Cilento is an italian geographical region of Campania, in the central and southern part of the Province of Salerno; and an important tourist area of southern Italy.
The coast (on Tyrrhenian Sea) is located betwenn Paestum and the Gulf of Policastro, near the town of Sapri. More of touristic towns by the coast are "frazioni"; as for exemple Santa Maria di Castellabate, Acciaroli, Velia, Palinuro, Marina di Camerota, Scario and Policastro Bussentino.
The inner boundaries are the Alburni mountains and Vallo di Diano, sometimes considered as part of cilentan geographical region, which has in Sala Consilina its largest center. The most important towns in this area are Vallo della Lucania (in the middle), Sapri and Agropoli: this is the largest town of Cilento and the principal harbour.
Most of this area is included in "Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park".
The region is steeped in greek mythology and legends, as in the names of some towns, which is also visible in the remains of the colonies of Velia (ancient Elea) and Paestum (ancient Poseidonia). Velia was also the seat of "Eleatics", a school of pre-Socratic philosophers as Parmenides, Zeno of Elea and Melissus of Samos).
Cilento was part of ancient Lucania, and its language is influenced by lucanian. In the north of Cilento the dialect is more influenced by neapolitan language, but in the southern part it has many similarities with Sicilian.
