Whether its Grand Tours or terracotta-coloured villas, Italy has always been a travel A-Lister. The challenge comes in picking a particular brand of la dolce vita. Italy’s cities offer time-proven fodder for culture-lovers: Florence’s art, Pisa’s wonky tower, Venice’s canals and Rome’s, well, everything all contenders. Seaside Puglia and hilltown-happy Tuscany represent rental hotspots, while nowhere’s more chic than an Amalfi Coast hotel. Further south, the quasi-autonomous, sun-scorched isle of Sicily scores for sandy shores, still-standing Greek temples and superb food.
What keeps me coming back? The climate and lovely language help, as do those moreish Baci chocolates. But, ultimately, its Italy’s apparently never-ending supply of secret spots which have me hooked: the Pian Grande’s extraordinary poppy blooms, which once made me cry, the trabacchi: rickety wooden fishing piers turned hopelessly romantic fish restaurants in Abruzzo, or up-your-sleeve beaches like Sardinia’s incredible Cala Biriola, rewarding a two-hour trek with near-heaven.
A self-guided hike through the Dolomites from San Candido to Cortina, including a night in a refuge, and a circuit round the iconic Tre Cime.
A eight-night self-guided hike from Spoleto, southwards through the Sabine Hills.
An expert-led archaeological, cultural and gastronomic tour of Rome with Peter Sommer Travels.
Journey to the 'city of mosaics', in the company of Andrew Wilson, for a five-day tour brimming with some of the most impressive early Christian monuments in the world.
This trip introduces walkers to the glory of the Italian Lakes – specifically Lake Maggiore and its lesser-known companion, Lake Orta. See the glamorous lakeside spots as well as off-the-beaten-track areas, and the Franciscan chapels of Sacro Monte. Savour the region's slow-food cuisine and little-known Alto Piemonte wines.
A self-guided hike from the Po valley along the Via del Sale (Salt Road) across the Ligurian Apenines to the Mediterranean - the Italian Riviera at Camogli.
A self-guided hike through the southern Tuscan hills, staying at the best renaissance towns - Siena, Montalcino, Bagno Vignoni, Pienza, Montepulciano. Vist the Abbeys of Monte Oliveti and Sant' Antimo, taste local cuisine and Tuscan wines.
A self-guided walking holiday exploring the Cilento National Park in Campania - gateway to southern Italy. This is traditional Italy to its core, with unspoilt medieval villages, green vistas, and a pretty coastline dotted with sunset-soaked fishing villages.
