2 Breathtaking Activities In Ancient Paestum, Italy With Kids

image of ancient Greek ruins with text overlay Paestum, Italy with kids, learn ancient history on location.

2 Breathtaking Activities In Ancient Paestum, Italy With Kids.

Paestum, Italy is one of those places that makes you feel like you’ve just stepped out of a time machine ( cue Dr. Who music), in the best possible way. It’s not spooky. There are no aliens, no Daleks, or weeping angels (those episodes just creep me out). But, you do feel like you’ve dropped into a different spot on the historical timeline and it’s magical.

Paestum, Italy – A Slice of Ancient History

Paestum is all about the Greeks before the Romans took over. Paestum was originally named Poseidonia after the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. The region dates back to Greek settlers coming on the scene in 550 BC. It wasn’t until sometime in the 3rd century BC that the Romans took control of the region.

image of famous ancient Greek fresco of diver with text ovrlay Paestum Italy with kids, learn ancient history on location

Italy With Kids Bucket List

As a traveling, digital homeschooling family, I had high hopes for Paestum. There is so much to learn about the Greeks here! This UNESCO World Heritage destination embodies an epic intersection of history. I was keen to learn right along with my kids. To walk thru the Archeological Park and visiting the museum were high on my must-see Italy list. Alas, our day was meant to be spent just a bit differently.

We decided we needed a proper dip in the Mediterranean before our Italian adventure was complete. Our time in Sorrento with kids was splendid, but the little cove didn’t really make the kids feel like they were ‘swimming in the Mediterranean’. So we headed to Paestum for a little walk and a few hours at the beach. It was perfect!

Paestum is a sleepy (especially mid-week in shoulder season) little strip of town. The views of the temples as you walk along are breathtaking. This ancient Greek city is one of the rare places in Italy where you will find multiple Greek temples in amazing condition for having been around for 2500 years. If you can, visit at sunrise or sunset and take in the view people have enjoyed for thousands of years.

The Archaeological Park is expansive, with guided tours if you like. Also consider the museum, especially if the day is hot and you are looking for a bit of shade.

image of picture of beach near Paestum, Italy with text ovrlay Paestum Italy with kids, learn ancient history on location

Our Perfect Day in Paestum, Italy.

Poseidon was definitely calling us. I can’t believe we did it, but, we decided that the beach was summoning and we needed to skip the museum and keep walking. From Paestum, it was about a 20-minute walk to the beach along a wide road with sidewalks. It was a lovely little walk into the beach town area of Paestum. However, the walk was truly magical as we could see all three of the Temples as we made our way down the main street past the museum to head for the beach.

Prioritizing Our Day in Paestum, Italy

We could have easily headed for the beach and grabbed a posh beach chair but decided that today we would live like a local and stay in the public area of the beach for free. The narrow walkway area down to the beach is ‘the public beach’. You can lay out your towels, set up your umbrellas and unpack your lunch. It’s all free on this skinny little strip.

If you decide that it’s worth the 10-15 euros for the beach chair, umbrella, and table for the day, I recommend going for it. We’ve done it in the past and it is well worth the splurge. When you rent the chairs you get free access to the bathhouse, bathrooms, and showers. So in the long run, it’s really worth it if you are there the whole day.

Don’t Miss the Buffalo Farm

Since we were just coming for a few hours after our tour of the Barlotti Buffalo Farm and mozzarella cheese factory, I was going to save my budget for dinner and gelato later in the evening. The agriturismo center was really good. We got to see how they cared for the buffalo and make the cheese. The fresh mozzarella ball samples were a delicious snack at the end of our tour. They have a lovely cafe and a park-like setting, so it’s easy to bring your own lunch or order at the bar. For us, this was a perfect day. We took a tour, laid in the sun, played in the sea, walked among some amazing ancient Greek temples, and enjoyed our view along the way with a savory panini.

I do recommend taking in the sites of the museum in Paestum if you are keen on learning more about Greek and Roman history. It will be well worth the time and energy spent.

For my kids, on this day, they were just museum-ed out. It can happen. When it does it’s best to put a recovery day into action and let them play to their heart’s content while their brains contemplate and store all those images, sounds, tastes, and experiences for several days of museums and tours. It really is a ton of information for them to ‘wrap their head around’. And, odds are you, as a parent, are in need of a bit of relaxation too. Enjoy the view, and maybe catch up on a chapter or two of your favorite book. It might even be the perfect time to spend a few minutes figuring out logistics or making the next set of reservations.

The True Ebb & Flow Of Travel With Kids.

For my kids, on this day, they were just museum-ed out. It can happen. When it does it’s best to put a recovery day into action and let them play to their heart’s content while their brains contemplate and store all those images, sounds, tastes and experiences of several days of museums and tours. It really is a ton of information for them to ‘wrap their head around’. And, odds are you, as a parent, are in need of a bit of relaxation too. Enjoy the view, and maybe catch up on a chapter or two of your favorite book. It might even be the perfect time to spend a few minutes figuring out logistics or making the next set of reservations.

Some days will be information-packed, others full of exercise chasing after trains, and some just need to be spent walking, talking and playing in the sea. Paestum, Italy was the perfect recovery day for us, it might be for you too.

If y’all are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when you get to Paestum, make sure you include these things not to be missed in Paestum:

Skip the line and pre-book the 3 temples in the Archaeology Park of Paestum – The Basilica, The Temple of Athena (2 of her statues are pictured above), and The Temple of Neptune.
The Paestum Museum
Tours of the Bartoli Buffalo Farm and Artisan Mozzarella Cheese Agriturismo Centre.

So plan your Paestum with kids itinerary to include time for the beach and some time exploring the artifacts and temples. You’ll enjoy every bit of ancient history & sunshine in a magical corner of Italy.