I’ve visited the Amalfi Coast a few
times before but am looking for
somewhere similar but different
this summer. What are some
good alternatives? If you’re keen
to feel that unhurried, dolce vita
vibe that’s long drawn people to
Amalfi, then there are plenty of
worthy alternatives. On the toe of
Italy’s boot, you’ll find the Costa
Viola (‘Violet Coast’), named
after the colour it turns during
dramatic sunsets. It runs north from
Reggio Calabria up to the Capo
Vaticano peninsula. This is an area
of dramatic cliffs shearing down
to dreamboat sandy beaches;
darling towns like Tropea, where
the narrow streets slalom past
ancient palazzi before finishing
abruptly at the cliff edge, and
unspoiled villages such as Pizzo,
home of Italy’s double-layered
ice cream dessert, the tartufo.
Along the Costa Viola, the road
hugs the cliffside, zigzagging up
and down through villages such
as castle-crowned Scilla, with the
Aspromonte mountain range in
the distance, offering views across
to the volcanoes of Stromboli and
Etna. Elegant Villa Paola, in Tropea,
is a former 16th-century convent
with spectacular sea views. From
€298 (£250), B&B. villapaolatropea.it
Tuscany’s Monte Argentario
promontory, meanwhile, has long
been a low-key weekend retreat
for wealthy Romans and low-key
celebrities, who stay around Porto
Ercole, a place of old-school wealth
where yachts huddle in the marina.
Other than sunbathe, eat and sleep
in glamorous surrounds, there’s not
a whole lot else to do on Monte
Argentario — and that’s exactly the
point. Follow the stars to Hotel Il
Pellicano near Porto Ercole, whereshady sunloungers among the
rocks guarantee privacy. From €4 97
(£417), B&B. hotelilpellicano.com
Wondering what the Amalfi
Coast felt like several decades
ago? Look no further than the
eastern coastline of Puglia’s
Salento peninsula — the stiletto
tip of Italy’s heel. Otranto is a chic
beach town, where restaurants
serve fish caught just hours earlier,
and the Pugliese take their daily
passeggiata (evening stroll) around
the 15th-century Aragonese Castle.
Just south is the turn-of-century
spa town Santa Cesarea Terme,
where you can take a dip in the lido
hewn from the cliffside. Bed down
at Masseria Montelauro, a restored
19th-century farmhouse fringed by
citrus and olive trees, with a garden
pool. From €2 00 (£168), B&B.
masseriamontelauro.it
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From left: The scenic
coastline of Vieste, Puglia,
Italy; sculpture by Fernando
Botero in front of the
Museum of Antioquia,
Medellín, Colombia