My 21-day itinerary for Italy: If you’re looking to spend time in the South of Italy, these are some great spots to discover.
Sept. 13: Depart Toronto. Arrive in Italy Sept 14:
We flew into Rome’s FCO airport and rented a car. We drove to Castel Gandolfo, a village and castle just outside Rome. The pope’s summer home is on top of the hill overlooking beautiful Lake Albano. During our short stay in this picturesque village, we enjoyed a wonderful tour of the castle, the grounds, and its magnificent garden.
Sept. 16-17:
The next stop is close to Napoli: Caserta and the Caserta Royal Palace, home to the Napoli royalty. We stayed in Caserta at a charming Bed and Breakfast for only one day and night—not nearly long enough to discover this fascinating place. Our day was spent discovering the massive Royal gardens. We would have needed another day to explore the castle and still another to enjoy all of the many fine restaurants in the vicinity.
17th – 20th: The next morning, we continued on to Matera. Our temporary home is a beautiful Air BnB close to the old part of the city, The Sassi. During our four days in this magnificent city, we explored the caves, the old town, art galleries, museums, and amazing restaurants.
We ventured to the small mountain town of Pisticci and spent the day and well into the evening exploring it. Other sites that we visited during our stay in the region were the Trulli’s of Alberobello. This is a must-see if you are in the region. It is an enchanting town.
20th- 22nd: Our next stop is a small town in the Region of Calabria. Castrovillari is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza. We stayed at a bed and breakfast. We were here for a wedding, which took place at an estate vineyard, Tenute Ferrocinto, Castrovillari. In my experience, it was like no other wedding event.
It was exceptional in every way, shape, and form, from the ambiance, the environment, the wine pairings, and the delicious food that seemingly never stopped being served to the entertainment that moved between three different areas. Fantastico!
22nd – 26th: After all that celebrating, it was time to relax at the beach. We spent four luxurious days in Tropea, a gorgeous seaside town in the Calabria region.
26th—30th: We returned to Rome’s Ciampino airport to return the rental car and catch a flight to Sardinia. We made one stop on the way to break up a long drive. We stayed the night in the small town of Baronissi. Our Bed and breakfast, La Magnolia B&B, was simply outstanding. I give it 5 stars.
Once we arrived in Cagliari, we rented a car and drove to nearby Quartu Sant’Elena, where we stayed in an amazing Airbnb within walking distance of a wonderful beach.
We stayed for three days, and this was definitely not long enough. The timing of our tour of Italy was great, as there weren’t that many tourists. We found some isolated beaches. The central towns were busy but not that bad. Our host wanted us to stay longer and allowed us to check out whenever we wanted to. We didn’t want to leave, but we had to catch a flight, so we returned the rental car and flew back to Rome; a short flight but another travel day.
Sept. 30th – Oct. 2: Our next stay was in central Rome—well, an Air BnB near the Jewish Quarter. Our stay here was only two days. Our trip had wound down, and we just had time for the tour of the Jewish Quarter and the main sites of the city of Rome. Our last evening was spent at my favorite Jazz club, Greggory’s, near the Spanish Steps.
We checked out early and ordered an Uber, which is really just a taxi, but they use the Uber app. It’s convenient for tourists who may not have access to a phone. We all had e-sims, which meant using internet data to order a ride. Off to the FCO Fiumicino airport and a direct flight to Toronto.