked fine. Highly recommend.
Le Malve Cave Hotel: Rione Malve, 17. Book via its website for the best prices. Highly recommend.
Palazzotto Residence & Winery: Via Sette Dolori, 39, Accesso da Via Fiorentini – Rione Sasso Barisano, 75100 Matera MT, Italy. This is where we stayed in 2021. Also highly recommend.
Focacceria Italiana 5 Lire Matera: Via Domenico Ridola, 37, 75100 Matera MT, Italy. Open daily 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM, later on the weekends.
La Lopa Matera: Via Bruno Buozzi, 13, 75100 Matera MT, Italy. Closed MOnday. Open Wednesday – Sunday 12:30 – 2:30 PM and 7:00 – 9:45 PM. Open Tuesday for dinner only 7:00 – 9:45 PM.
Fuoco di Vino Matera: Via San Biagio, 43, 75100 Matera MT, Italy. Closed Tuesday. Open otherwise 12:30 – 2:00 PM and 7:00 – 10:00 PM. Reservations recommended.
Area Otto: Via Casalnuovo, 15, 75100 Matera MT, Italy. Closed Monday – Wednesday. Open otherwise 19:00 – 2:00. Reservations recommended during busy times.
Tour of Matera: This is the walking tour we took of Matera, called Matera’s Sassi Walking Tour – History & Culture.