Italian villages

Small towns with fascinating colors and unforgettable flavors...

Italy has a new recipe to climb the ranks of the World Tourism Organization. The new recipe is "The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy". Just over 200 are those surveyed by this special 'club' sponsored by italian Anci. This mini-travel guide is dedicated to these areas as small as rich of typical food, breathtaking landscapes, medieval towns with castles and towers.

Welcome to the South

Among the "most beautiful villages in Italy" there are also Castellabate, the town in the province of Salerno, Campania, where it was shot the famous film "Welcome to the South" ("Benvenuti al Sud"), and Nusco, the village of the famous former Italian premier Ciriaco De Mita. Those who love good drinks, such as grappa and prosecco will love Portofubbolé, a small village in the province of Treviso, which Italian Wikipedia page describes as "a real gem in historical and artistic terms."
The northernmost Italian village is Vipiteno, Trentino Alto Adige, a region that has a total of seven villages of excellence. The southernmost is Castelmola, Sicily, the village well known for its almond wine.

Italian villages in Umbria and Abruzzo, "uber alles"!

The highest concentration of "mignon" villages with extreme beauty is prerogative of the central Italy, between Tuscany (18), Marche (19), Umbria (22), Lazio (11), Abruzzo (21) and Molise (2) are 93 smalls villages on which stands the amaranth flag, eco-tourism and environmental Anci award established in 2001. If you want to organize a trip to Italian villages, this area is where you have to go.

Around Italian villages with the caravan or cycling

The best 'formula' to visit many of the small towns across Italy with fascinating colors and unforgettable flavors, is precisely this way of itinerant tourism: on board a camper or with a caravan, it is easier to go through the Country village by village, becoming explorers of the wonders "the Peninsula" can offer even far from the big cities and the most famous places of the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian coasts. If along with the 'mobile home', there is also a bicycle, then the exploration can become even more interesting: the most beautiful towns in the world offer endless possibilities for lovers of two wheels to make tours in small town centers, in the countryside around them or on the waterfronts that draw the skyline. The line of the sky, in these small italian villages is often characterized by towers, castles, ancient and imposing fortifications that perpetuate extraordinary beauty and timeless.

Italian villages: for more information, read...

- Travel PUGLIA;
- Travel MATERA;
- Travel CAPRI.

How to book and save

- Hotels in Italy - Good selection of Hotels in Italy from Booking.com website.

In general, it is always good to book online, where there is more competition, you can compare the offers and choose the best calmly. The guides present on my blog on flights online booking, hotels, and car rental with discount codes are certainly useful and recommended readings.

Holidays in Puglia

Hi, and welcome to Puglia, I've been in this region of Italy several times and here I am ready to help.

I am pleased you have chosen this lovely region for an holiday in Italy, and want to help you where possible. First of all, in case every need of information don't hesitate to leave a comment and I'll promptly provide a response if you are lost in translation, need help to communicate with locals, need information on directions, or for any other sort of indication.
Click here for a selection of Hotels in Puglia.

In Puglia I suggest you a visit to Ostuni.
Here you have some inspiring pictures of Ostuni.
When in Ostuni, go straight to Piazza della Libertà, where there is the Guglia di Sant'Oronzo. Do not miss, also the old Barocco style of the church of S. Maria Maddalena, with the facade from 1700, and finally the Palazzo Ducale. Beautiful viewpoints everywhere, in Ostuni.
A restaurant in Ostuni I loved was the Osteria la Sparacima, in Via Arcidiacono Zaccaria.
Here you can find the direct link to the list of Hotels in Ostuni.

Polignano a Mare is another very nice small old city to visit.
Few pictures of Polignano a Mare can be found here.
And here a quick link to Hotels in Polignano a Mare.

Alberobello, is the town famous around the world for white houses with cone roofs, the Trulli. Arrived in town, look for the Rione Monti (Monti district), it's the oldest of Alberobello. It's a unique place. It's very interesting to see also the Trullo Sovrano (Sovereign Trullo), one of the few with two floors, now it's a small museum that tells the story of the Trulli.
Here you can find a selection of Hotels in Alberobello.

If you're in the area, I highly recommend you do not miss a visit to the Grotte di Castellana (Caves of Castellana), culminating in the fantastic subterranean Grotta Bianca (White Grotto), the most admired for its white limestone sculpture.
There are several good Hotels in Castellana Grotte.

Any information you need on Puglia, please don't hesitate to let me know, leave a comment and I'll sort it for you!

Enjoy your holidays in Puglia.

Lisbon travel information

Getting to the city from the airport
- The Carris Aerobus number 91 runs every day between 07h45am and 08h45pm, connecting Lisbon Airport to the city centre. Tickets cost 1,35 euro, purchased on the bus; you can also purchase an all-day bus and tram network pass for 3,35 euro. A shuttle bus service also operates between the airport and the resorts of Estoril and Cascais.
- Taxi stands are situated outside departures and arrivals. LoveTravel advice: the meter should read 2,35 euro (daytime pick-up) or 2,50 euro (at night) at the start of the ride. Fares are 20% higher on weekends, holidays and at night. Some taxis will charge extra for luggage. Some metered taxis will try to take a longer route to the city centre, but rides should take less than 15 minutes for a five mile (7km) ride.


An hotel to remember
Hotel Tivoli Lisboa
Av. da Liberdade, 185
1269-050 LISBOA
http://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/tvlisboalisboa.html?aid=308057

Did you read my Lisbon travel guide?