Archive for 'Activities'

Rabbit Beach, in Sicily, is the best beach in the world.

This is certainly true if you trust what was said by the voters and real-life travellers and normal tourists of travel website TripAdvisor in 2013. In fact, though it doesn't win every year, the beach is consistently voted by the website's users as one of the best beaches in the world. Visitors note its “crystal clear” water and “soft sand” as some of the main selling points and others note that it is “hard to believe you are not somewhere tropical”.

Located on the island of Lampedusa, next to the tiny Isola dei Conigli (or “Rabbit Island”), Rabbit Beach is set in the Mediterranean Sea and paints an exceptionally beautiful picture with the white sands being lapped by the azure water. If this sounds like your cup of tea (and why wouldn't it), just find a vacation rental in Sicily and pay a visit to this famous beach.

The Napoleonic Road (Strada Napoleonica) has been an integral part of Trieste since its construction began in 1821. It is a 5km-long path outside the city, joining the Italian countryside from Opicina to the region of Prosecco. This route offers the best view to the sea and the Gulf of Trieste and, if you’re on the ball, you can catch one of the most beautiful sunsets in the country here as well. It is the perfect place to take a break from dashing around museums and attractions to spend some time outdoors, take in some fresh air and immerse yourself in the extraordinary beauty of this part of the world. Just find a vacation rental in Friuli Venezia Giulia and spend time exploring the city of Trieste and the wonders that surround it, such as the Napoleonic Road.

Turin is the one-time capital of Italy and there is no lack of things to do or see between the Turin Shroud, museums and churches but one of the city's most interesting features isn't readily visible or apparent. In fact, you could easily visit without ever being aware of what you were missing; a vast underground network of tunnels which feature dungeons, alchemist's caves, crypts, escape routes, ice cellars and, according to local legends, an entrance to the Underworld. There are even dedicated tours of these creepy and fascinating spaces so why not find a holiday rental in Piedmont and spend a day exploring Turin above and below ground.

The Brenta Dolomites, or “Dolomiti di Brenta”, is the part of the Dolomite range which lies to the westernmost extremity of the region. The range is about 40km in length as it runs from north to south and about 12 km wide east to west. It is rather different from the more eastern Dolomite groups, made up of slender lines and a greater plasticity of forms. However, all of the Dolomite range is particularly stunning, with deep valleys, extremely high peaks, dramatically craggy rock formations and pretty towns and huts perched at random in a very picturesque fashion. This is surely why it became a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2009.

Surfing probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Italy and the country is not particularly well-known for having good swells. However, there are plenty of beautiful beaches all over Italy and you may get the urge to go surfing while spending time by the sea. One particularly nice area for surfing in Italy is at Civitavecchia in Lazio. Not only is the town charming and full of things to do and see, but you can often catch quite good waves and there are a few surfing schools in the area. The beaches along this stretch are also picturesque with impossibly blue waters and beautiful and historic buildings overlooking it all.