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Italy's Top 5 Scenic Adventures

Ask this member a question. billiverstravels Recent 3-week trip
20 Jul 2007
4.5 of 5 stars based on 8 votes
Five of the best scenic adventures in Italy: Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Sorrento, and Venice
  • Explore locations featured in this Traveler List: Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Sorrento, Venice
  • Category: Best of
  • Traveler type: Sightseeing
  • Appeals to: Couples/romantics, Honeymooners, Singles, Families with small children, Families with teenagers, Large groups, Seniors, Students, Budget travellers , Active/adventure, Tourists
  • Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
  • Tags: Italy, scenery, sightseeing, Cinque Terre, Amalfi, Capri, Sorrento, Venice
1. Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre, Italian Riviera
You can easily make a day trip of this from Genova or Pisa. If you take a local train, you can stop at any of the villages. Buy a Cinque Terre pass at the station where you get off. You will need it for hiking, and that includes the lower, easier paths between the villages. If you have a rail pass already, do not pay for the train pass. I suggest you walk between 2 towns, or more, depending on your stamina. We did the 65-minute walk from Corniglia to Manarola, which was easy enough for almost anyone, and ends with a climax - a turn around a cliff gives you a spectacular, picture-perfect view of Manarola. Of the four towns we saw, the most scenic to stroll through are Manarola and Vernazza. I do wish we had continued on our walk to Riomaggiore which would not have been much further past Manarola.
2. Amalfi Coast
Amalfi Coast, Campania
Take a Sita Bus along this rugged coast from Sorrento to Amalfi, or Amalfi to Sorrento. You will be awestruck by the scenery. There are thrills and chills as the bus passes other vehicles on the narrow winding road along and sometimes through the spectacular and steep cliffs. The views of the beautiful coastline are from high above the azure water. The towns are colorful and quaint. A word of caution: If you get off the bus between those cities I mentioned, you may be stuck there for a long while (as a friend of mine was...for 3 hours) as the buses tend to be full and may not stop for you. If you get off anywhere in between, be prepared with taxi money (and taxis are very expensive there!)
3. Capri
Capri, Campania
What a beautiful island! Take a passenger ferry from Amalfi or Sorrento's Marina Piccola and you will arrive at Capri's Marina Grande. You can buy a UnicoCapri card, a pass that allows you unlimited bus rides and 2 funiculars. While at Marina Grande, take a boat ride around the island. There are more grottos than just the famous Blue Grotto. Back at Marina Grande take the funicular to the upper part of Capri Town. Be sure to explore Capri's narrow streets lined with bouganvillea and interesting shops. Don't miss the Gardens of Augustus where the views are incredible. There are too many other great viewpoints on the island to mention. Check the guide books and do as many as you can. Better yet, take 2 days and see them all!
4. Sorrento
Sorrento, Campania
This is one of the most scenic towns in the world. The cliffs are astonishing and the mountains which surround the town add a beautiful backdrop and provide amazing vistas. And across the Bay of Naples, there is Mount Vesuvius. Walking from one marina to the other is a treat, taking you along the city cliffs. Be sure to explore BOTH marinas, Marina Grande with its traditional fishing village, and Marina Piccola with its vertical-walled entry down the gorge to the passenger ferries to Capri and Ischia. This is a great base from which to do day trips to the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Pompei, and Naples.
5. Venice
Venice
No trip to Italy would be complete without a visit to Venice, a magnificent city with totally unique sights. You don't have to spend a prince's random for a gondola ride to enjoy this city, but on the other hand, when else are you going to take a real gondola ride??? All you need really need for a scenic treat in Venice is a vaporetto pass and you can explore the ever-changing scenes along the canals to your hearts content. Once you have done a circumnavigation of the Grand Canal in the daytime, be sure to do the same route at night, preferably with moonlight on the water. See and enjoy all of St. Mark's magnificent spaces and don't miss one of the numerous little museums inside this cathedral, each for a small separate fee, and each one with true treasures. And of course there's the towering campanile. Next door, visit the richly-decorated Doge's Palace. These wondrous buildings help make Piazza San Marco, one of the grandest urban scenes on earth.
Explore locations featured in this Traveler List: Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Sorrento, Venice