Scenic Italy

The best places to see on your next vacation to Italy.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is the best-known corner of Liguria. A UNESCO monument annually visited by 2.5 million tourists, Cinque Terre invites you to stroll among olive groves, vineyards and wild flowers, all with impressive sea views.

All 5 towns of Cinque Terre – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare – are united by the 11-km Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail), the most romantic section of which, from Riomaggiore to Manarola, is called the Via dell’Amore (Lovers’ Lane).

On a boat trip along the coast of Monterosso al Mare, you will see a 14-meter high statue of the Giant, representing Neptune holding a shell-shaped terrace on his shoulders. Carved by Italian sculptor Arrigo Minerbi in 1910, the statue was badly damaged during the Second World War, but remains a symbol of the city to this day. Today the Giant adorns the facades of the Circolo Velico Monterosso sailing club. The Convent of the Capuchin Friars, dating back to 1618, is also visible from the water – make sure to visit it.

While in Manarola, dine at Nessun Dorma restaurant with stunning sunset views. Have a pesto cooking workshop there and visit local terraced vineyards over the sea.

Portofino

This luxury resort has made generations of famous people fall in love with it: from Winston Churchill to Walt Disney, from Toto to Oliver Hardy. This is where luxury shopping, restaurants and cafes, celebrity villas and a fashionable yacht club, Splendido and Splendido Mare hotels await you. From the central square, where the wealthy crowd likes to hang out, you can walk to the century-old Portofino lighthouse with views of the Gulf of Tigullio and a restaurant.

Portofino also has many man-made attractions, such as Castello Brown, surrounded by Mediterranean and rose gardens, with antique furniture, textiles and majolica.

A journey along the Marine Park of Portofino will take you to the snow-white San Fruttuoso Abbey in the bay. Nearby is an underwater bronze statue of “Christ from the Abyss.” In Santa Margherita Ligure, north of Portofino, there is a 16th-century fortress and stunningly beautiful La Cervara Abbazia di San Girolamo. A visit to Villa Durazzo and its gardens, where the wedding of Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster took place, will also bring you aesthetic pleasure.

In Rapallo, explore the ancient Rapallo Castle overlooking the Gulf of Rapallo and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montallegro on a hill, take a stroll along the promenade, come to the prehistoric Hannibal Bridge and a monument to Christopher Columbus, as well as the 800-year-old Villa Tigullio, which belonged to the powerful Spinola family. And also take advantage of the cable car with a height difference of 600 meters and dizzying panoramas.

The Aeolian Islands

Italians consider the Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily, as a separate holiday destination, and for a reason. Lipari, the largest of the seven volcanic islands, is home to a 16th-century citadel with an archaeological museum and the ancient Cathedral of St. Bartholomew.

Salina, the second largest and most picturesque of the group, is covered with citrus and olive groves and vineyards. Try local wines here, climb to the crater of the Fossa delle Felci volcano to enjoy views of the entire archipelago all the way to Etna. See the photogenic Pollara Beach, the Saracen Caves, the natural arch of Punta Perciata over the sea and the 19th-century lighthouse. 

On the island of Vulcano, rejuvenate at the thermal springs, relax on black sand beaches and admire the seascapes opening from a two-level infinity pool of the Therasia Resort Sea & SPA.