PRAIANO
Quiet neighbour
Between the two popular towns of Amalfi and Positano lies the smaller, less
ostentatious village of Praiano - a clutch of houses, small hotels and
friendly trattorias strung along the Amalfi coastal road.
A network of footpaths runs between the hotels and olive groves down to two
small beaches, and the town squares of Chiesa San Luca and Santa Maria
Assunta come alive at night with local Italian families out for a
passeggiata. Praiano has a more authentically Italian atmosphere than its
brasher neighbours - partly because it features in few British operators'
brochures.
Kirker (020-7593 2288, www.kirkerholidays.com)
is offering Praiano for the first time this year; a three-night break at the
Casa Angelina costs from £788pp, including flights and transfers.
SARDINIA
Beyond Smeralda
The island of Sardinia tends to conjure up images of swanky yachts and
expensive resorts on glittering beaches that lure the Euro-glitterati for
their summer breaks. But away from the Costa Smeralda lies a more rural
Sardinia, with rugged mountain trails, lagoons teeming with flamingos,
ancient vineyards and small unspoilt villages.
Inntravel offers a new walking holiday on the island, with several suggested
routes for each day and a hire car to enable you to drive between hotels.
The itinerary begins on the Sinis Peninsula, a wildlife haven, before
heading inland to the hills of Monte Corrasi and Monte Tiscali and then on
to Alghero.
Inntravel (01653 617906, www.inntravel.co.uk)
has a week from £715pp, including four and five-star B&B, car hire,
five dinners and walking notes, but not flights.
SICILY
Farming out the family
Rural tourism is becoming the big story on Sicily, with traditional farms and
rural estates being converted to offer simple, authentic accommodation,
often with fantastic home-cooked meals. These are rarely discovered by
English tourists. There are new agrotourism properties opening every year,
and Sunvil Italy now offers five.
New this year is the Baglio Vecchio, an 18th-century family-owned farmhouse
situated among centuries- old olive groves. It has ten simply furnished
rooms, elegant grounds and a good-sized outdoor pool. The ancient city of
Selinunte is 13km (8 miles) away. The restaurant is in a restored wine
cellar, with traditional Sicilian dishes a speciality.
Sunvil (020-8758 4722, www.sunvil.co.uk)
has a week at the Baglio Vecchio from £581pp, including flights, B&B
and car hire.
BASILICATA
Head for the hills
Basilicata, possibly the least-familiar region of Italy, is set to get the
attention it deserves, with operators beginning to feature the atmospheric
hilltop and harbourfront towns that are scattered between the sun-scorched
hills. Wedged between Puglia and Calabria, the region's short coastline is
as dramatic as the Amalfi coast and the charming town of Maratea, with
traditional trattorias looking out over the water, is a real find. Inland
lie the Basilicatan Dolomites, perfect for hiking, horse-riding or cycling.
Real Holidays (020-7359 3938, www.realholidays.co.uk)
has a week's half-board at La Foresteria di San Leo, a 13th-century
monastery converted into an agrotourism property, from £322pp, excluding
flights.
LUCCA
Puccini on parade
This year is the 150th anniversary of Puccini's birth, and his home province
of Lucca in Tuscany has a season of concerts and celebrations. Central to
the proceedings is the opening of the new open-air theatre at Torre del
Lago; the first performance will take place on June 15, when the 3,200 seats
are bound to be full.
The yearly Puccini festival, which runs from July 11-August 23, includes
performances of Turandot, Tosca and Madam Butterfly. The local tourist
office has produced Puccini-themed brochures, outlining three different
weekend break itineraries that take in the streets, churches and landscapes
that gave Puccini his inspiration (www.puccini2008.it).
PORTOFINO
Mountain trails
The Paths to Portofino escorted tour from ATG Oxford mixes walking between the
elegant towns on the Ligurian coast with days spent in the verdant hills,
dotted with olive groves and traditional farms. There are two free days in
the eight-day itinerary to explore the delightful towns of Rapallo and
Portofino and plenty of swimming opportunities en route to cool down after
the steep descents from the inland villages to the sea.
ATG Oxford (01865 315678, www.atg-oxford.com)
has an eight-day trip from £2,195pp, including all meals with wine,
accommodation, transfers and the services of a tour manager and a guide, but
not flights.
SOUTH TYROL
Adventure in the Alps
The South Tyrol in the Italian alps is the “lost” region, often thought of as
Austrian. It has a delightful mix of Italian and Tyrolean culture and is
opening up to overseas tourism. The 2008 European Biennale of Contemporary
Art will take place in the region between July 19 and November 2 and a
dramatic new Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art opens in Bolzano in May.
There are new places to stay, too: the Hotel Nives in the resort of Val
Gardena is a small all-suite hotel, with its own wine bar and wine cellar.
The wood-panelled rooms are a 21st-century take on traditional Tyrolean
style.
Hotel Nives (00 39 0471 773 329, www.hotel-nives.com)
offers half-board from 87 euros (£65) pppn based on two sharing.
MATERA
Simply sassi
The town of Matera, on the border of Basilicata and Puglia, is famed for its
sassi, caves hewn into the rock. Thought to be one of the oldest communities
in the world, the town is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Long Travel has
introduced the Sant' Angelo, a sassi that has been transformed into a small
hotel. Most of the bedrooms are spacious, and the jumble of stairways and
terraces forms a dramatic backdrop to the mix of antique and contemporary
furniture.
Long Travel (01694 722193, www.long-travel.co.uk)
has B&B at the Sant' Angelo from £40pp a night, based on two
sharing.
