Few Hidden Gems of Italy
Everyone loves Italy. It’s probably one of the most popular European destinations for world travelers. Because I live in nearby Switzerland, I’ve been to Italy numerous times to explore the corners of this fascinating country.
Most people visiting Italy target the famous cities of Rome, Florence, Milan, or Venice. These are all great places to experience, but I’d like to share in this post what I think are the few hidden gems of Italy.
These areas of Italy are a bit off the beaten path but are well worth the detour!
Cinque Terre
You may have heard of Cinque Terre (pronounced cheen-kweh teh-rreh) or the ‘5 Lands’ along the northwest coast of Italy. I’ve been twice to this area to walk the hiking trail that leads you from one town to the next along jaw-dropping beautiful cliffsides.
The five towns of Cinque Terre in the Italian Riveria region of Liguria are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. These were once known as small fishing villages but the area is now recognized as a UNESCO site and protected by national parks.
My favorite village of the five is Vernazza. It is very colorful and well situated for scenic views. If you choose not to do the hiking path to reach each town, you can take a train along the route that stops in each village. We took the train from the larger town of La Spezia where we stayed a few nights to base ourselves. We walked half of the path one day and the other half the second day.
The best time to visit this area is in Spring or Fall to avoid the mass of tourists and intense heat. Although I haven’t done it, you could consider staying in one of the villages. The towns are extremely small and there is not a lot to do in each town other than visiting a few tourist shops and have a meal. If you’re up for a real adventure, you can check out the Guvano nudist beach near the town of Corniglia. We actually spent an afternoon there and loved the crazy experience!
The other time I went to the Cinque Terre region, we stayed in a town called Sestri Levante, halfway between Genoa and La Spezia, and on the northwest side of Cinque Terre. Sestri Levante is a quaint town situated on a peninsula and less crowded than more popular towns like Portofino.
From Sestri Levante, we took the train to the first town of Monterosso and then walked toward Vernazza. Sestri Levante has its own beautiful hiking paths along the rock cliff coastline. If you plan to visit Cinque Terre and do the footpath, be sure to check the conditions of the path to be sure it is open to the public. The last time we went, they had closed parts of the path due to landslides.
Tuscany
I have been to different towns in the Tuscany region over the years, including Florence, Pisa, and Siena. Although these popular tourist towns are worth seeing, the best part of Tuscany was the spanning countryside and tiny villages perched on hillsides.
My most memorable visit was in 2019 where I saw the ‘real Tuscany region’ during a weekend photography course. Our instructor knew the best places to be to get the best photographs. We had to get up as early as 4 am to capture the misty morning fog and stay up past midnight to do special effects night photography.
One of the smaller towns to base yourself is called San Quirico d’Orcia. It has approximately 2,500 inhabitants and is located 80 km southeast of Florence and 35 km southeast of Siena. This is where you will find the typical scenes of farmhouses and cypress trees lining the paths.
One of the most famous sites to see is the iconic Podere Belvedere. The Podere Belvedere is actually the name of an old stone farmhouse, but when people talk about going to see the Podere Belvedere, they really mean the view and not just the house. This spot is lovely at any time of the day but most people try to see it at dawn with the misty fog surrounding it.
One of the highlights of my trip to Tuscany in May was the endless fields of red poppy flowers. This was a true photographer’s delight to capture the green hillsides and flowers as far as you could see.
Another village we visited was called Monticchiello. This tiny village, like many in the Tuscany region, was situated on a high hill overlooking the lush green fields. What I found most intriguing about these tiny villages was the lack of tourists. I felt like I was one of the locals and could enjoy it in privacy.
I strongly recommend a trip to Tuscany to take in first-hand the beauty that many of us have only seen in movies and paintings.
Amalfi Coast
Ok, so this one may not be a hidden gem as most people have heard about the Amalfi Coast of Italy. For this reason, I would like to highlight the true gems of this region based on my visit there a few years ago.
First of all, I suggest starting your trip in Naples as it has a major airport and there are many ferries to the Amalfi Coast and nearby islands. This is what I did during my week-long visit to this area. I flew into and out of Naples and took boats, trains, and taxis to get around. If you’re adventurous, you can rent a car but I didn’t want to be scared driving the cliffy, small roads along the coast.
I stayed at different hotels in Naples, Capri Island, Positano, and Amalfi. While in Naples, you can take a tour to Pompeii and the Mount Vesuvius volcano. This is very touristic but something to see for sure.
One of the days while in Naples, we took a ferry to the island of Ischia where we did a hike and looked around. We passed the colorful island of Procida on the way. I would have liked to stop there and walk around.
After a few days in Naples, we took the ferry from there to the island of Capri to spend two nights. This island is a must-see in my opinion! We walked around the harbor area and the cute town perched up high.
You should plan to spend at least one night on Capri Island to take in the daytime and nighttime ambiance. It’s a magical place that I would very much like to return to.
We also did some hikes but the most fun we had on Capri was renting a small boat and driving it around the island to see the dramatic Faraglioni, three towering rock formations off the island’s coast. You can even ride through the opening of these rocks!
Next on our agenda was to take the ferry from Capri over to the Amalfi Coast, namely the most scenic town of Positano. It did not disappoint either. It was so picturesque with all the bright colored buildings built into the cliffside.
If you like hiking as much as we do, one of the hidden gems near Positano is the ‘Walk of the Gods’ path. I had done my research about this hike and definitely wanted to fit it into our schedule. It offered amazing views of the coastline!
Another touristy but interesting thing to do on Capri is to visit the Blue Grotto. This is a cave inside the island that appears sapphire blue due to the sunlight passing through an underwater cavity. The downside of this excursion is the long wait that you may have due to the many people that want to experience it. We took a small boat and a short ride from the harbor, but we had to wait 1-2 hours outside the cave due to the long queue. Lessons learned… plan to do this outside of peak tourist hours.
As with all places in Italy, the best time to visit the Amalfi Coast is outside of the peak summer season.
Dolomites
Ah, the Dolomites, one of my favorite places I’ve been to. When I first saw pictures of these jagged limestone mountains, I knew I had to plan a trip to visit this area!
We drove to this northeastern Italian region from our home in Switzerland, approximately 8 hours away. Here is the video of our vacation!
I did my research by looking up organized tours in the area, and then I simply replicated the itinerary to know where to go and what to see. I also saved tons of money by doing it ourselves. I planned our week-long Dolomites trip to stay at three different hotels in the area. Moving around to different hotels made it easier to do the nearby day trips.
A priority for this trip was to see the different parks and do some scenic hikes. You can find some of the popular hikes on this website. The most spectacular hike was the ‘Tre Cime de Lavaredo Loop’ where you find the three pinnacle mountains that give Tre Cime its name. The Tre Cime Loop is 10 km (6 miles) and relatively easy. We stopped at the big restaurant at the top to enjoy the surroundings and admire the view.
Another beautiful location was Lake Braies (Lago di Braies in Italian), a turquoise-colored small lake sitting at 1500 meters in the region of Pragser Wildsee. We spent a few hours at this location walking all around the lake. It is the largest natural lake in the Dolomites. This place reminded me of lakes in the Canadian Rockies. Don’t miss this highlight of the Dolomites!
My most favorite spot in this region was a valley called St. Magdalena, where you will see views like the one below. The weather was perfect and the lighting with the late afternoon sun was ideal for photographs of the majestic mountain range and the green fields and forest.
There is a small picturesque church in the tiny village of St. Magdalena. We had to drive out of our way to get to this area, but it was totally worth it for one of the best views in the Dolomites.
Summary
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about what I call the Hidden Gems of Italy. There are many more awesome places to visit in Italy, but this will give you a taste of some off-the-beaten-path destinations! Check out my dedicated page on Italy to learn more and see my personal videos of different Italy trips. If you are looking for another great country to discover, check out this post on 18 Things to Do in Slovenia: Planning the Ultimate Trip! Leave a comment below to share your hidden gems of Italy! And don’t forget to PIN the below for future reference!
If you are looking for assistance to plan your next trip, I am here for YOU! I love to plan travel itineraries for myself and others. For more details on how I provide this service, please check out my Itinerary Planning page and drop me a quick email at jan@janadventures.com to get started!
44 Comments
Barbara
What a dream to explore this beautiful area! I definitely am interested in these experiences!
Sabrina DeWalt
I love how the mountains meet the water.
erin
Tuscany looks gorgeous! And what a great idea with the photography course! I’ve got to look into that, sounds like a good way to see places off the tourist path…Thanks for the post!
Jan
Yes, I highly recommend seeing that area via a photography course! I also did one to the Provence region of France to see the lavender and sunflower fields!
Danielle Ardizzone
If I could only pick one place to travel to in my lifetime, it would be Italy. Such beautiful country!
simplyjolayne
So jealous that you live in Switzerland and get to visit Italy. Italy is always on my list and I hope to get back there soon.
Jan
Hope you can too!
Robert Connor
Great article! Italy is certainly stunning; I currently live in Sicily and there are many hidden gems!
Jan
Yes, I’ve been to Sicily and loved every corner of it! You are lucky to live there!
Brittany
I would just love to have the chance to travel to Italy AND Switzerland. π All of these hidden gems sound great and Iβll definitely be keeping them on my bucket list! Hidden gems are best anywhere you go.
Claudia
I’m from the south of Italy so I’m used to visiting beautiful beaches! This fall/winter I hope I can travel to the Dolomiti!
Jan
That’s great, so I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of your beautiful country. Hope you can get to the Dolomites soon!
Kristin
Cinque Terra was the first place I ever visited in Italy. It was so picturesque! Dolomites is next on our list! Your pictures solidified that!!
Jan
Great to hear!
Chelsea
As always, your photos are STUNNING!! And sign me up for Tuscany and Cinque Terre! Can you be my tour guide? π LOL! I love reading your posts because I’ve usually never seen these wonders and it gives me something new to look forward to seeing!
Jan
I would love to plan your tour there! Check out my itinerary planning page for details! https://janadventures.com/itinerary-planning/
Emi Sorensen
This post is certainly fueling my wanderlust! What stunning landscapes you have captured in your photography. That’s neat you were able to take a photography course over a weekend. And I particularly enjoyed your section on the Dolomites. I must see them in person one day!
Jan
Thanks Emi, I absolutely love photography and combining it with travel π
Cindy
Italy looks amazing.
Christy
My sister and brother-in-law loved Siena so much that they chose it for their daughter’s name! π Beautiful pictures, makes me want to plan a trip!
Larissa Li
Beautiful places and your pictures are just magical! Thank you for showing me βunknownβ Italy. I always wanted to visit it but now I know where to go to avoid crowds.
Jan
Thanks and you are welcome Larissa!
Mariah French
Those views are incredible! I would definitely want to visit Dolomites whenever we can go to Europe again. Thanks!
Alexis Farmer
Italy looks absolutely stunning! I would love to visit someday.
Alicia
What a beautiful place! I’ve been to France and Monaco but not Italy. It’s high on my list though! Thanks for the tips!
Marianne
You brought back such great memories for me! Hubby and I did a tour of Italy and Sicily years ago. LOVE Tuscany, Capri… and the poppies!!! I wasn’t much of a photographer back then, so I missed out on some great pics. But I ended up buying a Pandora charm that is a poppy in morano glass… perfect souvenir!
Jan
That is sweet! I loved Sicily too!
Stephanie
Wow. Wow. Wow to everything in this post! So many amazing ideas. The dolomites look spectacular, but honestly so does everything else. Your pictures and beautiful and your love of Italy really comes through in all your great explanations and suggestions. Definitely saving this one for later after Covid restrictions open up. Thank you.
Jan
Thanks so much Stephanie! I’m glad you enjoyed my post. I love everything about living in Europe!
Lisa Manderino
I like the hidden gems of Italy so much I have been to the Amalfi Coast but the Dolmites and cinque Terre are on my list.
Jan
Good to hear π₯°
Tiffany
Capri Island sounds perfect!! Def going on our list when we go visit Italy
elaina
All of these places are just stunning! Tuscany is probably top on my list. I can’t wait to start traveling again.
Jan
Yes, hope you can make it to Tuscany soon! ππΌπ€£
Megan
Cinque Terre is so high on my list. We were supposed to go there last March and it, of course, got canceled. I’m just dreaming of the day when we can make it happen!
Jan
Oh so sorry but I hope you can replan a trip there! ππΌ
Tammy Horvath
I would love to see the countryside and villages in Tuscany. My husband and I also do things ourselves to save a lot of money when we travel. It’s nice to go at our own pace. All of Italy looks fascinating.
Jan
Hi Tammy, you will love Tuscany, especially these less known places for the best views!
Holly B
I live Tuscany and the beauty countryside villages! You have some amazing pictures and information about some amazing must-see places!!
Jan
Thanks Holly!
Deb Poskie
Enjoyed your secrets of Italy. Love travel adventures!!!
Jan
Thanks Debbie for reading and commenting! π
Mike A
Excellent! Thanks
Jan
Thanks babe! π₯°