Italy: A Road Trip From North To South

My first stop was the lovely Portofino. A beautiful fishing village with a delightful harbour on the Italian Riviera, surrounded by green hills. Lunch was at Taverna Di Portofino. I had some Mozzarella caprese and Spaghetti ai frutti di mare without forgetting a glass of Pino Grigio wine. I ended all this with a delicious Tiramisù.

Driving on to Cinque Terre – five villages on the coast of Liguria – I parked the car in Monterrosso Al Mare, as cars are banned from the villages, and took the train to Manarola, arriving just in time for sunset pictures.

Cinque Terre is famous for The Sentiero Azzurro cliffside hiking trail. The next day I took the train back and forth to be able to visit the adorable Riomaggiore, as the hiking trail is closed and then I walked from Manarola to Vernazza (where I stayed the night) passing by Corniglia. It was simply one of the best hikes I have ever did, with breathtaking views and where each village I passed by, has its own charm.

After Cinque Terre I couldn’t but spend a day in the unique and captivating town of Portovenere.

Leaving behind Liguria region and it’s charming fishing villages, I moved on to Tuscany, located in central Italy along the Tyrrhenian sea. I wish I had lot more time to spend it there. Weeks, months and even years are not enough to explore this outstanding region of Italy. It shows you new things each time you visit it, with the best food, the best wine, the best villages and the best sceneries.

From Montepulciano to Lucca, Barga, San Gimignano, Monteriggione, Siena … and the list goes on. While driving from one place to another, I stopped at couple of wineries and tasted some of the most notable wines in the world, such as the well-known Chianti. I was taking pictures from dawn till dusk.

While in the region, I can’t but pass by Assisi, the village that was the home of Saint Francis. This place means a lot to me and is a treat to the body, heart, mind and soul.

My next stop was Napoli, where I took the ferry to the dreamy and romantic island of Capri.

My trip ended between Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi. There, it’s all about culture, tradition and fascinating landscape of sea, beach and mountains.

Italy simply has my heart.

PS: Visiting these places during high-season, especially with a car, can be a big problem. That’s one of the main reasons why I travel during off-season periods.