The majority of the tourists traveling to Italy are visiting the country to learn more about its ancient culture, to go city hopping, to visit churches or to relax on one of the beautiful Mediterranean beaches. Or maybe for some skiing, during the winter.
Obviously, these are all very good reasons to visit Italy, but it's quite surprising that relatively few tourists recognize Italy as a true "nature holiday" destination.
Witness enrosadira in the Dolomites
Enrosadira, or Alpenglow, is an optical phenomenon that visually illuminates mountain tops. It can only be witnessed just before sunrise or just after sunset, but it's well worth the wait. The Dolomite mountain range in the north of Italy has beautiful mountains, but the reddish enrosadira glow makes them even more beautiful.
Smell the cypress hills of Tuscany
The countryside of Tuscany is featured on thousands of postcards, travel book covers, posters and Pinterest boards. The sloping hills with cypress trees are world famous, there's more under the Tuscan sun. The picturesque islands of the Tuscan archipelago or the characteristic vineyard lines (Tuscany offers excellent Italian wines) are only a few examples of the variety that the Tuscan landscape has to offer.
Cycling in the Apennines
The Alps and Dolomites are well known, but the Apennines not so much. The "other" mountain range spans across the entire boot of Italy, from the north (Emilia Romagna) to the south (Campania). With the highest peak measuring just under 10,000 feet, it's the perfect destination for cycling, mountainbiking, hiking or simply enjoying the wonderful nature.
But there's much more, including the karstic caves in Puglia, the salt pans in Sicily or the surprisingly beautiful diving sites of Sardinia.
What's your favorite place to enjoy the Italian nature?
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