Campania sits on the shin of Italy's boot, and is an aggregate of coastline leading to blue seas, bustling villages and a landscape of steaming sulfurous springs and limestone rocks. The smoldering Mt. Vesuvius' volcanic soil produces the country's finest fruits and vegetables, like prized San Marzano sweet tomatoes, and groves of lemon and lime trees hug the curves of its two bays, the Bay of Naples and the Bay of Sorrento.

Bold and brassy, Campania's capital city of Naples is the proud birthplace of pizza. The busy city has a little bit of everything — several world-class museums, stunning architecture and a vibrant and animated population. Vesuvius' violent eruption 2,000 years ago both destroyed and preserved the ancient cities of Pompei and Herculaneum, an absolute must-see. The narrow highway leading down the Amalfi Coast can be a harrowing, albeit picturesque, drive to the memorable towns of Amalfi, Sorrento, Positano and Ravello. Or, take right to the water instead, and travel by ferry or hydrofoil to the famed island of Capri to celebrity-spot, and then head to another nearby island, Ischia, to relax at one of its many natural spas.