Whether its Grand Tours or terracotta-coloured villas, Italy has always been a travel A-Lister. The challenge comes in picking a particular brand of la dolce vita. Italy’s cities offer time-proven fodder for culture-lovers: Florence’s art, Pisa’s wonky tower, Venice’s canals and Rome’s, well, everything all contenders. Seaside Puglia and hilltown-happy Tuscany represent rental hotspots, while nowhere’s more chic than an Amalfi Coast hotel. Further south, the quasi-autonomous, sun-scorched isle of Sicily scores for sandy shores, still-standing Greek temples and superb food.
What keeps me coming back? The climate and lovely language help, as do those moreish Baci chocolates. But, ultimately, its Italy’s apparently never-ending supply of secret spots which have me hooked: the Pian Grande’s extraordinary poppy blooms, which once made me cry, the trabacchi: rickety wooden fishing piers turned hopelessly romantic fish restaurants in Abruzzo, or up-your-sleeve beaches like Sardinia’s incredible Cala Biriola, rewarding a two-hour trek with near-heaven.
7 holidays match your criteria.
A self-guided hike through the Dolomites from San Candido to Cortina, including a night in a refuge, and a circuit round the iconic Tre Cime.
A self-guided hike along the Amalfi Coast from Amalfi to Sorrento, taking in Ravello, Praiano, Positano and the Sentiero degli Dei (Footpath of the Gods). Our own version allows you to walk the whole way without using a single bus or taxi - the only company that offers this!
This trip introduces walkers to the glory of the Italian Lakes – specifically Lake Maggiore and its lesser-known companion, Lake Orta. See the glamorous lakeside spots as well as off-the-beaten-track areas, and the Franciscan chapels of Sacro Monte. Savour the region's slow-food cuisine and little-known Alto Piemonte wines.
A self-guided hike from the Po valley along the Via del Sale (Salt Road) across the Ligurian Apenines to the Mediterranean - the Italian Riviera at Camogli.
A self-guided walking holiday exploring the Cilento National Park in Campania - gateway to southern Italy. This is traditional Italy to its core, with unspoilt medieval villages, green vistas, and a pretty coastline dotted with sunset-soaked fishing villages.
A eight-night self-guided hike from Spoleto, southwards through the Sabine Hills.
A self-guided hike through the southern Tuscan hills, staying at the best renaissance towns - Siena, Montalcino, Bagno Vignoni, Pienza, Montepulciano. Vist the Abbeys of Monte Oliveti and Sant' Antimo, taste local cuisine and Tuscan wines.
