Italy honeymoon ideas: 10 of the most romantic places to stay
After four decades of living in Italy, I am still often struck by how perfect it is for a post-nuptials break, be it an extended, all-bells-and-whistles tour or a short and sweet mini-moon. Art-packed cities, majestic mountains, spectacular lakes, postcard-pretty villages and miles and miles of glorious coastline — Italy has it all. Then there's the superlative food and wine and the vast choice of places to stay, from fairytale palaces providing romance on a grand scale to secluded, low-key retreats where you can completely switch off, cosy up and just enjoy each other's company. Here are ten of the most romantic spots to make a beeline for.
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The likes of Byron and Shelley were seduced by the many charms of the Riviera di Levante, with its dazzling scenery, sunny climate, charming pastel-hued villages and steep, terraced hinterland with excellent trekking. It still has lots going for it today; choose a base in Porto Venere to explore Lerici and the achingly pretty fishing village of Tellaro and to swim in the gin-clear waters of the Golfo dei Poeti (Gulf of Poets). The Cinque Terre and Portofino are best accessed by boat, but beware of crowds in high season. Pesto is the local culinary speciality, along with excellent olive oil and some fine, mineral-rich white wines.
With fabulous views in all directions and just above the town, the Grand Hotel Portovenere occupies the shell of a 17th-century convent.
Exodus Adventure Travels has a six-night Walking in the Cinque Terre and Portofino tour that takes in olive groves and vineyards, Portofino and Sestri Levante.
• Best hotels in Cinque Terre• Fantastic beach holidays in Italy
For a honeymoon based around art and cultural sights with lashings of food, wine and scenery thrown in, Tuscany, with its treasure-packed capital Florence, has to be the top choice. With magical towns, hamlets and timeless lands, capes enfolding mellow villas, vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees, this is quintessential Italy. Numerous wineries offer tastings and cellar tours while cosy, family-run trattorias serve up the very best in rustic Tuscan food; no trip is complete without trying the likes of papardelle pasta with wild boar ragu and arista al forno (roast pork loin with rosemary and garlic). Plan on three days in Florence (four if you want to shop), and leave time for a day exploring the enchanting cities of Siena and Lucca. Then there are thermal springs, cooking courses, hot air balloon rides, tours of Chianti in a vintage Fiat 500 — all perfect activities for two.
Immersed in the vineyards of southern Chianti, Borgo San Felice occupies an entire medieval village with honeymoon packages that include spa treatments, picnics in the vegetable garden and gourmet candlelit dinners.
Cox & Kings has a seven-night, self-drive Tuscany in Style tour taking in Florence, Siena, Chianti and Pisa with optional add-ons.
coxandkings.co.uk
• More great hotels in Tuscany• Best things to do in Tuscany
There really is nowhere quite as romantic as Venice, even in the peak tourist season, which runs from March to October. The secret is knowing how to dodge the crowds. Alternate big-hitting sights such as glittering St Mark's Basilica and the Accademia Gallery with trips to outlying islands — I love dreamy, remote Torcello or gliding along the backwaters of Castello and Cannaregio. Stop for a selfie in front of the Bridge of Sighs and take a water taxi at least once. Squeeze into historic Caffè Florian for a cappuccino, sign up for cicchetti — the Venetian equivalent to tapas — tour for two and book a candlelit dinner on the Gritti Palace's fabulous terrace (pictured above). And yes, do take a night-time gondola ride; it's expensive but ridiculously romantic.
Set on the Grand Canal close to the Rialto Bridge, the Venice Venice Hotel provides a unique, contemporary take on the watery city. Room 43 has its own private altana (roof terrace) with magical views.
Celestyal Cruises has a seven-night Heavenly Venice, Greece and Croatia itinerary that includes a day in Venice.
• More great places to stay in Venice• What to do in Venice
The Italian Lakes are a heady mix of glamour and natural beauty, where inky blue waters are set against majestic mountains and shore-hugging roads weave through pastel-hued villages. Lake Como attracts the most visitors for its opulent villas, high-end hotels and the lovely town of Bellagio, while Lake Maggiore is known for its gardens and the Isola dei Pescatori. Tranquil Lake Orta is all the more romantic for being under the radar: wander the narrow lanes of medieval Orta San Giulio, order a glass of fizz in Piazza Motta and hop on the ferry to Isola San Giulio where there is an ancient monastery and a community of nuns.
For an opulent stay on Lake Como with views across the water to Bellagio, choose the Grand Hotel Tremezzo where facilities include a spa and three pools — each with spectacular views.
Abercrombie & Kent has tailor-made honeymoon packages to the Italian Lakes with accommodation at the luxe boutique gem Passalacqua on Lake Como.
abercrombiekent.co.uk
• Our guide to the best hotels in Lake Como• Lake Como v Lake Garda: which one should you visit?With its spectacular scenery, fabulous hotels and intangible air of retro glamour, the Costiera Amalfitana is an ideal honeymoon destination. Every bend in the celebrated Amalfi coast drive which runs from Positano to Amalfi (the extended route finishes in Vietri sul Mare) is worthy of a photo or three. Use the local ferry service to access pastel-hued coastal towns such as Positano and Amalfi and take the winding road up to dreamy Ravello, famous for its villas and gardens. To explore the coast, which is dotted with coves and sea caves, hire a traditional wooden gozzo and stop off for dips and a net-fresh lunch at a beachfront trattoria.
From its privileged clifftop perch above the town, the Anantara Convento di Amalfi has plenty for honeymooners including the atmospheric Monks' Walk, lots of secluded corners and private sunset cruises.
Exodus Adventure Travels has a nine-day self-guided walking tour allowing you to take in Ravello, Positano and Sorrento at your own pace. There's also the option to visit the pretty island of Capri, a magnet for honeymooners, or add on a trip to Pompeii.
• More fantastic stays on the Amalfi coast• Read our full guide to the Amalfi coast
The Costa Smeralda is a playground for the rich and famous, its pink-hued rocky coastline lapped by crystalline waters, broken by stretches of white, talcum powder-soft sand. The towns of Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo are stuffed with glittering designer boutiques, smart restaurants, cool bars and clubs while the mountainous hinterland hides pretty villages along with ancient burial sites known as nuraghi. Hire a boat to putter around the Maddalena archipelago; aim for April to May and October — the months outside high season when you are likely to be alone in this superlatively beautiful seascape.
The 7 Pines Resort in Baja Sardinia overlooks the Maddalena archipelago and its ravishing sunsets. Romance packages include ''Secret Beach' experiences and cosy gourmet dinners.
Just Sardinia has a range of multi-centre tours of the island with Honeymoon and Romantic packages staying at hand-picked hotels.
justsardinia.co.uk
• More great hotels in Sardinia• Discover our full guide to Sardinia
You can eat and drink well in just about every corner of Italy, but my number one choice for a gourmet honeymoon has to be Sicily. The food (caponata, couscous, cannoli) is punchy and varied, and the wine scene is buzzing with wineries offering high-end hospitality and tastings; try one of the Planeta estates (I recommend the ones in Menfi on the south coast, or Noto in the southeast) or Tenuta delle Terre Nere on the slopes on Mount Etna. Restaurants of all descriptions (from Michelin-starred temples to haute cuisine and rustic, family-run trattorias) abound throughout the island. Don't miss the glorious baroque towns of Noto, Syracuse and Ragusa, the magnificent Greek temples at Segesta and Selinunte, and the vibrant cities of Palermo and Catania. And then there's frequently puffing Mount Etna, one of Italy's most interesting wine-producing areas.
Monaci delle Terre Nere is a gorgeous hotel set on a wine estate on the slopes of Etna. Expect stylish rooms, fabulous farm-to-table food, wine tastings and cooking classes.
Exodus Adventure Travels has a seven-night adventure for foodies which involves trying the best street food in Palermo, visiting a wine cellar on Mount Etna and enjoying a cookery course with a Sicilian chef.
• More great hotels in Sicily• Best places to visit in Sicily
The majestic Dolomites make a brilliant choice for a winter honeymoon thanks to theworld-class skiing and standout scenery. The area is dotted with pretty villages such as Ortisei and San Cassiano set in classic Alpine scenery and swathed in twinkling white lights and — hopefully — blankets of snow. Skiing aside, many hotels have excellent spas and you can also enjoy hearty lunches on sun-drenched terraces, intimate dinners in front of roaring log fires, moonlit sleigh rides and maybe a spot of arm-in-arm ice-skating before a grappa in a cosy local stube. If it's the white stuff you're after, aim to travel between January and March.
You can ski from the front door of La Perla which provides high-end yet warm Tyrolean hospitality, wood-panelled rooms with carved four-posters, crackling fires and knockout mountain views.
Crystal Ski has seven-night ski holidays with luxury accommodation in various Dolomites resorts.
• Italy's top ski resorts
This sun-baked region, lapped by the warm waters of the Ionian and Adriatic seas, has been called 'the new Tuscany' — but it's wilder than its more northern counterpart and its attractions are more low-key. Aside from splendid, baroque Lecce, there are few major sights, although the gorgeous, whitewashed towns of Ostuni and Martina Franca and weathered old fishing ports-turned-buzzy hubs of Gallipoli and Otranto make good day trips. More simple pleasures in Puglia include the miles of pristine sandy beaches, the untamed countryside dotted with conical stone trulli houses, local delicacies such as orecchiette pasta with cima di rapa (bitter greens), panzerotti (deep fired dough pockets) and burrata and stracciatella cheeses and robust wines.
For extra privacy, you can book a suite with plunge pool at Masseria Torre Maizza, set just back from the coast with an intimate spa and beach club. There's also a yacht for sunset trips with your amore.
Tui has a number of package holidays to Puglia with options in Otranto, Monopoli and Selva di Fasano (don't miss a chance to stay at at the trulli-style rooms at the Tenuta Monacelle in the latter). Each option includes a hotel, flight and transfers, so you can do as much or little as you like when you get there.
• Best trulli houses to rent in Puglia• What to do in Puglia
The Eternal City is one of the world's great romantic destinations and the sheer wealth of its archaeological riches is guaranteed to move even the most hardened souls. In Rome, ancient wonders rub shoulders with modern, everyday life in the most intriguing way. Grand must-sees include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, St Peter's Basilica and Villa Borghese (where you can row your beloved round the lake in a little boat), but leave plenty of downtime to wander the ivy-draped lanes of Trastevere, sip a Campari spritz and to climb the Gianicolo hill for incomparable sunsets. And don't forget to toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain (go early to avoid the crowds).
Located in Rome's most authentic neighbourhood, five-star Casa Monti Roma provides a mod take on la dolce vita. A spa, rooftop bar and excellent local food are among the attractions, along with tours in a vintage Fiat 500.
You can book a bespoke trip to Rome with Cox & Kings with luxury accommodation, private guides and plenty of optional exclusive experiences.
coxandkings.co.uk
• More great hotels in Rome• Best restaurants in Rome
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