Italian coast and islands off the beaten path.
Less-touristed coastal towns and islands in Italy, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Polychrome ceramics have lined the buildings of Vietri sul Mare since the 15th century, and marble from the Apuan Alps above Carrara has supplied the world's sculptors since antiquity — two reminders that Italy's less-trafficked coastline has always had an interior life. These 115 picks range from Scilla, at the mythologized entrance to the Strait of Messina, to the Late Baroque streets of Noto and Viareggio's papier-mâché Carnival floats parading the Passeggiata a mare since 1925.
Scilla
A particularly photogenic pocket-sized town on a promontory at the northern entrance to the Strait of Messina, Scilla has a café and restaurant scene that pu…
Viareggio
Viareggio's Carnival, running since 1873, is one of Italy's most celebrated, with papier-mâché floats parading along the seafront promenade — the Passeggiata…
Narni
An ancient hill town in Umbria that claims to sit at the geographical centre of Italy — a spot marked by a stone — Narni overhangs a narrow gorge of the Rive…
Bagnara Calabra
This small Tyrrhenian coast town in Calabria's southernmost stretch, Bagnara Calabra sits directly on the water with vineyards in the surrounding hills and v…
Cannobio
This photogenic small town on the north-western shore of Lake Maggiore in Piedmont, Cannobio sits where the Cannobina Valley meets the lake and has repeatedl…
Vietri sul Mare
Polychrome ceramics have been made in Vietri sul Mare since at least the 15th century, and the tradition remains central to this little Campanian town at the…
Noto
Rebuilt in the early 18th century after a devastating earthquake, Noto is one of eight Late Baroque towns in Sicily's Val di Noto declared a UNESCO World Her…
Carrara
Marble has defined Carrara since ancient times — the white and blue-grey stone quarried from the Apuan Alps above this Tuscan town has supplied sculptors and…
Sant'Agnello
A pocket-sized town on the Sorrentine Coast between Piano di Sorrento and Sorrento, Sant'Agnello sits right at the water with scenic viewpoints nearby and a…
Cetara
Colatura di alici — a pungent, amber fish sauce pressed from anchovies — has been produced in this little Amalfi Coast village in Campania for centuries, and…
Palmi
Palmi looks out over the Strait of Messina from the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, with beaches at Marina di Palmi and Lido di Palmi drawing visitors to what…
Bosa
Sitting on the north bank of the Temo River — the only river-built town on Sardinia — Bosa is a little Sardinian settlement with a strong café and restaurant…
Santa Lucia del Mela
This densely built hilltop town in Sicily's Messina province, its stone houses climbing toward a medieval fortress above tree-covered slopes, with surroundin…
Varazze
Small Ligurian town on the Riviera di Ponente with a seafront position, a strong café and restaurant scene, and an unusual concentration of churches for its…
Gallipoli
A historic town on the western coast of Salento in Apulia, Gallipoli is built around a limestone island connected to the newer mainland district by a 17th-ce…
Tursi
Tursi is a little city in Basilicata's Matera province with scenic views over the surrounding landscape and a strong visual character that rewards photography.
Castel San Pietro Romano
Small hilltop village east of Rome recognised among Italy's most beautiful villages and, since 2019, named the most beautiful village in the Mediterranean —…
Nardò
A Baroque town on the Ionian coast of Salento, Nardò has a walkable historic centre dense with palaces, churches, and chapels built in the ornate local style…
Sperlonga
This photogenic coastal town on the Tyrrhenian Sea, roughly midway between Rome and Naples, Sperlonga is best known for the ancient Roman sea grotto found wi…
Aieta
A village in Calabria's Pollino National Park whose historic centre is dominated by a baronial palace considered a rare example of Renaissance architecture i…
Giarre
A walkable Sicilian town on the Ionian coast with a centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, Giarre sits midway between Catania and Taormina…
Castellammare del Golfo
A seafront town in Sicily's Trapani province, Castellammare del Golfo takes its name from the medieval fortress in its harbour — "Sea Fortress on the Gulf" —…
Lavagna
This compact Ligurian seafront town of terracotta rooftops and domed churches, Lavagna sits between the Ligurian Sea and a backdrop of green hills, with a li…
Numana
This compact Adriatic village on the Conero Riviera in the Marche region, Numana sits directly on the water with vineyards nearby and scenic viewpoints along…
Scalea
A tiny coastal town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian shore, Scalea pairs a modern beach resort strip — developed since the 1960s along the Riviera dei Cedri — with a…
Sciacca
This coastal Sicilian town on the south-western shore of the island, Sciacca is known for its historic carnival, its ceramics tradition, and a walkable centr…
Atrani
Tiny village on the Amalfi Coast, Atrani sits right at the water's edge just a short walk from Amalfi itself, with a heritage-dense streetscape, a striking n…
Castelsardo
A photogenic coastal town on Sardinia's northwest shore, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Asinara, Castelsardo sits right on the water with scenic viewpoint…
Grottammare
A walkable Adriatic beach town in the Marche region, Grottammare pairs a seafront café and restaurant scene with a medieval hilltop quarter that belongs to t…
Conca dei Marini
A compact village on the Amalfi Coast between Amalfi and Furore, sitting directly on the water with scenic viewpoints nearby and an unusually dense cluster o…
Porto Cesareo
This modest Apulian town on the Ionian coast of the Salento peninsula with a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, Porto Cesareo is bes…
Iglesias
A walkable town in southwestern Sardinia with a centre dense with historic churches, cafés, and restaurants, Iglesias was one of the most important royal cit…
Lamezia Terme
This coastal Calabrian town with a walkable centre full of cafés and churches, set between the sea and mountain views, with vineyards in the surrounding coun…
Salemi
A medieval hill town in western Sicily's Trapani province, Salemi clusters around a castle whose battlemented tower offers wide views across the landscape to…
Camaiore
A Tuscan town in the Versilia region whose compact centre holds a concentration of historic churches and a real café and restaurant scene, Camaiore stretches…
Civita
Founded in the 15th century by Albanian refugees fleeing the Ottoman invasion, Civita is a hill village in Calabria's Pollino National Park whose Albanian-or…
Termoli
This coastal town on the Adriatic in Molise, Termoli holds a medieval walled quarter alongside a lively seafront promenade lined with restaurants.
Lacco Ameno
Rebuilt after a devastating 1883 earthquake that destroyed most of its buildings, Lacco Ameno transformed from a fishing village into a thermal-spa resort on…
Itri
Sitting in a valley between the Monti Aurunci and the Gulf of Gaeta, Itri is a tiny agricultural town in Lazio's Latina province with a photogenic medieval c…
Rossano
The Codex Purpureus — one of the oldest illuminated Gospel books in the world and a UNESCO Memory of the World document — is held in Rossano's Diocesan Museu…
Patti
This small Sicilian town on the western shore of the Gulf of Patti, known for the remains of a Roman villa within its limits and the ruins of the ancient cit…
Diamante
This pocket-sized coastal town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian shore, Diamante lends its name to the Diamante citron, a variety still grown in the region.
Enna
Italy's highest provincial capital, Enna sits atop a ridge at the centre of Sicily, earning it the nickname "Belvedere of Sicily" for its sweeping views acro…
Albenga
This heritage-dense coastal town on the Gulf of Genoa, Albenga is known as the city of a hundred spires and holds a well-preserved historic centre within eas…
Collesano
The Targa Florio Museum sits in Collesano, a small Sicilian town in the Madonie Park with a long ceramic-making tradition.
Pizzo
This modest seaport town on Calabria's Costa degli Dei, Pizzo sits on a steep cliff above the Gulf of Saint Euphemia and is locally known for its gelato trad…
Cariati
Cariati, on Calabria's Ionian coast, is a pocket-sized southern Italian town divided between a hilltop historic centre and a marina district along the shore.
Montignoso
A tiny Tuscan town positioned between the Apuan Riviera and the Versilia coast, Montignoso sits where the mountains of Massa-Carrara meet the sea, with Forte…
Mamoiada
Mamoiada, a small village in Sardinia's mountainous Barbagia region, is known across the island for its traditional carnival, in which participants wear the…
Lanciano
Lanciano, a town in Abruzzo's province of Chieti, is known as the site of the first recorded Catholic Eucharistic Miracle, drawing pilgrims to its historic c…
Castelmola
Tiny hilltop village above Taormina on Sicily's east coast, Castelmola occupies the site of ancient Taormina's acropolis and is listed among Italy's most bea…
Sessa Aurunca
This town in Campania's Caserta province built on volcanic tuff from the extinct Roccamonfina volcano, Sessa Aurunca occupies the site of ancient Suessa Auru…
Massa
Once the capital of the Duchy of Massa and Carrara during its medieval peak, this Tuscan town sits between the Apuan Alps and the Tyrrhenian Sea, with a heri…
Peschici
This small coastal town on the Gargano promontory in Puglia, Peschici sits within the Gargano National Park and has built a reputation as a seaside resort si…
Castroreale
This compact Sicilian village holds an extraordinary number of churches — over 80 — for a settlement of its size, alongside houses dating to the 13th century…
Procida
This little island off the Naples coast, between Cape Miseno and Ischia, has a café and restaurant scene, a concentration of historic churches, and vineyards…
Santa Severina
This hilltop village in Calabria's Crotone province, Santa Severina rises on a steep rocky outcrop with wide views stretching from the Neto river valley to t…
Tertenia
This modest Sardinian town in the Ogliastra province sits where a highland valley meets the eastern coast, with mountain views inland and water access close by.
San Marco d'Alunzio
A small Sicilian hill village on the north coast of Sicily, San Marco d'Alunzio holds a striking number of churches for its size and is listed among I Borghi…
Otranto
Italy's easternmost town, Otranto sits on the Adriatic coast of the Salento peninsula in Apulia, with a café and restaurant scene that holds a surprising num…
Acireale
Heritage-dense coastal town at the foot of Mount Etna, Acireale is thick with historic churches — among them the Sicilian Baroque St.
Bagheria
Known since the 17th century as "the city of villas," Bagheria is a Sicilian town east of Palermo where the nobility built their Baroque and Rococo holiday e…
Chieti
This ancient Abruzzo town sits between the Pescara and Alento rivers, within sight of the Gran Sasso and Majella mountains and a short distance from the Adri…
Cuglieri
Small Sardinian hill village in the Montiferru region with an unusual concentration of churches for its size, Cuglieri sits amphitheatre-style on the Bardosu…
Fermo
A hill town in the Marche region of central Italy, Fermo sits on the Sabulo ridge a short distance from the Adriatic coast, with mountain views in the other…
Fasano
A walkable Apulian town with a café-filled centre and a notable concentration of historic churches, Fasano sits at the boundary between the Salento and the T…
Caulonia
A compact Calabrian village in the Stilaro Valley with several historic churches for its size, coastal access, and views toward the mountains.
Buscemi
This compact hilltop village in Sicily's Siracusa province, Buscemi rises above scrubby Mediterranean slopes with a skyline of aged stone buildings and sever…
Termini Imerese
This Sicilian coastal town on the Gulf of Termini Imerese, with a compact historic centre dense with churches, Roman ruins, and thermal baths fed by volcanic…
Ozieri
Ozieri, in Sardinia's Logudoro region, is the centre of the earliest known archaeological culture on the island — the Ozieri culture — giving it a deep prehi…
Pietrasanta
This walkable coastal town in northern Tuscany's Versilia district, Pietrasanta sits at the foot of the Apuan Alps with a centre full of cafés, restaurants,…
Bortigiadas
This compact hillside village of terracotta-roofed houses rising through dense Mediterranean scrub in Sardinia's Gallura uplands, Bortigiadas rewards slow tr…
Carloforte
Carloforte occupies the whole of Isola di San Pietro, off Sardinia's southwestern coast, and combines a waterfront café and restaurant scene with wild cliffs…
Lipari
The largest of the seven Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off northern Sicily, Lipari is the main gateway to the archipelago and the administrative cent…
Cava de' Tirreni
Campanian town between the Lattari and Picentini mountains, Cava de' Tirreni is known for one of the best-preserved porticoed streets in the region, a walkab…
Grotteria
A hillside Calabrian village of stacked stone and pastel houses rising steeply above forested slopes, with a remarkable concentration of churches for its siz…
Licata
This south-coast Sicilian port town at the mouth of the Salso River, Licata has a compact centre with a concentration of historic churches, cafés, and restau…
Scicli
Scicli's baroque historic centre earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2002 as part of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto, and the town backs this up…
Acquaviva delle Fonti
Acquaviva delle Fonti, a town on the Murge plateau in Apulia's Bari metropolitan area, is known across the region for its red onions, which carry DOP protect…
Terracina
This coastal town on the Via Appia southeast of Rome, Terracina sits directly on the water with a walkable centre dense with food and drink options and sceni…
Isola Bella
One of the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore, Isola Bella is a small island a short distance from the lakeside town of Stresa, divided between the Borromeo…
Battipaglia
Buffalo mozzarella production has made Battipaglia one of the most productive agricultural centres on the Sele Plain in Campania, southern Italy.
Spadafora
This modest Sicilian town sits directly on the Tyrrhenian coast, northwest of Messina, with the mountains of the island's interior visible inland.
Vasto
An Adriatic coastal town in Abruzzo with a walkable historic centre dense with churches, restaurants, and wine bars, Vasto sits where the mountains of inland…
Bortigali
Tiny Sardinian village in the Marghine subregion, set against the trachytic slopes of Monte Santu Padre at mid-elevation, with several historic churches for…
Ittiri
Compact Sardinian town spread across a basalt plateau, its terracotta rooftops and church bell tower rising above rolling green hills, with a lively café sce…
Bonorva
This compact Sardinian hill town of terracotta rooftops and a church-tower skyline, set among rocky uplands with wide valley views, offering a genuine inland…
Vibo Valentia
Built on the site of the ancient Greek city of Hipponion and later the Roman colony of Valentia, Vibo Valentia is a Calabrian town on the Costa degli Dei wit…
Mottola
This hilltop town in Apulia's Taranto province with a concentration of historic churches in its centre, Mottola sits high on the Murgia plateau with sweeping…
Laconi
A compact Sardinian village spread across rolling upland hills, its red-tile rooftops and terraced plots visible from the surrounding heights, with a modest…
Agropoli
This coastal town at the start of the Cilentan Coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Agropoli has a walkable centre with a good spread of cafés and restaurants, viney…
Formia
This walkable coastal town in Lazio, midway between Rome and Naples on the ancient Appian Way, with a centre full of cafés and restaurants and direct access…
Orosei
This small Sardinian town on the Gulf of Orosei, with beaches including Cala Ginepro, Cala Liberotto, and the Bidderosa Oasis stretching along a long coastline.
Chiaramonte Gulfi
Called the Balcony of Sicily for its hilltop position, Chiaramonte Gulfi looks out over the Ippari Valley and the Mediterranean to the south, Mount Etna to t…
Francavilla Fontana
A walkable town in Apulia's Salento peninsula with a centre full of cafés and a notable concentration of historic churches, Francavilla Fontana was long domi…
Castiglione della Pescaia
A Tuscan seaside town in the Grossetan Maremma, Castiglione della Pescaia grew around a 12th-century medieval fortress and a large fishery — the latter givin…
Nuoro
Hometown of Grazia Deledda — the only Italian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature — Nuoro is a town on the slopes of Mount Ortobene in central-eastern…
Montegridolfo
This small hilltop village in the Rimini province of Emilia-Romagna holds a place on the official list of Italy's most beautiful villages, with scenic views…
Cassano allo Ionio
Coastal town in Calabria's province of Cosenza, Cassano allo Ionio sits within the Piana di Sibari plain and borders the ruins of ancient Sybaris, one of the…
Bova
This small Calabrian village southeast of Reggio Calabria is considered the cultural capital of Greek-speaking Calabria, part of one of the two remaining Gri…
Narbolia
This small Sardinian village in the Province of Oristano with a long beach, a pine-forest golf course, and a five-star hotel on the coast.
Canosa di Puglia
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Italy, Canosa di Puglia is considered the principal archaeological centre of Apulia, with a compact centre…
Augusta
Founded in 1232 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II on Sicily's eastern coast, Augusta is a Sicilian port town with a walkable centre dense with historic chur…
Esporlatu
This compact Sardinian hamlet of red-tile rooftops spread across a forested valley bowl, ringed by densely wooded hills, with nearby vineyards, historic chur…
Villaurbana
Small Sardinian village in the Oristano province where weathered stone-and-plaster architecture lines quiet streets, sitting within easy reach of the island'…
Avola
Walkable seafront town on Sicily's Ionian coast, Avola sits within the Gulf of Noto and is ringed by UNESCO World Heritage sites in the wider region.
Alcamo
Heritage-dense town at the foot of Monte Bonifato in western Sicily, Alcamo has a compact centre thick with historic churches, cafés, and listed buildings, w…
Isola di Capo Rizzuto
This modest coastal town in Calabria's Crotone province, Isola di Capo Rizzuto sits directly on the water and holds an unusual concentration of churches for…
Floridia
A mid-sized Sicilian town in the Province of Syracuse, Floridia spreads across agricultural lowlands toward the coast, with a walkable centre, surrounding ol…
Manfredonia
Founded in the 13th century by Manfred of Sicily, son of Emperor Frederick II, this Apulian coastal town sits on the gulf that bears its name, at the souther…
Massafra
A town in Apulia's Taranto province with a compact centre of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, Massafra sits at the foot of the Murgia tarantina and…
Angellara
Tiny hamlet on the Salerno coast, Angellara punches above its size with multiple churches, a handful of local cafés, and easy access to upland scenery and th…
Laise
This small Italian village on the Calabrian coast, Laise offers waterside calm alongside several historic churches and a handful of local cafés, with upland…
Mazara del Vallo
Seafront Sicilian town in Trapani province where a walkable historic centre packs in dense café culture, a wealth of old churches, and easy access to nearby…
Torre/Licinella
This small coastal locality on Italy's Salerno coast, Torre/Licinella sits right at the water's edge with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its…