ESTATE ITALIANA. EVERY DAY.
Hidden Gems of Italy
Five corners of Italy that still feel like a discovery.
Carloforte does not quite feel like Sardinia. That is because, historically, it isn’t entirely Sardinian. The town was settled by Ligurian families whose ancestors had lived on the Tunisian island of Tabarka, and their language, food and traditions travelled with them. Even today, people speak tabarchino, a Ligurian dialect that sounds as if part of Genoa somehow drifted south and decided to stay. The harbour is lined with pale houses and fishing boats. Tuna is taken seriously. So is lunch. There are beaches, of course. But Carloforte’s greatest luxury may simply be that most people travelling through Sardinia never make the extra ferry ride. Their loss.
Dramatic coastline. Clear water. Small coves that still feel like they belong to the people who found them, not to the algorithm. Maratea is Basilicata’s answer to the Amalfi Coast – if the Amalfi Coast had stayed quiet. The town sits high above the sea, and the beaches are reached by winding roads and more than a few stairs. That might be why it still feels unhurried. The mountains drop almost straight into the Tyrrhenian, hiding beaches between cliffs and short stretches of road. Above it all, the Cristo Redentore looks out from Monte San Biagio. Come for the coast, stay because nobody seems particularly interested in rushing you anywhere.
Procida is all color and character. It’s local and lived-in, with sun-faded walls, neighborhood cafés and fishing boats in the harbor. Less polished than Capri, more real, and all the better for it. Marina Corricella is the postcard view, but the island works best when you wander away from it: narrow lanes, laundry above doorways, small beaches and terraces where lunch runs later than planned. Procida has the beauty of the Bay of Naples without the performance. It feels like an island people actually live on, not one arranged for visitors.
Scopello is a small Sicilian gem with old stone buildings, clear water and a historic tonnara by the sea. It’s quiet, photogenic and perfect for a slow afternoon without a plan. The old tuna fishery sits between rugged rock stacks and intensely blue water, while the village above is little more than a handful of streets around a stone piazza. Nearby, the Zingaro reserve adds coves and coastal paths that still feel wonderfully undeveloped. Come early, stay late and leave enough time for the kind of lunch that quietly becomes dinner.
Camogli is a gentler kind of Liguria. Painted buildings, a working harbor and mountains that meet the sea. It’s an easy alternative to the better-known Riviera towns, with the same beauty and less of everything else. The promenade is lined with tall, faded façades and small focaccerie, while fishing boats still pull in beside swimmers and sunbathers. From here, coastal paths lead toward San Rocco and Portofino, but Camogli itself gives you little reason to hurry away. Order focaccia, find a place near the water and watch the evening settle over the harbor.
IL SOLE
Mornings that feel like summer.
IL MARE
The rhythm of the sea.
L'ESTATE
Long lunches. Slow afternoons.