The American tourists love Rome, college students flock to Florence for their study-abroad semesters, and the honeymooners will always have Capri… Italy has 20 different regions, from the top of the boot to the tip of the heel, but most travelers usually end up in somewhere in the middle: in Milan for the fashion, in Florence for the Renaissance art, in the Italian Riviera for the chi-chi hotels and homemade limoncello.
I grew up spending my summers in Praia a Mare, a tiny beach town in Calabria—population of 6,350—where my mom is from in the south. Were it not for our high-speed WiFi, I’d say it’s a place that’s lost in time, because in many ways, little has changed. The days are still slow and sweet like molasses—spent alternating between dips in the water and playing Scopa under the protective shade of an orange ombrelone; the air honeyed by the ripe Dottato fig trees. I crave the familiarity of home once it starts to feel like summer in the city, but I also love to explore.
Italy’s bountiful regions have plenty to offer, from craggy coastlines to soaring peaks and breathtaking valleys; so far, I’ve made my way through 13 of them. The big three (which include Rome, Naples, and Milan) are just usually stopovers for me; here are the hidden gems I’d actually visit for a low-key summer holiday.
Photo: Courtesy of Talia Abbas
Basilicata
I’ll preface with this: There’s no straightforward way to get here. You can either take a bus or multiple trains from a major city—Naples is the closest, but Rome is also an option—or you can make your way down south by car (if you choose the latter, ask your car rental company for a convertible Cinquecento).
