Atrani, on Italy's Amalfi coast. Photograph: Alamy
WINNING TIP: Atrani, Campania
The town of Atrani is approached on a viaduct wide enough to be a small park. From the balustrade at the back of it you can see straight down to the piazza. Around the square the houses cram, piled on each other, a dense mass threaded by passages and arches and many flights of steps – but only one street. Walk through the nearby tunnel and you'll emerge in another town, the larger, and more famous, Amalfi.amalficoastweb.com
lymeregis
lymeregis
Campania
Agerola
Inland from Amalfi is the town of Agerola, which has stunning sea views. There is lots of walking: try, for example, the popular Sentiero degli Dei (path of the Gods). There are buses to Amalfi, or you can walk down 300 steps to the beach at Duoglio. The Beata Soltitudo is a campsite with bungalows and a hostel.
+39 081 802 5048, beatasolitudo.it
helencarr
Inland from Amalfi is the town of Agerola, which has stunning sea views. There is lots of walking: try, for example, the popular Sentiero degli Dei (path of the Gods). There are buses to Amalfi, or you can walk down 300 steps to the beach at Duoglio. The Beata Soltitudo is a campsite with bungalows and a hostel.
+39 081 802 5048, beatasolitudo.it
helencarr
Regina Giovanna beach, Sorrento
An old man told me that this beach, about 30 minutes' walk from Sorrento, was so secluded he used to go there with his wife to make love. It was where Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria used to sunbathe naked in the 1920s. It's like no beach I've been to: caves, boulders, lagoons and rock pools reached by wild paths and risky climbs. Drive towards Amalfi and there's a sign for Bagni della Regina Giovanna on your right.
aleshaoner17
An old man told me that this beach, about 30 minutes' walk from Sorrento, was so secluded he used to go there with his wife to make love. It was where Queen Giovanna of Bulgaria used to sunbathe naked in the 1920s. It's like no beach I've been to: caves, boulders, lagoons and rock pools reached by wild paths and risky climbs. Drive towards Amalfi and there's a sign for Bagni della Regina Giovanna on your right.
aleshaoner17
Amalfi coast by boat
Hiring a small motorboat in Amalfi harbour was an amazingly affordable and relaxing way to explore this coast. We had no experience, but the hire process was simple and the boat easy to manoeuvre. We found a lovely spot to drop anchor and sunbathed in complete privacy. This was a highlight of our three-week trip to Italy.
LauraMcC
Hiring a small motorboat in Amalfi harbour was an amazingly affordable and relaxing way to explore this coast. We had no experience, but the hire process was simple and the boat easy to manoeuvre. We found a lovely spot to drop anchor and sunbathed in complete privacy. This was a highlight of our three-week trip to Italy.
LauraMcC
Liguria
A secluded beach at Varigotti, Liguria. Photograph: AlamyVarigotti
I go to Italy every year as my father lives near Asti, but I couldn't believe it when we happened on this seaside idyll last year. Varigotti is a tiny place, with no railway station, just west of Savona. We stayed in a chalet at San Martino campsite, where we cooked pasta and ate at moonlit wooden tables. You can walk down a steep path to the village for breathtaking views.
+39 0196 98250, campingsanmartino.it
animella
I go to Italy every year as my father lives near Asti, but I couldn't believe it when we happened on this seaside idyll last year. Varigotti is a tiny place, with no railway station, just west of Savona. We stayed in a chalet at San Martino campsite, where we cooked pasta and ate at moonlit wooden tables. You can walk down a steep path to the village for breathtaking views.
+39 0196 98250, campingsanmartino.it
animella
Thermal waters at Pigna
These thermal pools are devoid of tourists and casual visitors because they are off the beaten track. On days when it's hot and humid and the beaches are teaming, you can pick a pool, enjoy the clear waters and live dangerously going down small rapids. It's about a 20-minute drive north from Dolceacqua.
izzyb
These thermal pools are devoid of tourists and casual visitors because they are off the beaten track. On days when it's hot and humid and the beaches are teaming, you can pick a pool, enjoy the clear waters and live dangerously going down small rapids. It's about a 20-minute drive north from Dolceacqua.
izzyb
Camogli
Camogli is a sun-bathed and laid-back fishing village on the Riviera di Levante, a short boat trip (or a longer, spectacular hike) from the more famous and touristy Portofino. Up the hill, Villa Rosmarino (doubles from €140) offers a warm welcome, designer interiors and stunning views of Camogli and the coast to Genoa. In the evening you can stroll down past the pastel-painted houses to the numerous harbourside bars and watch the sun set behind the lighthouse before sampling the delicious local pasta.
+39 0185 771580, villarosmarino.com
CTDevon
Camogli is a sun-bathed and laid-back fishing village on the Riviera di Levante, a short boat trip (or a longer, spectacular hike) from the more famous and touristy Portofino. Up the hill, Villa Rosmarino (doubles from €140) offers a warm welcome, designer interiors and stunning views of Camogli and the coast to Genoa. In the evening you can stroll down past the pastel-painted houses to the numerous harbourside bars and watch the sun set behind the lighthouse before sampling the delicious local pasta.
+39 0185 771580, villarosmarino.com
CTDevon
Puglia
Il Trabucco, PeschiciAl Trabucco da MimÃ, Peschici
Perched on a promontory off the unspoilt Gargano peninsula, this ramshackle eatery has sea on three sides. The real draw is its awesomely fresh fish, some of which is caught from the restaurant's owntrabucco, a Puglian contraption that drops nets into the teeming waters.
+39 0884 962556, altrabucco.it
OtterClaire
Perched on a promontory off the unspoilt Gargano peninsula, this ramshackle eatery has sea on three sides. The real draw is its awesomely fresh fish, some of which is caught from the restaurant's owntrabucco, a Puglian contraption that drops nets into the teeming waters.
+39 0884 962556, altrabucco.it
OtterClaire
Sicily and other islands
Ristorante Il Gabbiano, Taormina
This seaside restaurant is the best I have eaten at in 11 years of travelling around Italy. Fresh fish, stunning scenery, it is Sicilian dining at its best. Located overlooking Isola Bella, a lush island nature reserve below the chic resort town of Taormina, Il Gabbiano makes the most of its setting with several beautiful terraces. It specialises in seafood. We ate king prawns, sardines, squid, and beautiful fresh fish baked over charcoal and filleted at our table, served with a fresh lemon, olive oil and herb dressing. It typifies what I love most about coastal Italy: great food that is simple, plentiful and found in unassuming, roadside restaurantswhich hide stunning seaside views.
+39 0942 625128, ilgabbianoristorante.it
ccitalia
This seaside restaurant is the best I have eaten at in 11 years of travelling around Italy. Fresh fish, stunning scenery, it is Sicilian dining at its best. Located overlooking Isola Bella, a lush island nature reserve below the chic resort town of Taormina, Il Gabbiano makes the most of its setting with several beautiful terraces. It specialises in seafood. We ate king prawns, sardines, squid, and beautiful fresh fish baked over charcoal and filleted at our table, served with a fresh lemon, olive oil and herb dressing. It typifies what I love most about coastal Italy: great food that is simple, plentiful and found in unassuming, roadside restaurantswhich hide stunning seaside views.
+39 0942 625128, ilgabbianoristorante.it
ccitalia
Villa Sara, Taormina
This welcoming B&B (from €45 a night) clings to the hillside above Taormina. Huge balconies overlook the bay and Giardini-Naxos. Reward yourself after climbing back up the hill after dinner with a bottle of wine and fireworks. Etna may be kicking off, or on 8 September, manmade fireworks mark the feast of the Madonna of Giardini.
+39 0942 28138, villasara.net
NorthernBint
This welcoming B&B (from €45 a night) clings to the hillside above Taormina. Huge balconies overlook the bay and Giardini-Naxos. Reward yourself after climbing back up the hill after dinner with a bottle of wine and fireworks. Etna may be kicking off, or on 8 September, manmade fireworks mark the feast of the Madonna of Giardini.
+39 0942 28138, villasara.net
NorthernBint
Lampedusa
This small island, close to Africa, is the southernmost tip of Italy. Its pretty beaches are mostly empty outside July and August. Snorkel with manta rays, watch dolphins from a boat, or hire a bike. Loggerhead turtles lay their eggs on the Isola dei Conigli (Rabbit Island), and a nature reserve hides megalithic sites. If you visit, don't forget to pack Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's literary masterpiece The Leopard – his grandfather used to own the island.
For ferries from Sicily see usticalines.it
LizCleere
This small island, close to Africa, is the southernmost tip of Italy. Its pretty beaches are mostly empty outside July and August. Snorkel with manta rays, watch dolphins from a boat, or hire a bike. Loggerhead turtles lay their eggs on the Isola dei Conigli (Rabbit Island), and a nature reserve hides megalithic sites. If you visit, don't forget to pack Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's literary masterpiece The Leopard – his grandfather used to own the island.
For ferries from Sicily see usticalines.it
LizCleere
Tuscany
Viareggio
The short walk from the train station to the beach takes you past a variety of shops, restaurants and beautiful architecture. On arriving at the beach you will find at least three miles of golden sand propped up by many hip and trendy bar-restaurants. A day trip to Viareggio complemented a stay at the stunning nearby city of Lucca, which is only 40 minutes away by train.
ryanmccolluk
The short walk from the train station to the beach takes you past a variety of shops, restaurants and beautiful architecture. On arriving at the beach you will find at least three miles of golden sand propped up by many hip and trendy bar-restaurants. A day trip to Viareggio complemented a stay at the stunning nearby city of Lucca, which is only 40 minutes away by train.
ryanmccolluk
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