The great thing about bucket lists is that every single one is different. Your particular bucket list may be about unique places to stay or unique places to eat, it may centre around traditional local cultures or culinary experiences, you may be in the market for outdoor activities, or you may just want to add some breathtaking views to the memory bank. Wherever your travel interests lie, we know that as a Luxury Gold guest, you will want to do it in style. Here are 10 unique vacations of the moment.

1. Chase the Northern Lights

Scientists think the furthest south the aurora borealis has been spotted is in Honolulu, and over recent years parts of Europe have had surprise sightings. But if you want to be fully immersed in the holographic splendor of the sun and earth’s clashing magnetic fields, you will have to commit more time and patience to the experience. To “chase” the northern lights, your best bet is to head to northern Norway, somewhere like Tromsö, where your probability of seeing the sky lit up with blues, greens and purples is 70-90% in cloudless conditions between August and April.

You may also enjoy reading:Unusual Architecture: Design Marvels Across Europe

2. Receive a Shaman’s Welcome in the Sacred Valley

Our Treasures of the Incas journey is one of our most unique vacations; once you’ve met a local artist in Lima, it’s time to venture into the Sacred Valley in the Andes of Peru, north of the Inca capital of Cusco. Here, a local shaman will perform a welcoming ceremony, designed to connect you to this magical, mystical place of natural beauty, before you head on to the travel bucket list classic, Machu Picchu. Dating back to pre-historic times, the welcome ceremony is a way to celebrate and show gratitude to Pachamama, the only goddess revered by the Indigenous people of the Andes. The journey continues on to Buenos Aires and to Rio de Janeiro for cocktails on Copacabana Beach.

3. Sleep Under the Stars in California

Don’t overlook what’s on your doorstep in favor of getting off the beaten path to find the world’s “hidden gems”. California’s National Parks are home to some of the most iconic views and landscapes on the planet. Yosemite is popular because it’s special – it has glacier-sculpted geology, fairytale sequoias, jewel-like lakes and so much more. Everyone who enters falls in love, particularly if they stay at one of 13 campgrounds, with access to a campfire.

4. Enjoy a Soothing, Open-air Onsen in Japan

Hot springs and the bathing facilities around them are called “onsen” in Japan, where they constitute an important part of daily life and are deeply rooted in the culture. Benefits of bathing in hot springs include relaxation, improved sleep, improved circulation, less joint pain, better skin and a clearer mind. Onsen etiquette usually requires full nudity and no tattoos. Our Majestic Japan journey features the Oirase Keiryu Hotel, one of our most unique places to stay, thanks to its onsen deep within the forest.

Bookmark for later: These Are The Most Unique Romantic Getaways The World Has To Offer

5. Get a Taste for the Wine Life in South Africa

South Africa is home to some of the most breathtaking views in the world. It’s a wildly diverse place to travel, with culinary experiences, wildlife spotting and outdoor activities all on the agenda. Those looking for unique family vacations choose the safari, but if following the vines has always appealed to you, this is the place to do that, too. On our Spectacular South Africa journey, we head to the historic Cape Winelands, where we travel by chauffeured vintage car to indulge in a wine tasting at Vergelegen Estate and a farm-to-table lunch at Boschendal Wine Estate. Sip a delicious Pinotage surrounded by astounding natural beauty – it’s one for the books.

6. Behold an Uluru Sunset

Two weeks in Australia – you’ve probably been meaning to do it for a while, if you haven’t already. Our luxury journey takes in some of the country’s more unusual vacation destinations, as well as classics like Sydney, Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef. Near the centre of Australia is Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, a large sandstone monolith. It is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area, known as the Anangu. Stopping here to see the sun slip behind the rock is soul-stirring experience – this is a landscape of surreal proportions, awash with the pinks, purples and oranges that only the sun can conjure.

7. Spy the Elusive Tigers of Ranthambore

On the Essence of India, we take the Jan Shatabdi Express from historic Bharatpur to Ranthambore, one of our favorite and most unusual vacation destinations. It’s a vast expanse of wild jungle, with a 10th century palace at its centre, and it’s the greatest place to spot wild tigers. In the former private hunting grounds of the maharajahs of Jaipur, we join a Local Expert on a quest, exploring the fort’s crocodile-filled lakes and vine-laced chhatris (dome-shaped pavilions) along the way.

You may also like: Step Inside the Most Unique Luxury Retreats in India

8. Take the Orient Express to Venice

This one is high on many bucket lists, and rightfully so. It is simply one of the world’s most decadent ways to travel, and it seems fitting that you should take it between two similarly decadent destinations: Paris and Venice. The carriages on the world famous train date from the Golden Age of travel, the 1920s and 30s, and the art-deco features are a feast for the senses, even without the views through the windows. Every detail and moment of a journey on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has been carefully considered.

9. Go Whale Watching in Kaikoura

New Zealand dazzles from top to bottom, with the makings of unique vacations every stop of the way. Our luxury journey, The Long White Cloud, takes in the wilderness of Wanaka, the adventure of Queenstown, the mammoth serenity of the Fiordland National Park and sulphuric Rotorua, where we tour a working kiwi nursery and hatchery. There are nonstop bucket list ticks here, but Kaikoura often tops them all, particularly if you love wildlife spotting. Giant sperm whales live reasonably close to the shore of Kaikoura year-round, and there is little on earth that tops spying one of these glorious creatures from a catamaran.

More travel inspiration for those seeing a unique vacation: These Are The Most Unique Romantic Getaways The World Has To Offer

10. Dance at Mardi Gras in New Orleans

You are never short of unique things to do in New Orleans, and a trip here should be considered a bucket list trip anyway, particularly by those seeking new culinary experiences. But if you can make it here for Mardi Gras, there is simply nothing on earth like it. On Fat Tuesday, right before Ash Wednesday, it’s an epic carnival featuring parades and parties of pure, unadulterated revelry. And if you can’t make it in March, our Southern Grace journey includes a behind-the-scenes tour of Mardi Gras World’s Blaine Kern Studios, a workshop that has created floats, costumes and props since 1947. It’s a whirlwind of colour and culture.

Feeling inspired be there unique vacations? Take a look at our collection of small group luxury journeys. 

If you’re looking for a vacation that focuses on wellbeing and relaxation, you may be eyeing up some spas and wellness retreats, but where to begin? It all depends on what you’re hoping to achieve. Perhaps you’re seeking stress relief and rejuvenation and would like world class treatments in a pampering setting that’s supportive and sumptuous? Or maybe you’re looking to jump-start a lifestyle change, with a vacation that includes fitness, healthy food, meditation and yoga. Here, we’ll begin by answering a few FAQs about spas and wellness retreats, and then we’ll jump into some of our favorite options.

What is a spa?

There are always exceptions, of course, but generally speaking, a spa is a place of wellbeing, pampering and relaxation. You might attend a spa for one treatment, or for a package that spans the whole day. And there are countless types of spa – for instance, medical spas offer advanced aesthetic treatments alongside the usual facials, while thermal spas use heat to soothe the body, through baths, steam rooms and hammams. Spas might have specialisms in aromatherapy, ayurveda or thalassotherapy. Increasingly, the world’s best hotels are devoting time and money to elaborate spa offerings, so in the best case scenario, you’re also sleeping in the same building.

What is a wellness retreat?

This tends to be a structured vacation, based around one or more activities, like yoga, pilates, hiking or meditation. Guests are encouraged to really break from their everyday lives and feel invigorated by programmes that include meals cooked by private chefs, time for reflection, nature walks, rest, and classes and workshops, possibly with some treatments woven into the itinerary, too.

What is included in a spa day?

Sometimes, you just want to lie down and luxuriate somewhere that was purpose built to be soothing, and not leave it for a full day. That’s where spa days come in. Whether you choose one or six treatments to have while you’re there, a spa day will usually involve paying a fee to use facilities like relaxation lounges, thermal suites, baths and pools.

Read more about spa treatments with: Ayurveda to Onsen: These Wellness Practices Have Stood the Test of Time

Soma Byron Bay, Australia

 

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Give our Inspiring Australia journey a boost by booking into one of the best wellness retreats in the world while you’re in the right hemisphere. In the middle of the Australian rainforest, Soma is architecturally unique – all sharp-edged and super luxe, purpose built to offer people a place to escape and “reengineer their lives”. It’s run by Gary Gorrow, a Vedic meditation expert with CEO clients, and Peter Ostick, a founder and business person who went on his own life-saving mindfulness journey. Through the bamboo thicket is a see-through geodesic dome, where classes take place. Retreats are two to three days long, with a focus on meditation, yoga, rounding (advanced, for Vedic meditators) or immersion (for those experiencing burnout). When guests are not in breathwork, yoga or meditation classes, there is a freshwater infinity pool, a whole food plant-based menu, and a schedule of bodywork treatments.

Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada

On our Majesty of the Rockies journey, we spend two nights at this hotel, a castle in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by lush forest. The castle contains one of the best spas in the world, and certainly one of the most picturesque: the Willow Stream Spa. Here, a gentle soundtrack for your relaxation is provided by burbling mineral pools and trickling waterfalls, and treatments are designed with the landscapes in mind. The Signature Healing Ascent is two hours of deep relaxation and rejuvenation for your whole body: a warm, aromatic footbath, followed by a dry-brush exfoliation and a soothing, hydrating massage. And the Alpine Glow LED Facial promotes healing, stimulates collagen production, and leaves you as radiant as the Rockies.

Bookmark for later: In Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Natural Wellness and Luxury Go Hand in Hand

Acquaforte Thalasso and Spa, Sardinia

 

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This dreamy, bougainvillea-adorned Sardinian estate contains one of the best spas in the world, and one of the best thalassotherapy centres in the world. Thalassotherapy is all about the healing powers of seawater, something the Romans knew all about – there are ruins of their thermal bath in Nora, a few minutes from the resort. Then, 25 years ago, a medical team led by Dr Angelo Cerina came to finish what the Romans started, creating an extraordinary method for detoxing and rejuvenating the body. At Acquaforte now, there are six pools of Sardinian sea water, with varying saline densities and at varying temperatures. There are also wonderful massages, including one with honey and salt, designed to “purify and smooth the skin, preparing it to welcome the smiling sun”.

Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand

This tends to be a wellness retreat for people who are serious about doing a lot of work on themselves, people who might describe themselves as being on a journey. There are also what you might call regulars who return year after year to this, one of the best spas in the world. On the other hand, maybe you just feel it’s high time for a gut cleanse, or to master some pranayama breathing techniques, and you’d like to do so on a tropical hillside sanctuary, with a private beach. Rightfully on any list of best spas in the world, Kamalaya offers comprehensive wellness programmes dealing with detoxing, stress and burnout, and creating healthy lifestyles. Whether you’re searching for “internal harmony” or something less ambitious, as soon as you land here, you’ll feel better.

You might also enjoy:  For Stress-Free Travel, These Luxury Products Make All the Difference

Six Senses Vana, India

 

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This one-of-a-kind Himalayan resort falls wholeheartedly into the wellness retreat category. Your experience begins before you even arrive, when you’ll be asked for all the information staff need to draw up your custom health and wellness plan. On arrival, your guest experience manager will provide detox tea and linen kurta pyjamas, and from there it’s a minimum of five days of immersion in healing, rebalancing, rewilding and rechilding. Each day of your stay involves yoga, meditation, workshops, functional fitness, wellness consultations and treatments. The food is wonderful and your menus will be tailored to which Ayurvedic dosha you are diagnosed as: vata, pitta, or kapha. Meals are not meagre bootcamp offerings, but feast-like thalis, abundant with curries, salads, rice and chutneys. Explore our luxury India vacations.

The Spa at Coworth Park, UK

If you’re the sort of traveler who has our Castles & Kingdoms journey on your to-do list, you will adore the traditional spa at this Berkshire country estate, amid green fields and wildflower meadows, a mere hour from London. Guests in thick, white robes follow the English oak trees to the dual level eco-luxury spa, where they can pick and choose from personalised massages, skincare (“the Germaine de Capuccini Timexpert Hydralyronic facial” reaches deep into the skin for “noticeable outcomes”), nail care and more. Visit for one treatment or stay for the day; it’s a beautiful place to luxuriate, with a gym and a gorgeous indoor pool.

Go behind the scenes: Skip The Jacuzzi and Brave the Ice Bath: Industry Insider Joanna Moran Reveals Her Top Spa Secrets

Le Grand Spa at Le Grand Bellevue, Switzerland

 

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Extend your Luxury Gold journey through Majestic Switzerland to incorporate the divinely alpine town of Gstaad. Le Grand Bellevue is a lemon-coloured Wes Anderson-style palace that’s spilling with blooms through summer and thickly snow-clad through winter. Within, there’s caviar at Leonard’s, truffle fondue at the log cabin Le Chalet, adaptogenic coffee at the art deco bar and reviving sleep in sumptuous suites. But Le Grand Spa is the cherry on the layer cake, with its 17 wellness zones including steam baths, an ice fountain, a herbal sauna, a hay sauna, a salt inhalation grotto and an outdoor relaxation pool. And if that doesn’t soothe and calm you, the Swiss Back Release will restore you to a truly blissed, Swiss state.

SHA Mexico

The original SHA opened in Alicante, Spain in 2008, when its in-depth approach to holistic living made it stand out from wellness culture as a whole. Their follow-up property is even better. It’s in the north of the Riviera Maya, on the coast of Costa Mujeres, with acres of wild white sands and turquoise waters. If you want all that natural beauty, but you also want a program that’s “data driven and science-led”, SHA is for you. The ‘recover and energize’ program, for instance, is a minimum of four days and includes a 3D body scan, various medical appointments with clinicians, tailored meal plans, acupuncture, osteopathy, Abhyanga massage, intravenous ozone therapy treatment, personal training, cryotherapy and so much more. SHA’s are the best wellness retreats in the world if you want a true 360-degree experience.

Dior Spa at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, France

 

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There are a few Dior spas, including a cocooning, white, sanctuary-like space at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, but for a more escapist wellness vacation, this one in Antibes is more invigorating. The spa is on the edge of the hotel grounds, beyond a 150-year-old rose garden and a grove of imposing pine trees. The treatment rooms are adorned with Dior textiles, mostly white and blue to echo the glittering French Riviera location. There are four Dior-designed wellness programs available: relaxation therapy, detox and slimming therapy, reverse aging therapy and homme therapy. And there’s an Eden-Roc eau de parfum to take home with you, so the scent of salty sea air and pine lingers, along with your newfound sense of wellbeing. Our Ultimate France journey begins at the Fairmont Monte Carlo, less than an hour from here.

More inspiration for spa lovers: Expert Selected: The 4 Best Hotel Spas You Can Visit With Luxury Gold

Two Bunch Palms, USA

An actual oasis in the Californian desert, this is a contemporary wellness hotel and hot springs, with mineral waters emerging from a 600-year-old spring. Sprinkled among the palm groves are hammocks, parasols and shaded rock grotto pools – it offers the sort of relaxation that involves quietly padding around barefoot in the sunshine. One of the best spas in the world, the treatment rooms are cool, breezy standalone bungalows for individual massages and facials, or you can go all-in with the four-hour Desert Revival, which includes massage, reiki and an adaptogen wrap. The rest of the experience is distinctly Californian, with sound baths, cacao ceremonies and vision board creation available, plus vegetable-forward dinners, matcha lattes and date shakes made with dates from Coachella Valley.

Amanemu, Japan

 

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Aman are responsible for many of the best spas in the world, and each suite or villa has its own onsen at their ryokan-inspired retreat in the south-western Ise-Shima National Park. Ancient pilgrim trails through dense forests lead to Shinto shrines, and guests have access to boats on Ago Bay, home to a community of pearl fishers and female freedivers, the ama. The spa features two private onsen pavilions, an outdoor yoga deck and hydrotherapy, and treatments incorporate local, seasonal ingredients, such as pearl powder, seaweed, and herbs and plants used in traditional kampo therapies. The area is renowned for its seafood, so there’s plenty of post-spa spiny lobster and abalone. And the Ise Jingu shrine breakfast is a deeply soothing tray of rice, fish, tofu, miso soup and pickles – a very alive way to start the day. Experience the majesty and mystery of Japan on our 11-day journey.

You may also enjoy reading: A Haven of Tranquility: Discovering the Best Luxury Spas in Japan

BodyHoliday Cariblue Beach, St. Lucia

This is everything you want from a luxury all-inclusive vacation in the Caribbean – beach location, lush tropical garden, butler service, hammocks, six restaurant options, spectacular views, scuba diving and kayaking – but with an added holistic living dimension at one of the best spas in the world. It’s a BodyHoliday, after all. Not a grueling one, though – the food is organic, with a farm-to-table focus, the daily lineup of fitness activities ranges from Beach Fit and BodySpin to beach trails, triathlon and yoga, and each day you can choose from a selection of 50-minute treatments, such as an aloe body wrap and a serenity massage. The resort also runs some more structured five-day wellness retreats, but it’s a delicious health and wellbeing reset whichever way you do it.

For the ultimate luxury vacation, take a look at our collection of limited-edition small group luxury journeys.

What’s the most beautiful place in Italy? We chose 21, and we’re still lamenting all the places we had to leave out. When you behold a list of the most beautiful places in Italy, you realize how much stunning scenery this one slender European country contains.

Our Ultimate Italy journey is 12 days of signature luxury guided travel, taking in Venice, the Cinque Terre, Florence, San Gimignano, Tuscany, Rome, Naples and more, but you could always extend your stay (for a year or so) to fit in all of the locations below. The pictures are probably speaking for themselves by now, so let’s dive in.

Burano, Venice

It’s impossible to choose just one beautiful spot in one of the most ethereally beautiful cities in the world, but Burano is a sight to be savored. It’s the island in the Venetian Lagoon you’ve seen on art prints a hundred times – pastel-colored homes reflected in the canal below. It’s a special place, deserving of its fame, with its leaning bell tower, fairytale bridges and shops and workshops full of intricate lacework.

Grand Canal, Venice

OK, we didn’t choose just one. There is nowhere on earth like the Grand Canal, especially at sunset, when the sky is streaked with pinks and purples, and the surrounding palazzos take on a golden glow. The most elegant way to arrive in Venice is by private water taxi, which ideally takes you to your hotel by the water’s edge, as on our Ultimate Italy journey.

You may also enjoy reading: The 30 Most Beautiful Places in the World You Need to Visit

Polignano a Mare, Puglia

Just before the heel begins, on the southern Adriatic coast, this enchanting town is perched on limestone cliffs. It’s petite, but spectacularly positioned. Day trippers come from Bari (30 minutes away) to see the waves crashing against the craggy cliffs and to cruise the coastal caves. Admirers tend to focus their gaze on Lama Monachile, a rocky bay between cliffs that was once used as a port.

Lecce, Puglia

In the Salento region of Puglia, tucked well within the heel of the boot, this honey-coloured Baroque city of exuberant carved sandstone is often referred to as the “Florence of the South”. However, that seems a little reductive because Lecce is a masterpiece on its own merit – a mini metropolis of 17th century piazzas, basilicas, columns and gargoyles, with architectural surprises (and leisurely lunches) around every cobblestone corner.

Ostuni, Puglia

Will we ever leave Puglia? Perhaps. But first we must take a pause in Ostuni, which is known as the White City for its wedding cake of sun-drenched, whitewashed houses, arranged across three hills. Delicious things await in Ostuni’s medieval alleys, and from the walled city’s many balconies, you also get glorious views of the Puglian countryside – olive groves, vines and all.

Ortigia, Sicily

Ortigia is the tiny Sicilian island that forms the historical heart of Siracusa – it’s connected by three bridges, with cars best left in the car park outside. Ortigia’s story began in 734, when Archia arrived from Corinth to defeat Sicilians and form the Greek colony of Siracusa. Nowadays, it provides more of that honey-hued baroque magnificence we’ve met before, but with added turquoise waters and atmosphere in abundance.

Discover more about out Ultimate Italy journey: How Travel Concierge Elena Makes Italy Sparkle

Matera, Basilicata

You really have to see Matera to believe it. In Basilicata, in southern Italy, this city of stone is situated on a rocky outcrop and the whole place sparkles at dusk. Matera incorporates the Sassi (“stones”) districts, complexes of unfathomable cave dwellings which have been excavated and extended over millennia. It’s one of the most unique landscapes in the world – beautiful inside and out.

Spiaggia dei Conigli (Rabbit Beach), Lampedusa

What are the most beautiful beaches in Italy? Those of the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast are up there, but Spiaggia dei Conigli is a special one we couldn’t miss. It’s accessible by boat or on foot via a 20-minute detour from the main road and it is a true Sicilian paradise, named after its original inhabitants. There are aperitif boat rides and dolphin spotting excursions, but once you get there, the best thing to do is sit and drink it in.

Duomo de Milano, Milan

What are the most beautiful cities in Italy? While the capital of fashion might not rank highest in your mind, it’s undeniable that the Duomo de Milano is a Gothic sensation, its facade festooned with gargoyles and spires. Constructed over several centuries, with the input of various architects, sculptors and artists, the duomo combines contrasting styles and contains more statues than any other cathedral in the world – over 3,500.

Val d’Orcia, Tuscany

This is a lush, hilly expanse of countryside so green and densely packed it’s on the UNESCO World Heritage list, making it officially one of the most beautiful places in Italy. This quintessential Tuscan landscape is graced with vineyards, olive groves, medieval villages, cypresses and chestnut groves. Visitors meander between thermal spas, rustic osterias and enrapturing wine trails, stopping to take photographs around each and every bend of the cypress-lined road.

Soak up even more travel inspiration: The 30 Most Beautiful Places in the World You Need to Visit

Roman Forum, Rome

Once the centre of public life – the place to witness gladiatorial combats, public speeches and criminal trials – this is now (bear with us) an assemblage of rather random ruins between the Palatine and Capitoline hills. And while it’s hard to picture the area in all its former glory, the sheer spectacle of the iconic columns and archways seemingly sprouting from the ground right in the middle of modern day Rome is something special.

Ravello, Amalfi Coast

High in the hills, with coastline views unlike anywhere else on earth, Ravello is one of the Amalfi Coast’s quieter but no less flamboyant towns. It may not be as famous as Positano or Amalfi, but its position is second to none. Ravello is a place of such stark beauty that writers and artists have come here for decades to feel alive again, and be inspired. Whether you’re creative or not, the view from the belvedere at Villa Cimbrone will live with you, always.

Lake Como, Lombardy

Opulent neoclassical villas and garden follies in shades of pearl and rose are set against a backdrop of mountains, cypresses, magnolias and palm trees, arranged around the star of the show: the twinkling Lake itself. Add to the picture a few speedboats and ferraris and here you have the location of the Bond film Casino Royale and the site of Amal and George Clooney’s wedding. Not just one of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s one of the most luxurious and captivating places on earth, and you have to see it.

Tropea, Calabria

On the Gulf of Saint Euphemia, part of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tropea is another irresistible cliffside town. It’s a white sand paradise, famed for its associations with Hercules (who may have founded it), for being “the jewel in the crown of Calabria”, for its assemblage of cobbles and piazzas, and – not forgetting – its Tropea red onions. It’s frequently named one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Food lovers may also enjoy reading: These Are Our 15 Favorite Michelin Star Restaurants in Italy

Vernazza, Cinque Terre

On the rugged Italian Riviera, this divine little fishing village is the Cinque Terre in a nutshell – little jumbles of candy-coloured houses balanced on and around the cliffs, opening out to perfect bays where lucky people are taking the most beautiful and invigorating sea swims of their lives. Cinque Terre means “five lands”, and it actually consists of five villages, all of them absurdly photogenic, but Vernazza just pips the others.

Capri, Bay of Naples

In Italy’s Bay of Naples, Capri (darling) is chic to the bones, with its elegant boutiques, megayachts and sun-kissed limoncello. But it also has natural beauty in rich abundance, in its dramatically craggy rock formations and sea caves tucked into cliffs. The Blue Grotto is the most famous sea cave – so-called because the sunlight streams through an underwater cavity, giving the water a blue glow that lights up the space.

Langhe, Piedmont

The softly rolling, wine-growing hills of the Langhe may be less dramatic than Italy’s city duomos and craggy coastline, but it is no less beautiful. As you drive around, among the vines, with the scents of hazelnut and truffle in the air, each hilltop appears iced with its own fairy castle. What are the most beautiful towns in Italy? It could be these Piedmontese dream locales: Alba, Grinzane Cavour and Barolo.

Gulf of Orosei, Sardinia

On the east coast of Sardinia, the Gulf of Orosei is home to some of the most photogenic beaches in Italy and the whole Mediterranean, with their clear turquoise waters and white sand. Cala Luna is the real deal, with powdery soft sand and a gentle slope out to sea – it’s accessible by boat, or a two-hour hike. Cala Goloritzè is just as idyllic, with the same impeccable colour palette, but it’s a little wilder, with a mighty limestone pinnacle.

Piazza del Campo, Siena

Italy has piazzas aplenty, but no others quite like Siena’s huge, sloping social centre. One of the most beautiful places in Italy, it’s the shape of a scallop shell, divided into nine sections, recalling the ‘Nove’ (the nine) who governed the city for the ‘common good’, not for the nobility, at the end of the 13th century. Nowadays, it’s surrounded by the Palazzo Pubblico and its Torre del Mangia, as well as various opportunities for aperitivo.

Bookmark for later: The Luxury Gold Guide to Private Wine Tasting in Italy

Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Dolomites

Three distinctive rocky peaks rise abruptly and spectacularly into the sky in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy. These are the three epic icons of The Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage site and if you want to hike them all, it’s a 10km route, best taken in the summer when the buttercups, forget-me-nots and vanilla orchids are in bloom. The Dolomites are a popular draw all year long, though, and one of the most inspiring places on earth to get outside and walk.

San Fruttuoso, Liguria

What this list needs to finish is a good, ancient Benedictine monastery, right on the seashore. The tiny hamlet, situated between Camogli and Portofino, and surrounded by Portofino Regional Park, has all the right shades of aquamarine and sun-blanched white, but its dominated by the Abbazia di San Fruttuoso, with its domed watchtower. It has to be one of the most beautiful places in Italy to lay your chic, striped beach towel.

Keen to discover Italy in luxury style? Take a look at our Ultimate Italy small group journey.