When exploring Maratea and its coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the increasingly buzzy southern Italian region of Basilicata, you can’t help but wonder if this was what Portofino and Positano were like before they became the high-wattage resorts they are today.

Here, locals, not visitors, determine the rhythms of the town; own the one-off shops and bakeries; and artisan crafts are the take-home items, not logo-laden souvenirs. There are visitors, certainly, and outdoor cafes filled up quickly when I visited in late June, but it wasn’t uncomfortably crowded. The super-yachts and international brands have yet to arrive.