Archive for 'Southern Italy'

Capri is one of those famously gorgeous places that people are just dying to see with their own eyes. If you have found a vacation rental in Capri and are busy exploring the island, once you have walked around a bit, you may want to see it all from above as well, to take in a sweeping view over everything at once. In this case, you’ll need to head to Monte Solaro, the highest and most panoramic point on the island, which offers views over the whole of the Gulf of Naples, glimpses over the Gulf of Salerno on clear days, and also takes in many of Capri’s famous landmarks at the same time.

There are two different options to surmount Monte Solaro, depending on your inclination, energy, preferences, fears, and the day in question: you can hike to the top or you can take the famous Anacapri Chairlift.

At 589 meters above sea level and at the top of a steep trail, the hike up to the pinnacle of Monte Solaro isn’t the most difficult in the world by any sort of stretch of the imagination. It is a well-marked trail that rewards viewers with lovely views the whole way up and can be completed in around an hour. Beginning at Piazza della Pace in Anacapri, behind the cemetery, it is a straightforward climb up that anyone who is relatively fit should be able to complete without much difficulty.

If you have found a vacation rental in Apulia and you are looking for things to see and do in the area, a quick internet search will immediately list the fantastic Castellana Caves (Grotte di Castellana) are one of the most important attractions in all of Apulia. This system of caves is one of the largest in Italy and stretches underground up to 60m deep for over 3km. The karst rock formations are complex, varied, and dazzling and so otherworldly-looking that you would be forgiven for mistaking it for a place on another planet entirely. Offering a unique and rather extraordinary experience, the caves should be seen with one’s own eyes and are a must for those spending time in the region of Apulia.

The cave system was discovered in 1938 by the speleologist Franco Anelli, a kilometre south of the town of Castellana – now usually referred to as Castellana Grotte, referencing the presence of the caves – after the Provincial Tourist Board of Bari asked the Italian Institute of Speleology of Postojna for a speleologist to inspect some caves in the area. They hoped that some of the local caves could be made into a tourist attraction but all of them had been already explored and were thought to be unsuitable due to their limited extension.

Many people, decades on, remain fascinated by the Kennedys and the style icon that was Jackie Kennedy, in particular. As a result, places that they visited, in both official and unofficial capacities, are tourist attractions in their own right today. If you have found a vacation rental in Ravello and you have an interest in the Kennedys, it may sweeten the whole thing for you to know that the First Lady once came for a long stay in this beautiful seaside city in Italy.

In honour of this famous visit, the city is putting on a documentary exhibition that recalls this moment in history. "Welcome Jackie" is the name of the documentary exhibition curated by architect Francesco Fortunato and it recalls the story of Jackie Kennedy's long stay in Ravello in the summer of 1962, upon the advice of the famous American writer Gore Vidal who was a distant relative of the First Lady and a frequent visitor to Italy who was particularly impressed by the beauty of Ravello.

If you have found a vacation rental in Campania and want to spend some time exploring the city of Naples, you were probably expecting to stay above ground. However, doing so would make you miss out on one of the most extraordinary attractions that the city has to offer, the Catacombs of San Gennaro. These incredible passageways are an astounding sight to behold and a must for anyone who really wants to experience all that Naples has to offer.

Located in the northern part of the city, on the slope leading up to Capodimonte, under the Rione Sanità neighbourhood of Naples, the catacombs can be readily found today by heading to the entrance at the large church of Madre del Buon Consiglio. Spread over two levels, called San Gennaro Superiore and San Gennaro Inferiore, the catacombs are often referred to as the “Valley of the Dead” and date back to the 3rd of 4th century, though are likely built over older pre-Christian burial sites.

The Jonian Dolphin Conservation is a Taranto-based marine life conservation institute and organisation that studies dolphins, whales, and more in the Ionian Sea and the Gulf of Taranto. Specialised in studying environmental impacts on marine life, how marine mammals communicate, and protecting various species, it is an extraordinary organisation doing great work. However, it is not only their work with the creatures but also their outreach program to the public and schools that make it a particularly wonderful organisation and one of the top places to visit when you are in Italy. Those interested in aquatic life can actually join the crew on day-trips and this is an incredible and truly magical experience that is a must for those who have found a vacation rental in Apulia.

You will need to book well in advance as places often fill up for the entire summer so book your holiday in Taranto today and secure your spot on an outing with the Jonian Dolphin Conservation during your stay in the area!