DESPITE being nicknamed the “city of ice cream” by travel experts, the Italian beach town of Pizzo seems to have flown under the tourist radar.
Popular towns and cities in Italy can get very crowded, but there are still some secluded spots where holidaymakers can relax in peace.
One of those places is Pizzo – a beach town in the south of Italy that’s just a short journey from other major cities like Tropea.
Located in the often-overlooked Calabria, blogger Cherrye Moore of My Bella Vita Travel has described Pizzo as the “lesser-known cousin of Tropea”.
Travel website iitaly Calabria said: “With peeling pink and yellow painted walls, cobbled streets and a vespa parked on almost every corner, the town offers all of the charm of destinations you’ll find on the Amalfi coast, yet with a fraction of the tourists.”
Popular with locals, visitors to the Italian town are unlikely to hear English spoken while walking along the town’s tiny streets.
One of the main areas is the Piazza della Republica, a huge outdoor square filled with restaurants and gelaterias (ice cream shops).
Its abundance of ice cream parlours is for a very good reason too, Pizzo is known as “city of ice cream” .
This is because it’s the homeplace of the world-famous tartufo di Pizzo, an ice cream made from hazelnut and chocolate.
From the square, visitors will also be able to admire Murat – a 15th century fort.
Named after Joachim Murat, brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte and briefly King of Naples, tourists can visit for just £2.40.
Holidaymakers who want to take in views over the Tyrrhenian coast should head to a viewpoint named Spuntini.
As well as views overlooking the crystal-clear blue water, there’s also a wire figure sculpture called Il collezionista di venti (the collector of winds).
Away from the historical attractions, there’s Pizzo Beach, a large sandy beach with clear blue water.
And Pizzo’s marina is a small bay sheltered by the pier that’s backed by charming buildings, restaurants and bars.
Lamezia Terme Airport is the closest airport to the UK, with direct flights.
Ryanair operates a direct service from London Stansted Airport to the Italian destination, with £14.99 flights each way.
British Airways also operates another direct route from London City Airport.
And there are plenty of other secluded spots in Italy only locals seem to know about, including Ponza.
Ponza is part of the Pontine archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and it is home to beaches that rival Capri — but for a fraction of the price.
To get there, you can hop on a train from Rome‘s main station, Termini, to the port city of Anzio. The journey takes just over an hour and costs around £5.
TRAVEL reporter Ryan Gray recently visited Herculaneum on a trip to Naples – here’s what he thought of the ancient site.
Herculaneum gets somewhat overshadowed by its neighbour Pompeii, which is a far larger site, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still well worth a visit.
On the contrary, Herculaneum offers an altogether clearer glimpse into how a town might’ve looked and operated in the days before the volcanic eruption caught everyone by surprise in 79AD, with better preserved homes and businesses.
The frescoes on the walls are also better maintained, with more vivid colours on display than those at its more famous counterpart.
What’s more, Herculaneum tends to get fewer visitors because it’s lesser-known, making it a more relaxing tourist experience.
While the bus-loads can be found swarming around Pompeii, only a handful of people tend to take the time to head to Herculaneum, meaning it can be explored at a more leisurely pace.
Meanwhile, here are the 100 best beaches in the world to visit in 2024 – and four from the UK have made the cut.
And one tiny UK town has been compared to a stunning Italian island.
