Inspiration

Where the Italians staycation

Nicole Franchini Profile Image

Nicole Franchini

Sawday's Expert

5 min read

Italy pulses with passion for art, architecture, history, sport and food, with coffee vaunted in its own entirely separate category. The country’s 20 regions all have their own flavour and many are well-known travel destinations, so it can be hard to decide which to visit. We took a literal slant on the old mantra, "when in Rome..." and asked travel and lifestyle journalist Erica Firpo, based in the capital, where the Italians themselves go on their downtime. 

 

Monte Argentario

Let’s be honest, Monte Argentario isn’t really off the beaten path. Chic Romans, Tuscans and Milanese have been coming to the enchanting peninsula on the Tuscan coast for centuries. It’s a firm favourite for Italians because of its location and accessibility. It’s also perfect for outdoor lovers.   

What to Do and Where to Go 

Practically an island in its own right, Monte Argentario has beautiful rocky beaches that are perfect for snorkelling. It’s mountainous peaks also means there are plenty of hikes and great lookouts waiting to be explored. Two protected reserves  – Laguna di Orbetello (Italy’s oldest WWF oasis with nature walks) and Riserva Natural Duna Feniglia, a 7-km long straight perfect for a long walk or bike ride  – border the narrow isthmus that links the island to the mainland.

If natural beauty lures us to Monte Argentario, it is accessibility to hidden escapes that make a staycation in Porto Ercole or Porto Santo Stefano (the town towns) so desirable. The close link to the mainland means easy country to off beat places like Il Giardino dei Tarocchi (artist Nikki de Saint Phalle’s technicolour sculpture garden), art retreat and winery Castello di Ama (or any winery, for that matter), and a visit to a butteri farm to see the butteri (historic Tuscan cowboys) are easy. Even better is the access to Giglio and Giannutri, two jewels of the Tuscan Archipelago, where you can escape to hidden beaches and hike across the tiny islands. 

Stay in Monte Argentario >

Marsala, Sicily

Western Sicily

Sicily has been on the hot list for years for its incredible food, archaeology, architecture and culture, but the southeast still remains the road less travelled. By basing yourself on the Trapani coast, you’re in prime location for the variety that Sicily offers.

What To Do and Where to Go

Adventurers of all kinds love the west coast because it’s here where you can traverse the millennia of history and culture – from the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans to the Saracens and Normans, Bourbons, Aragons – in a single town.  A walk through a town like Marzara del Vallo showcases ancient Greece and Rome ruins, Moorish ornament and architecture, Baroque fantasy and all the way to straight lines of 1930s rationalism.  

History aficionados can explore past civilizations through the monumental Greek temples of SelinunteSegesta and Agrigento, whose striking cliffside location looks over to ancient Carthage (Tunisia). You can also hike up the hill towns like Erice, walk the Baroque city of Marsala and visit ancient tonnaretuna fisheries that dot the coastline.  That’s all just scratching the surface too, and we haven’t even mentioned the stunning beaches and nature reserves…

Caponato, cannoli, cassata – every small town has its own delicacy whether sweet or savory. You’ll find everything from cous cous from San Vito Lo Capo to red shrimp from Marzara del Vallo, the sweet wine of Marsala, the wines of nearby Menfi, and the pastries of Sambuca.  

View places to stay in Western Sicily >

Alto Adige/Südtirol

There are those who prefer the beach and those who like mountains, preferring brisk cool morning air as the ideal wake-me-up. If you’re the latter, then the destination to go to is the Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy’s most north-eastern province and a beautiful escape any time of the year.  In the winter, the Südtirol and its UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites are the scene for la settimana bianca (ski week). When the warm weather arrives, however, the Alto Adige dynamic changes completely. A little more quiet and a lot less busy with visitors, Südtirol seems reserved for those who prefer alpine breezes and uncrowded outdoors. 

What to Do and Where to Go 

Cycling, mountain biking, hiking, trekking, ziplining, think of any outdoor activity and you’ll find it. We’d recommend taking a drive to enjoy the scenery from Bolzano to Val Gardena’s Ortisei (where you’ll make home base) through to the Val Badia.  Nature’s incredible landscape backdrop is mind blowing and will set the stage for whatever outdoor excursion you choose.   

The Südtirol is a very different kind of Italy than what most are used to. It’s an overlap of cultures: Germanic, Ladin and Italian and intense history (the area only became part of Italy in 1918). To understand, start at the very beginning in Bolzano to Iceman, the Alto Adige’s most famous and oldest resident, a mummy from the Copper Age. Südtiroler Volkskundemuseum(Südtirol folklore museums focuses entirely on the province’s culture and tradition, and Ladin Museum concentrates the story on the Ladin population. Throughout the area are hidden castles and abbeys, such as Abbazia de Novacellaa 12th century abbey and winery. Alpinisti will want to make way to the gorgeous Zaha Hadid-designed museum at the peak of Plan de Corones, one of five Messner Mountain Museums and by far the most dramatic architecture and observation point. 

View places to stay in Alto Adige >

More inspiration…

Places to stay in Italy

Places to stay in Italy

Discover our collection of beautiful places to stay in Italy, from rustic farmhouses to pretty trulli, beach villas and chic city apartments.

Take me there >

Four reasons to visit Umbria

Four reasons to visit Umbria

Our in-country expert and inspectors pick their top four reasons to visit and fall for Umbria.

Take me there >

Six lesser-known Italian road trips

Six lesser-known Italian road trips

Our Italian expert Nicole reveals her favourite lesser-known road trips that are perfect for your big return to Italy.

Take me there >

Nicole Franchini

Sawday's Expert

Nicole grew up on the shores of the Great Lakes in cold Chicago, but the pull of her Roman father's heritage meant she always knew that Italy was her destiny. From her country home in the olive groves of Sabina, just outside the capital, she works on our Italy marketing, keeps in touch with members and tours the country on the lookout for beautiful new places to add to our collection, enjoying food, wine and yoga in equal measure if not at the same time.
View more articles by this author