City in Basilicata, Italy
Matera for solo travelers
Is Matera good for solo travel?
A UNESCO-listed cave city of stone dwellings carved into a ravine, now filled with cave hotels and restaurants. Unforgettable and compact; steep steps, summer heat and few direct trains mean it suits short stays.
Solo travel at a glance
| Solo travel | 3/5 · Good, with some effort |
|---|---|
| Locals | Friendly |
| English | Common in tourist areas |
| Safety | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Solo women | Very comfortable for solo women, including at night in the main streets. Take a taxi if staying in a remote cave hotel. |
How to meet people in Matera
Cave hostels and small guesthouses, guided walks through the Sassi and rock churches, cooking classes, and group hikes in the Murgia Materana park.
Good things to do alone
- Walk the Sassi at sunrise from Belvedere Murgia Timone
- Visit a cave home (Casa Grotta) museum
- Hike in the Parco della Murgia Materana
- Eat crapiata and Matera bread
- Day trip to Craco ghost village
Where to stay in Matera
| Area | Good for |
|---|---|
| Sasso Barisano | Cave hotels and restaurants; liveliest at night |
| Sasso Caveoso | Quieter and more atmospheric, close to rock churches |
| Piano (Piazza Vittorio Veneto) | Flat, modern area with shops, buses and cheaper rooms |
Solo travel across Italy
| Place | Solo | English |
|---|---|---|
| Rome | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Venice | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Florence | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Milan | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Naples | 4/5 | Limited |
| Cinque Terre | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Sicily | 4/5 | Limited |
| Tuscany | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Bologna | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Verona | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Sorrento | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Turin | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Palermo | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Catania | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Bari | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Lecce | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Genoa | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Amalfi Coast | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Lake Como | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Positano | 3/5 | Widely spoken |
| Sardinia | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Pisa | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Capri | 3/5 | Widely spoken |
| Lake Garda | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Siena | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Puglia | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Dolomites | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Taormina | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Matera | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Lucca | 3/5 | Common in tourist areas |
Quick answers
Is Matera good for solo travelers?
Good, with some effort (3/5). A UNESCO-listed cave city of stone dwellings carved into a ravine, now filled with cave hotels and restaurants.
How do you meet people in Matera?
Cave hostels and small guesthouses, guided walks through the Sassi and rock churches, cooking classes, and group hikes in the Murgia Materana park. On SoloSquare you can also join small plans with other travelers who are there now.
Do people speak English in Matera?
Common in tourist areas.
Is Matera safe for solo female travelers?
Very comfortable for solo women, including at night in the main streets. Take a taxi if staying in a remote cave hotel.
More about Matera
Going to Matera solo?
SoloSquare is where travelers, nomads and locals in Matera meet up for small plans: coffee, dinners, walks and day trips. Join one, or start your own in a minute.
Sources
Ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.