Off the beaten track

180 km from coast to coast, on foot, to discover a different Sicily, rural, wild, ignored by most. For enthusiastic walkers, and anyone willing to try…

“Etna giveth and Etna taketh away” is the mantra of the locals who have lived in symbiosis for millennia with this imposing volcanic peak—one of the most…

Along the western bank of the Arno river, slightly outside the historic center in south-eastern Florence, where few visitors venture, is Anconella Park,…

Perched on a rocky spur, the village of Barrea is set amid the natural beauty of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise, surrounded by mountains, beech…

On the south-eastern coast of Sicily is a string of marine villages and wild beaches suited for a serene holiday dictated by leisurely nature walks, long…

Certainly, there is no shortage of magical destinations within a country as diverse as Italy to take your fancy but as you know as well as me, it remains a …

When you think of Lake Como it’s hard not to conjure up images of boat trips, George Clooney and Bellagio for Bellinis! These are all very enjoyable things to…

Sicily’s first nature reserve, Zingaro, established in 1981, stretches for seven kilometers along the north-western coastline of the Gulf of Castellammare,…

[The idyllic Renon plateau has breathtaking views of the Dolomites.] “Here on the Renon it’s divinely beautiful,” wrote Sigmund Freud as he vacationed on the…

Located just a few kilometres south of Florence, the Certosa del Galluzzo is a forgotten temple of art and architecture. More than just a monastery this vast…