we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links In its mid-century heyday, Porto Ercole, a small seaside village on the eastern coast of Tuscany’s Monte Argentario was much like Portofino—and perhaps even like Portofino as we know it today: a beloved seaside hideaway frequented by the glitterati where jetties jutting out from its rocky shoreline graced with colorful umbrellas offered holiday tropes more commonly associated with the Italian Riviera or the Amalfi Coast Monte Argentario’s biggest appeal to in-the-know travelers is its location Situated just 1.5 hours from Rome by car and connected to the mainland by a road that divides two lagoons it’s more accessible than other seaside retreats like Ponza or Elba As it’s in the Maremma region of southern Tuscany precisely where the Mediterranean and the vineyards meet there’s more to fill your time here than just sun-soaked days by the sea; beyond wine tasting culture-seekers can meander through Porto Ercole’s historic Borgo Antico the Spanish-era fortress that was built to protect it Photo: Courtesy of La RoqqaThe two main towns that form the municipality of Monte Argentario are Porto Santo Stefano on the western side which is three times larger with a lively waterfront and more shops and restaurants than the smaller fishing village of Porto Ercole While both are historic fishing villages known for their medieval forts and picturesque harbors Porto Ercole provides a more intimate experience it’s worth visiting both—from waking up to the sunrise in Porto Ercole to catching the sunset in Porto Santo Stefano While Porto Ercole remains one of Italy’s most authentic seaside villages the years following its golden age saw younger generations retreating elsewhere for their summer holidays thus delaying development and leaving in their wake Porto Ercole’s only notable institution: Il Pellicano If even the most discerning travelers haven’t heard of Porto Ercole surely they’ve heard of its most esteemed resort Though travelers visiting Il Pellicano aren’t typically coming to explore Porto Ercole per se but rather to hide away at the hotel—and who can blame them With its picturesque beach etched into the cliffside has created its own little village designed to keep you there family-owned luxury hotel inspired by the 1960s Dolce Vita and the only luxury hotel in the heart of the town guests are encouraged to discover the unique allure of Porto Ercole outside the hotel’s walls While other hotels in the area tout exclusivity and isolation it was important for the Swedish-born Jonsson family who fell in love with Porto Ercole’s dramatic scenery and authentic untouched charms when they began spending their summers here 12 years ago to create a place that affords guests the freedom to explore the magic of this forgotten paradise Photo: Alessandro Moggi“It feels as though time has stopped here,” Anton Jonsson muses The place remains so true to its history and tradition with architecture and food culture preserved much as they have always been.” The area hasn’t bent itself to the demands of global tourism that too often erode the soul of a place “And there is plenty to do: visiting cultural sites and exploring the other islands of the archipelago.” Photo: Alessandro MoggiThe family’s passion for the area and its history is reflected throughout the design of the hotel for which they enlisted help from Milanese design house Palomba e Serafini Associati Studio to create an environment that combined contemporary Italian design with nostalgic tropes of 1960s dolce vita such as Gaetano Pesce and Ettore Sottsass punctuate the lobby and public spaces evoking the town’s original spirit of mid-century glamour reflecting the typical colors of the landscape and local buildings maintaining a sense of harmony with the environment The hotel also reveals its efforts towards sustainability through subtle but meaningful details from the water filters available in every guest room to its partnership with CARITAS to ensure unused food finds a way to those in need daily Photo: Alessandro MoggiBut where La Roqqa really comes alive is on its rooftop restaurant which boasts sweeping views overlooking Porto Ercole port and the Corsini Botanical Gardens and serves traditional Tuscan cuisine paired with local wines and inventive cocktails If guests ascend to the rooftop in search of a pool they won’t find one—a conscious decision that the owners hope emboldens guests to leave the hotel and explore the many wonders of Porto Ercole—perhaps beginning with a walk to La Roqqa’s Isolotto Beach Club located just five minutes away in a secluded bay on the peninsula’s only sandy stretch which is sure to become the new social hub of Monte Argentario with its two beachside restaurants Photo: Alessandro MoggiLa Roqqa’s guest experience team led by the jovial Luca consists almost exclusively of locals who grew up in the area keen on providing its guests with customized experiences on and around Monte Argentario from organizing bespoke boat trips to nearby coves cycling and hiking excursions on the peninsula or visits to wineries and the Capalbio Gardens Photo: Alessandro MoggiThe Jonssons’ vocation to reawaken Monte Argentario has only just begun with a few more hotel projects in the works including transforming an abandoned Porto Ercole sardine factory into a full-service and the rebranding of an existing boutique hotel in Porto Santo Stefano which they plan to refurbish and re-open with a fresh La Roqqa is enough to make us wonder how it’s taken us so long to uncover the magic of Monte Argentario The Danish Home Lighting Trend That Can Improve Your Mental Health In America’s Cities, Saunas Are Becoming the Hottest Social Spot Millie Bobby Brown Shares Her Favorite Paella Recipe—and Details About Her Wedding to Jake Bongiovi A Day-by-Day Guide to Hiking the Legendary Nakasendo Trail in Japan Never miss a Vogue moment and get 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Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Here are 10 villages not to be missed in Maremma.1 OrbetelloSurrounded by the waters of its lagoon Orbetello is a jewel waiting to be discovered This rich and lush land has been an important crossroads of people and goods since Etruscan times Over the centuries many have been the lords who have taken turns on this strip of Maremma and for each of them Orbetello has always been a strategic center to be cared for and reinforced The work destined to change the history and fortunes of Orbetello forever dates back to 1842 when the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II inaugurated the dam the narrow embankment that connects the town to the slopes of Argentario It is on this road on the water that one still arrives from Argentario to Orbetello before leaving the car and devoting oneself to a visit among its small and great masterpieces the small church of Santa Maria alle Grazie the cathedral or the spectacular lagoon promenade: Orbetello is full of monuments and evocative views that should be appreciated unhurriedly letting yourself be enraptured by the unique atmosphere of the lagoon Porto Ercole is one of the most popular seaside resorts in Maremma but this ancient fishing village on the Argentario promontory also offers visitors much more The ancient center lies protected by walls and winds at the foot of the imposing Rocca Spagnola in a maze of alleys small squares and steep stairways that overlook the sea and where cars cannot get develops along the splendid natural bay and on its seafront it is possible to find a moment of relaxation immersed in one of the most evocative views where you can recharge your batteries and then go up the coast to discover the 16th-century fortifications such as the Rocca Porto Santo Stefano is the main town of Argentario and one of the most popular vacation spots for tourists and travelers The town of Porto Santo Stefano is developed along its two harbors the commercial one is the largest and ferries to the islands of Giglio and Giannutri also depart from there is surely the most characteristic one and can be reached by walking along the iconic promenade designed by one of the masters of Italian style This is definitely also the most glamorous area of the town full of clubs and restaurants overlooking the sea where you can relax and admire the beauty of this seaside village Perched 400 meters above sea level on the western slope of the Metalliferous Hills Massa Marittima is just under 20 kilometers from the sea and springs up as if by magic from the woods covered with Mediterranean scrub It is precisely its more elevated position and thus far from the malaria-infested marshes of the coast that made Massa Marittima for centuries one of the most flourishing centers in these parts The first traces of settlements are traced back even to prehistoric times while it is known that the Etruscans already exploited its mineral wealth The signs of this long history can still be touched today by walking through the streets of its town center which slopes gently down from the hill toward the coast divided between the Old Town The WWF oasis of Lake Burano, the Tarot Garden the Aldobrandesca fortress: there are many places not to be missed during a visit to Capalbio but for the discreet beauty of its coastline Always a sought-after destination for the Roman jet set Capalbio can now truly satisfy every taste: both of those who are looking for a chic vacation among millionaire villas and exclusive clubs and of those who instead want to enjoy the sea in close contact with a still unspoiled nature lying on a beach that is still proudly free and wild Lying placidly on a hill just over 200 meters above sea level, Montescudaio is an ideal place to relax and fully enjoy the best Maremma has to offer the perfect starting point for so many excursions within the beautiful Tuscan countryside but it is only by putting one foot after the other and wandering through its ancient streets that one can appreciate its full beauty Here it seems as if time has stopped in the Middle Ages an ancient era whose legacy can still be strongly perceived by getting lost in the narrow streets or venturing onto the castle walls from which the eye can sweep as far as the sea Enough to describe in three words the village of Bolgheri one of the best known symbols of this corner of Tuscany In this enchanted place made famous by the verses of the first Italian to receive the Nobel Prize for literature starting with its famous Viale dei Cipressi a real jewel in which to let your imagination run wild among the medieval streets Of particular interest are then the church of Santi Giacomo e Cristoforo Piazza Alberto and again the path to the discovery of Carducci’s life and the famous castle of the Counts della Gherardesca stretched between the slopes of the Piombino promontory and the Gulf of Baratti and was known since ancient times for its intense metallurgical activity Today you can visit the archaeological park in the lower part of which you can admire while in the higher part you can walk in the ancient acropolis with the temples Between the plain and the hills lies the municipality of Campiglia Marittima with its two urban centers: Campiglia and Venturina The latter is famous for its spas and large green areas but it is Campiglia that preserves the most important traces of these lands’ past The roots of the first nucleus of this village are documented as far back as the year 1000 and there are many legacies from these bygone times that can still be admired up close A visit to Campiglia cannot fail to observe first of all the splendid Rocca dating back to the 12th century and then again the parish church of San Giovanni the church of San Lorenzo with its works of art and then the Praetorian Palace Rosignano Marittimo with its seven hamlets is the ideal place for a vacation that combines together art culture and entertainment among crystal clear waters is a charming medieval center that from the top of a hill dominates the entire Tyrrhenian coast and the entire village developed around it A few kilometers from Rosignano is the tourist resort par excellence of these lands: Castiglioncello which with its distinct elegance has always attracted artists No less fascinating is then the hamlet of Vada whose history winds uninterruptedly back to Etruscan times by Associated Press and KOMO News Services Italy — Survivors from a luxury cruise ship that ran aground and tipped over leaving at least three dead and 69 people still unaccounted for This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing Sign up to receive the Gourmet Traveller newsletter and offers we choose to share with you straight to your inbox  By joining, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use Cathay Pacific has more than 70 flights a week from Sydney The two main towns on the Monte Argentario peninsula, Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole, are about 150 kilometres north of Rome, an easy two-hour drive. Or take the Pisa train from Rome and alight at Orbetello or Albinia.  La Locanda di Ansedonia This renovated farmhouse is close to beaches and the archaeological site of Cosa Ghiaccio Bosco This is a holiday farmstay with tastefully converted stables A five-star hotel with 50 rooms plus six cottages and a two-star restaurant Villa Cala del Bove This luxury villa was designed by architect Julio Lafuente and is located in a secluded cove on the Via Panoramica Hotel Torre di Cala Piccola The remains of a Spanish-built watchtower share the grounds with 51 rooms and a restaurant perched on a cliff above the sea This trattoria run by the Orbetello Pesca Lagunare fishermen’s cooperative is known for the freshness of the fish and the authenticity of the menu Ristorante Villa Ambra L’Oste Dispensa The menu at this ethically minded restaurant lists the source of primary ingredients and suppliers This harbourside fish restaurant has a beautiful summer terrace This WWF nature reserve is a birdwatchers’ paradise open between 1 September and 1 May. Check visiting times before arrival. Entrance at SS Aurelia km 147, Località Ceriolo, Albinia, +39 0564 898 829, [email protected] The point of sale for all the fish specialities of the Orbetello co-operative Antica Fattoria La Parrina This old farm has a shop selling its own produce from wine to vegetables long hours lounging and lazing round the uncleared table On the plastic cloth the remnants of a summer lunch: fish skeletons The tinkle of glasses and the chatter of lingering bathers Bagno Florida is a bathing establishment I discovered a long time ago on my first visit to this part of the Tuscan coast and this is an experience I’ve repeated but he always pours me a glass of his own wine from the nearby village of Fonteblanda the waves steam in the hazy afternoon sunshine Rearing up dramatically along the coast is Monte Argentario This massive rocky outcrop was given its name dazzled by the glint of the leaves in the olive groves on its rugged slopes Ulisse’s beach lies on the seaward side of the Tombolo della Giannella The water is shallow here – you stop touching the bottom almost half a mile out My first view of Monte Argentario was a blur of pastel grey on a pink background one morning at dawn at journey’s end after an overnight drive down from the north into what was unknown territory then I’d seen a classified ad under “Vacation Rentals” in a freesheet: “Argentario I found the place on the map: deepest south-west Tuscany almost on the border with Lazio; it appealed to me was on the top floor of an ugly cinder-block building by a railway line There was no lift and the sea was a barely discernible speck of blue in the distance a village originally built in the 1930s by Mussolini to house workers on a swamp reclamation scheme For centuries salt was extracted at the mouth of the nearby river Albegna a customs post built by the Spanish in the 16th century that gave the river – and later the town – its name Today the mainstay of the local economy is tourism and in summer Albinia fills with holidaymakers the grubby apartment and its grimy location became the base for a memorable stay And many of the places I discovered then I still frequent today The only town of any size in the area is Orbetello which stands magically on an isthmus in the middle of the lagoon It’s connected to Monte Argentario by a manmade causeway built by Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany in 1842 when the water gleams on either side of the road If Orbetello is the gateway to Monte Argentario the gateway to Orbetello is a monumental triple arch adorned with the coats of arms of Spanish rulers like additions to the Etruscan city walls and fortifications The Spanish had been preceded by the Etruscans Orbetello was an elegant resort in the 1920s and ’30s; today it’s a lively fishing port processing much of their catch to sell in their shop and serve at their lagoonside restaurant The smoking and preserving techniques they use were likely introduced by the Spanish involves marinating eels in barrels of boiling vinegar and pepper brushed with the red pepper sauce they call pimento and smoked over pine branches The fishermen also smoke fillets of umbrine and flathead mullet This last fish has always been vital to the city’s economy; in 1414 when Siena gave Orbetello its coat of arms depicting a lion the locals added a trident and a flathead mullet to reaffirm their seafaring traditions The fishermen make bottarga di Orbetello by extracting the mullet’s roe washing it and leaving it to dry for a week or so They recommend grating it over spaghetti with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil a squeeze of lemon and a twist of black pepper In the old days local fishwives used to make bottarga in their cottages; today it’s the cooperative’s best-selling product Not that the labours of the fishermen of Orbetello end here for guided tours of the lagoon and its lavorieri two canals that allow seawater to run in and where the mullet congregate oregano – it’s populated by foxes found only here and in the Camargue in France spoonbill and great white heron stop off in the reserve also a popular breeding for the Arctic and little terns A provincial road runs down the middle of the Tombolo della Giannella to Monte Argentario past pine woods An osteria of note is Ristorante Villa Ambra L’Oste Dispensa where Stefano Sorci and his wife Francesca serve local recipes with fish supplied by the Orbetello cooperative’s fishermen “Sometimes they tell me about the dishes cooked on boats in days gone by,” Sorci says “I collect these forgotten recipes and then recreate them in my kitchen.” “The recipe was given to me by a dear friend whose grandfather had handed it down to him,” says Sorci The Tombolo della Giannella road leads on to Porto Santo Stefano and two harbours – the first is the main boarding point for ferries to the islands of Giglio and Giannutri the second is for private yachts and racing boats The late American yacht designer Olin James Stephens II designer of six America’s Cup race-winners loved the place and local craftsmen often repaired his boats He was made an honorary citizen of Monte Argentario at Porto Santo Stefano in 2004 Other recipients of the honour have been Queen Juliana of the Netherlands who owned the 24-room Villa Elefante Felice nearby Nobel Prize-winning Russian nuclear physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov and Mother Teresa who came to deliver her acceptance speech in 1988 the scenic road that encircles Monte Argentario the hills dense with the villas of moneyed Romans and Florentines I was once invited to dinner on the lawn of one We dined suspended between the sea and the stars I was the guest of the son of a Roman banker the fiancé of a friend of a friend in Turin I was asked to pay for my share of the meal Penny-pinching is sometimes the way of the wealthy is why they’re wealthy in the first place Past coves of white sand and turquoise water is the legendary five-star resort hotel Il Pellicano: a cluster of cottages on a woodland cliff that plunges It was opened by the British aviator Michael Graham and his wife Patricia in 1965 from Hollywood to Carnaby Street to Cinecittà Ted Kennedy – they and many more are immortalised in the period photos that plaster the walls of the hotel bar and corridors “If Thoreau could have stayed at one of the cottages in the grounds of Il Pellicano,” writes British novelist Will Self “the one at Walden would have remained without a tenant forever.” This is a quote from his introduction to a coffee-table book published last year Eating at Hotel Il Pellicano (Violette Editions) the executive chef at the hotel’s two-star restaurant each dedicated – more name-dropping here – to an illustrious guest: Missoni but the cooking style and influences of Guida a native of Puglia who has worked in the kitchens of Pierre Gagnaire in Paris and Annie Féolde at the Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence His spring menu last year offered sautéed vegetables served with Il Pellicano’s garden herbs and flowers karkadé-marinated onion and Venus clams; hake with oysters and shiso sauce; roasted blue lobster with Marsala barberry and smoked potatoes; tempura of scampi and monkfish; tartare of anchovies with sweet and sour sauce; sweetbread and cinnamon with marinated mashed carrots in citrus juices – and those were only the antipasti At the end of this anticlockwise tour round the Via Panoramica after more beaches below and old watchtowers above smaller and more historical than Porto Santo Stefano but otherwise it’s a laid-back place the former Spanish presence takes the form of two 16th-century quayside fortresses In between them are fish restaurants with the usual names: La Lampara Frequent visitors in the early postwar years were the Italian novelist Alberto Moravia and Americans such as composer Samuel Barber In 1960 he built a villa and planted eucalyptus his friend the American author Irwin Shaw paid him a visit: “I had met Alan Moorehead during the Blitz in London in the winter of 1944… As we sat on the terrace… we ate the good meal looked at the trail of the moon on the sea below and secretly congratulated ourselves that we were together in such a place so many years after the bombs Moorehead was also friend and mentor to another Australian In 1964 Moorehead persuaded the penniless young art critic to seek his fortune in Europe; it was Moorehead who put him up in his Porto Ercole villa later the same year “A huge living postcard” is how Hughes described the town which became his base for forays around Tuscany on a Vespa At last he was seeing all the art he had only ever known through photographs One painter he fell in love with was Caravaggio who died near Porto Ercole in the summer of 1610 He’s believed to have been struck down by malarial fever on the beach south of the town “There was art before him and art after him,” wrote Hughes Porto Ercole has a long connection with cinema while shooting Cleopatra at Cinecittà in Rome Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor slipped away here for what Burton describes in his diaries as “a clandestine weekend” “We gambolled like children,” he wrote “scrambling down the rocks to the sea and enjoying ourselves as if it was the last holiday.” The town itself has also been a popular location for films as American author John Cheever discovered to his dismay in the 1950s the 16th-century fortress that overlooks the town “When we arrived we found that the signorina had rented the place out as a movie set There were two light generators in our yard and a company of about 45 people wandering around eating sandwiches and relieving themselves.” In 1954 Mario Camerini shot Ulysses starring Kirk Douglas on the beaches and cliffs of Monte Argentario and in 1999 Anthony Minghella set many scenes of The Talented Mr Ripley here The Tombolo della Feniglia is less developed than Giannella It’s a place of sand dunes and pine woods Ansedonia is a beach resort with a distinguished past said to have been abandoned by its population following an invasion by rats defence towers and some buildings with mosaics and wall paintings are still visible and visitable The beaches to the south are popular among left-wing politicians nicknamed the “Little Athens” for its historical and artistic importance during the Italian Renaissance used to spend his summer holidays at the establishment called L’Ultima Spiaggia After which all roads really do lead to Rome The Sunday TimesLuigi Sabatini was waiting for the Brits to descend when I found him “I started English lessons,” he said hopefully “I put this up” — he gestured to a Union Jack hanging limply from the beams of his olive press Think of Tuscany and the posh villas and hill towns of Chiantishire spring to mind Those or the winding roads of the Val d’Orcia Which does seem a little unfair on Maremma has “rolling hills” and “fairy-tale” medieval towns “perched atop” mountains But it also has a seaside: dune-backed beaches accessed via pine forests Swiss and Austrians plough down from Mitteleuropa as you’ll see from the pitiful declarations of gratitude slung up around Grosseto says one of the plaques outside the town hall who dubbed the area a place of beasts and brigands The one person who goes unhailed is he who almost single-handedly turned the fate of Maremma around: Mussolini the dictator drained the marshes and cut irrigation canals in the coastal basin around Grosseto turning it from malarial swamp to fertile farmland though ritzy by Maremma standards just means there’s a marina It’s one of only two towns on Monte Argentario knitted to the mainland by two chunky sandbars Caravaggio is said to have succumbed to malaria in Porto Ercole A coastal road loops round most of the island shuttling day-trippers from inaccessible beach to inaccessible beach I say inaccessible: Italians park bumper to bumper along the cliff edge and wedge multicoloured umbrellas into the pebbles below I stuck to the beach that came with my self-catering apartment: Attico at Punta Nera a one-bedroom top-floor flat outside Porto Santo Stefano with 270-degree sea views and a giant wraparound terrace Those in the smattering of houses on the promontory have keys to the gated beach below: a tiny spiky-rocked cove with a ladder dropping you straight into the sparkling water while I ate local cheese and cherries with the seagulls on my terrace I’d watch fishing boats haul in bulging nets against the sunset I wasn’t the first to weep when checking out It’s that lack of attitude that really marks Maremma out as different from the rest of Tuscany no waiters standing outside restaurants trying to reel you in I tried my best to find a shop selling “local delicacies” in Sorano one of three canyon-topping towns an hour inland — snail-shaped coils of medieval houses balanced on sheer tufa outcrops plunging into nothingness — but there weren’t any and in the single grocery shop open on a Tuesday evening I asked whether the cheese in the display case was local Marina di AlbereseLUCA DA ROSAt Orbetello, a pretty town on the lagoon between Monte Argentario and the mainland, I took a ticket from the dispenser and queued with the locals at I Pescatori, a restaurant run by a co-operative of fishermen (mains from £7; ipescatoriorbetello.it) “I’ve only got room on the pontoon,” shrugged the fisherman maître d’ leading me past tables of rowdy Maremmani in the “outside” seating area (a heated gazebo) to a table cantilevered over the lagoon I ate fried eel and pasta with bottarga — grey mullet roe an Orbetello speciality — as the locals looked on pityingly at the turista risking a chill I thought that would be the best meal of my week in Maremma, but that was until I went to La Sorgente, a no-frills trattoria in a wooded glade halfway up a mountain on Monte Argentario (mains from £5.75; ristorolasorgente.it) they yell out your number over a loudspeaker and you eat at a picnic table beneath trees hung with fairy lights — fenced off from the wild boars that are both your neighbours and (My homemade pappardelle with boar ragu was uncomfortably fresh.) Then there was the night I was filling up at a petrol station in Manciano noticed a steady stream of families filing into an apparently nameless pizzeria and followed them in to find that its owner was once named the second best pizza-maker in the world I’d fly 800 miles back just to taste that crisp feather-light crust again (from £6; Pizzeria Osée; 00 39 0564 628300) Medieval PitiglianoALAMYNear Sorano is the Parco degli Etruschi, an Etruscan graveyard where VIPs were laid to rest in temple-like complexes, with still visible sculptures of winged “angels” to see them through eternity (£4.50; museidimaremma.it) as it was bombed to near oblivion in the Second World War but it’s been perfectly restored and is one of the only big towns in Italy that still feels ruled by locals There are beaches aplenty: the rumpled dunes of Feniglia the sandbar where Caravaggio apparently died are now packed with sunloungers and beach bars between the pines And there’s ice cream at Castiglione della Pescaia a fortified medieval town spilling down a cliff where the gelaterie vie with each other over fancy flavours where I took a ticket (again) and queued for gelato made with chestnuts from Monte Amiata and chunks of lemon from Giglio the island beyond Monte Argentario (£2.20) is the feeling that Maremma is yours and yours alone that you’re not the 86th Anglo to have eaten eel today that everything is here because it always was “English?” said a policeman who pulled me over on a routine traffic stop Maremma sheepdogsGETTY IMAGESMeet Maremma’s best friend Google “Maremma” and the first pictures that come up won’t be of blue seas and Renaissance towns you’ll get fluffy white dogs: pastori Maremmani There’s more to them than their cuteness — the sheepdogs are an integral part of country life in Maremma White livestock dogs in Italy have been recorded as far back as Roman times look closer — that flock of sheep in the olive grove might well have a dog among them A word of warning: they’re not as cuddly as they look “It all depends on how they’re brought up,” says Luigi Sabatini They can always be aggressive with strangers but they’re only doing it to protect the herd or their family.” Julia Buckley was a guest of To Tuscany and Rhino Car Hire. Attico at Punta Nera sleeps two and starts at £1,306 for a week, self-catering (to-tuscany.com). Rhino has a week’s car hire from Rome Fiumicino airport from £69 (rhinocarhire.com) Fly to Rome Fiumicino (two hours’ drive) with airlines including British Airways In Tuscany, almost on the border with Lazio, there is a promontory famous throughout the mare nostrum: Mount Argentario. A crystal-clear sea, between theislands of Giglio and Giannutri, in the middle of the “Cetacean Sanctuary” with a marine area classified as “Protected Area of Mediterranean Interest,” surrounds Monte Argentario which was once an island and today is one of the most internationally known places for yachting and sailing and for the unique morphological and environmental features concentrated here The entire promontory (which has a maximum height of 635 meters at Punta Telegrafo) makes a commune in itself with the hamlets of Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole on the two sides of the mountain and boasts a long military history linked to its strategic position on the sea in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea (evidenced by the many fortresses and fortifications with which it is encircled) and for its “beautiful to live in” environment so much so that in Roman times several patrician families chose it to build holiday residences there (“Case d’ozio”) The landscape (with a rugged coastline full of very characteristic coves) and the mild climate make it suitable for a vacation many months a year where nature history and traditional events make it rich in different experiences to live not only related to the summer: the steep Monte Argentario rich in man-made terraces over the centuries offers paths in the lush Mediterranean scrub for trekking and biking lovers for excursions among vineyards and palm trees Let’s see an itinerary of 10 points of interest.1 The Orbetello LagoonThe Argentario is connected to the coast by two strips of land to the north and south: the sandy tombolos of Feniglia and Giannella (6 kilometers long) enclose a lagoon with a unique ecosystem one of the most unspoiled naturalistic areas in Italy that amazes for the gifts it can give the pink that invades the lagoon from the flamingos that station or stop there on their migratory journeys There are over 1,500 hectares of marshy land in the middle of which is an isthmus on which stands the town of Orbetello connected to the Argentario by a bridge (the Leopoldina Dam) In the northern part is a WWF Nature Reserve where many species of birds nest or find their space for stops on their journeys: in addition to flamingos Equally rich are the waters of the lagoon: bass Highly developed is the production of the prized botargo Nature is also unleashed in the flora with sclerophyllous vegetation with Phoenician and coccone juniper hoopoes and nocturnal birds of prey live freely whose operation was linked to the movement of water by the tides which can be admired with a short walk from the center of Orbetello The Archaeological Museum of Orbetello since 2004 has been located in a former powder magazine from 1692 along the Levante walls (the place where Garibaldi also stopped to stock up on ammunition and weapons for the Expedition of the Thousand after the attack on Talamone) and preserves in its interior jewels covering a chronological span from theVillanovan to Roman age with artifacts from the Etruscan necropolises in the Orbetello and Talamone area (votive shrines agricultural tools and grave goods) and finds from the Roman structures discovered in the area The collection began in the late 19th century and has changed several locations until the present one and since 2007 it has been part of the museum network of the Maremma Museums Noteworthy are the finds from the necropolis of Orbetello that belonged to the rich Etruscan aristocracy of the 4th century B.C From the Talamone necropolis various decorative objects from the temple doors of the Hellenistic period Also in the museum is the “pediment of the temple of Talamone”: an Etruscan work from the Hellenic age which has very ancient origins dating back to the Neolithic period is built on the isthmus within the lagoon of the same name and that alone would be enough to visit it it was with the Spanish domination that it experienced its greatest moments of development with the related fortifications and constructions A large wall still surrounds the town: these are Etruscan walls later reinforced by the Spanish and the most substantial part of the fortifications rises on the side facing the mainland and is equipped with small square towers played a garrison role against potential invaders the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is certainly worth a visit with its large rose window on the façade reminiscent of that of Orvieto Cathedral Inside it is richly decorated with works of art stucco and furnishings from the 17th century with the San Biagio chapel in Baroque style Positioned to the southeast of Argentario is Porto Ercole which boasts a beautiful bay topped by the Spanish fortresses built at the time of the Stato dei Presidi: Forte Filippo which are still in excellent condition and can be visited as optimal vantage points It was under Spanish rule that Porto Ercole experienced its greatest splendor and became a port of European importance Throughout the promontory there are ten watchtowers and three fortresses It was targeted several times by pirates including Incitaria and Domitiana on Argentario are all mentioned in theItinerarium Maritimum among the ports and landings of the sea route from Rome to Provence Vasari depicted the naval battle that took place here between the Spanish and the French when Porto Ercole was under Sienese rule and its oldest part under the Fortress has kept its past architecture intact and is passable only on foot Among the narrow streets and colorful palaces one arrives at the church of Sant’Erasmo where the tombs of Spanish rulers are located one can enjoy a splendid view from the panoramic terrace and visit the 16th-century Palazzo dei Governanti and to commemorate him there is an inscription on the gateway to the village Porto Ercole was ranked among the most beautiful villages in Italy in 2004 dominated from above by the 17th-century Spanish Fortress is the administrative center of Argentario and ferries to the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago stop here the waterfront was even designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and the highly renowned marina is always full of yachts which consists of a park of no less than 77 hectares with an 18-hole course set in a natural amphitheater composed of olive trees and Mediterranean scrub services for pleasure boating have been developed making it one of the most visited landings in the Tyrrhenian Sea: Argentario is one of the world capitals of yachting with more than 2,000 berths a mooring point for ships up to 80 meters in length (unique on the entire Tyrrhenian coast) and the two roadsteads (at Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole) that can guarantee safe stopping in all weather conditions the Palio Marinaro dell’Argentario is held at Ferragosto with a race between the four districts it towers over the village: it has long since ceased its military functions and is now a place of art and culture hosting two permanent exhibitions illustrating local history one on archaeological finds at sea and one on the mastery of woodworking The fortress has six-meter-thick walls and a square basement and is structured on two levels that keep intact the embrasures from which the cannons were fired Today the interior is home to the Shipwrights’ Museum dedicated to the artisans capable of “making wood sail,” with a display of techniques for developing ship carpentry There is also as permanent exhibition “Submerged Memories,” which collects archaeological artifacts found on the seabed in the archipelago where the oldest ones are from the Roman period On the second floor is the section dedicated to the discovery of the archaic wreck (6th century B.C.) of Campese (Giglio Island) Fort Stella is an imposing fortification with four-pronged bastions with a second six-pronged fortification above it that overhangs the sea above Porto Ercole Built between the mid-sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth century by the Spanish (who actually relied on Cosimo I dei Medici to build it) it is such a precise and well-preserved construction that it amazes today’s visitor It was a watchtower that communicated with the other towers of the Argentario with light signals and thus allowed the entire defense system to be alerted against attacks in real time TheSilver Coast Mediterranean Aquarium was created with the intention of reproducing as faithfully as possible the most indicative ecosystems of the Argentario coastline designed and managed by the Mare Ambiente Academy Association with the intention of “proposing,” they explain on the site “a faithful reconstruction of the characteristic environments of the seabed that lap the shores of the Promontory of Monte Argentario so that visitors can experience the beautiful sensations that every diver experiences when diving in Mare Nostrum 7 of which are panoramic with only seawater (about 50 thousand liters in all) it accommodates hundreds of animal and plant species Posidonia and many others.” It is a museum with educational tours and there is also a permanent shell exhibition and underwater photography exhibition inside Not far from Monte Argentario, in the municipality of Capalbio on the border with Lazio, there is a contemporary art park created by French-American artist Niki de Saint-Phalle that transports visitors to an enchanted world: the Tarot Garden although to a child’s eyes it would seem the same but a place where whimsy and inventiveness have taken shape over 17 long years of work and fun among sculptures There are 22 sculptures 12 to 15 meters high representing the Major Arcana of the Tarot composed of iron and concrete then covered with mirror mosaics The idea was born on inspiration to a visit to Gaudí’s Guell Park in Barcelona “that one day I had to build my own garden of joy A meeting place between man and nature,” and so she did: in 1998 the Tarot Garden opened its gates to take people on an “esoteric walk between nature and culture.” The place is truly incredible and worth the cost of the ticket if only to see what Niki de Saint-Phalle’s passion has produced which over the years has involved other artists and many local people who still work there today The Italian beaches are filled to capacity and the surrounding Tyrrhenian Sea teems with sailboats and megayachts you’ll find a much less crowded but equally beautiful alternative in an area you’d least expect—by the rolling hills Thanks to the attention heaped on Tuscany’s lush countryside—it is Italy’s most enduringly famous wine region—its own stretch of Tyrrhenian coastline has remained fairly under the radar the beaches of Tuscany’s southern coast remain wild MONTE ARGENTARIO: Monte Argentario is a rugged heavily wooded promontory connected to Tuscany’s mainland by three sandy isthmuses Two of its best-known beaches are La Feniglia and Giannella shallow turquoise waters and pristine sand On the westernmost coast of Monte Argentario you’ll find even more secluded beaches—try Cala Piccola and Cala del Gesso—accessible by narrow cliffside paths and great for snorkeling You can also catch a ferry from Porto Santo Stefano to Giglio Island to enjoy what are arguably the most gorgeous beaches in L’Argentario: Cannelle CAPALBIO: The beautiful medieval town of Capalbio its sandy stretch of coast—over eight miles long all the way to the Lazio border—is the main draw The pretty and popular beaches of Chiarone and La Torba are all easily accessible off the Aurelia and SS1 highways and boast calm Capalbio offers plenty of deserted beaches and small secluded coves—just follow the winding coastline along the SS1 and you’re bound to spot something magical a few miles from the ancient city of Grosseto is a lively coastal town home to the pretty Fiumara beach—a popular kite-surfing spot we suggest you venture a little south of Marina di Grosseto to the completely unspoiled Marina di Albarese beach It’s a four-mile stretch of beach backed by thick forest and is one of the wildest and most beautiful beaches on the Tuscan coast It’s located within the Maremma Nature Park FOLLONICA: With its tall buildings studding its sandy white coast Follonica has been dubbed the “Miami of the Maremma.” But don’t let that put you off—unlike Miami Follonica has a laid-back vibe and flawless beaches The always-deserted Ponente is perfect for those craving tranquility while Levante is great for families with its play area ELBA ISLAND: This island off the Tuscan coast—famous for harboring Napoleon during his exile in 1814—boasts more than 70 beaches while others like Capo Bianco and Sansone resemble tropical Caribbean beaches with their powdery white sand and jewel-colored waters you’ll even find stunning red sand beaches such as Cala Seregola Read on for the latest Traveler tips, dining guides, hotel recommendations, and more in Italy. up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world Morning Rundown: Movie tariffs met with confusion, the best Met Gala looks, and burger joints learn to cluck  My NewsSign Out Sign InCreate your free profileSections news Alerts NBC NewsTourists take photographs of the Costa Concordia wreckage as they arrive on a ferry to the Giglio Island Italy - Six months after it capsized off Italy’s Giglio island the Costa Concordia still lies on its side – a monument to what prosecutors say was reckless navigation which hit a rock and partially sank on January 13 claiming the lives of 32 people including two Americans For locals it has become an eyesore that stops them enjoying the view of the Tuscan shore But for tourists it represents a perfect photo opportunity for their summer albums hundreds of tourists fill the regular ferries that connect the island from Porto Santo Stefano It’s an hour-long crossing under the scorching summer sun - the roof deck becomes so hot you could cook pizza on its white floor - and yet everyone heads for the open top 13 off the coast of Italy killing 32 people - including two Americans.Remo Casilli / ReutersArmed with hats they hope to glimpse the Costa Concordia even before they reach Giglio The stricken ship lies only a few hundred yards from the port entrance tourists head to the dock for a picture opportunity But islanders are growing tired of this shipwreck tourism 87-year-old Cecilia Cavero was born on the island and has lived there all her life While sitting in the shade of a palm tree of the tiny port beach “Every day I come here and that thing is there” Costa Concordia captain admits he was 'distracted' by phone call says she can’t avoid seeing it every single day It’s sad to know there are still people in there,” she said referring to the bodies of the last two victims yet to be found But others are not so bothered by the new landmark: “It has now become a symbol of the island” “But they forbid us to make souvenirs out of it” he says he didn’t even know it was there until he got to the island Giglio was a hangout for the rich and powerful But the wreck happened right where luxurious yachts The yachts have now been replaced by packed ferries of tourists looking for a quick snap and a bite to eat Some businesses have benefited: restaurants have never been so full But some locals say that the exploitation of the Concordia tragedy has already gone one step too far “Someone tried to print the wreck on t-shirts and postcards and at some point they tried to make sell models of it” especially towards the relatives of the victims” The complicated process of removing the wreck has already started but it will take at least 12 months before experts will be able to right the ship and tow it away a memorial service will be held in the island’s church in the presence of survivors and relatives of the victims ET) - the exact time the ship struck the rocks Concordia remains its side awaiting its final voyage More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News: Follow World News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook a wild promontory on Tuscany’s southern coast we stayed in a clifftop cottage above a cove near the fishing village of Porto Santo Stefano Every evening from our kitchen we watched as the island of Giglio just offshore became a silhouette against a sunset the colour of Campari – a rather nice view as we sliced artichokes and untangled tentacles for octopus stew Forte Stella – one of the three fortresses in the area – sits high above Porto Ercole.  seemingly overlooked stretch of Tuscan coastline closer to Rome than Florence the older and smaller of the two villages on Monte Argentario We settled into an airy apartment flanked by olive groves where wild boars – cinghiale – frequently woke us as they rummaged through bins The view of the port became our daily weather forecast dry day by the look of the water on the port.) One of the many archways in Orbetello.  a region within a region notable for its rugged beauty – in sharp contrast to the tamed prickly pear-lined roads leading to sandy beaches Monte Argentario lies a few kilometres offshore connected to the mainland by two long sandbars named Giannella and Feniglia (The latter was the spot where Caravaggio died in 1610 on his way to Rome to plead for a papal pardon on a charge of murder.) The lagoon of Orbetello between these narrow sandbars is teeming with eel and well known as a refuge for migrating pink flamingos island and lagoon that makes this promontory so appealing not just for exploring but also for savouring Fishing remains a mainstay of the local economy so the table is dominated by abundant seafood and supported seasonally by wild mushrooms and boar Here are a few of my favourite places to eat on Monte Argentario On the winding coastal road between the towns of Orbetello and Porto Santo Stefano this unassuming restaurant on a pebbly beach known locally as La Soda has old-school charm and wonderfully fresh seafood which might include tuna fillets in olive oil fresh vinegar-cured anchovies – a staple of Argentario’s table – and squid stewed with wild mushrooms a local dish that marries Argentario’s sea and mountain on a plate Grilled scampi and spaghetti with vongole are favourites bright-coloured beach umbrellas at tables irresistibly close to the water for informal lunches while indoors there’s white linen on tables wooden rafters and rustic-chic décor Or hire a couple of the restaurant’s deckchairs and umbrellas and make a day of it.  this modest trattoria is the home of Paolo and Rosita Bracci and it’s a full family affair: Rosita and the couple’s son turn out traditional home cooking in the kitchen while Paolo and their daughter work the floor The focus here is the classic dishes of Argentario the kind of food you’re likely to find only in family homes Expect the likes of minestra di riso e femminelle rice and crab soup available only in autumn when these lagoon crabs can be found white-fleshed fish baked with a breadcrumb crust and topped by a dollop of tomato sugo Rosita’s fresh pasta is always made in-house and the seafood is fished locally; the family is happy to identify the fishing boats that supply them.  Via dei Tre Ragazzi 46, Porto Santo Stefano, +39 0564 813 139, trattoriapaoloerosita.it. Pizza time at L’Antico Forno la Schiaccia in Porto Santo Stefano. ** Located in a backstreet accessible through a tunnel (look for the green sign in the archway) from the port this no-nonsense bakery is one of the oldest and best in town It specialises in the traditional treats of Porto Santo Stefano most notably a pizza by the slice called schiaccia or with a delicious combination of stewed sweet onions and salted anchovies This very traditional bakery still uses strutto for many of its preparations – ingredients are clearly displayed so you know what you’re getting.  This tiny excellent pizzeria on the port serves Roman-style pizza al taglio: pizza by the slice Crisp but satisfyingly chewy dough is shaped into long slabs and topped with just two or three ingredients: mozzarella with grated zucchini or potato anchovies and dollops of tangy salsa verde Don’t underestimate the simple goodness of the pizza bianca a plain dough slathered with olive oil and sprinkled with salt There are only a few seats outside (within metres of the water and bustling markets) but no one minds takeaways at €1.50 per generous slice.  a secluded location and even a private beach to kick back on this luxury resort exemplifies 1960s Italian glamour The focus is firmly on seafood in dishes by Puglia-born chef Sebastiano Lombardi at the resort’s Michelin-starred restaurant then perhaps zucchini soup with poached egg and raw violet prawns endive and grapefruit features the prized local bottarga from Orbetello Few can resist the Amedei chocolate trolley head outdoors to Pelligrill to dine poolside on grilled catch of the day and retire to the bar at sunset for cocktails by talented barman Federico Morosi.  Località Sbarcatello, Porto Ercole, +39 0564 858 111, pellicanohotels.com. La Parrina pecorino made from organic sheep’s milk.  farm and agriturismo on the mainland not far from Orbetello La Parrina’s best asset is its store Stocked with produce grown and made exclusively on the property it’s a one-stop shop for the makings of a special picnic The farm’s dairy products are outstanding: yoghurt ricotta and a good selection of goat’s and sheep’s milk cheeses (try the Guttus Aperitivo is sorted with a bottle of the farm’s Parrina bianco DOC a blend of white varieties including ansonica And children will love visiting the farm animals Via Aurelia km 146, Località Parrina, +39 0564 862 626, parrina.it. The spicy scaveccio at I Pescatori di Orbetello The headquarters of the Orbetello Fishermen’s Cooperative is a modest eatery in a converted 19th-century stable suspended over the lagoon prices reasonable and there’s prime sunset viewing at communal tables outside It’s a simple format: order and pay first then take a seat and wait for your number to be called This is the place to savour some of the area’s oldest culinary traditions such as anguilla sfumata (spicy smoked eel) scaveccio (Orbetello’s version of escabeche A typical summer menu might include house antipasti (the likes of chickpea and bonito salad and potato mash topped with grated bottarga) Via G Leopardi 9, Orbetello, +39 0564 860 611, ipescatoridiorbetello.it one of seven islands that form the Tuscan Archipelago is just a short ferry ride from Porto Santo Stefano Francesco Carfagna has painstakingly restored Vigneto Altura an abandoned vineyard on an almost impossibly steep hillside His unique signature wine is made from ansonica It’s a white wine that should be treated like a red: served cellar temperature rather than chilled and even With little intervention in the vineyard or cellar unfiltered and with a mineral quality that reminds you of its island origins There’s no cellar door but visitors can taste Ansonaco Carfagna at his family restaurant with tables set on the street in warm weather.  Vigneto Altura, Località Mulinaccio, Isola del Giglio, +39 0564 806 041, vignetoaltura.it; Arcobalena, Via Vittorio Emmanuele, Isola del Giglio, +39 0564 806106, arcobalena.net/ristorante_arcobalena.htm. Emiko Davies is the author of Aquacotta: Recipes and Stories from Tuscany’s Secret Silver Coast (Hardie Grant Books Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism enticing recipes and evocative photography it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust The Italian island of Giglio will for ever be known as the place where Captain Schettino steered the Costa Concordia on to a rock while flirting with a Moldovan dancer, killing 32 people and landing himself a 16-year prison sentence. Today there are no cruise ships near by — they are mostly parked up in Civitavecchia. Instead the island is emerging as one of the most popular destinations to kick back and unwind in Tuscany. Even Harry Styles has been spotted here. Giglio is one of seven islands that make up the Tuscan archipelago. It is the easiest to reach, lying eight miles west of the mainland, a one-hour ferry ride from Porto Santo Stefano, itself an easy 90-minute drive from Rome’s Fiumicino airport. The first course had just been served in the Costa Concordia's dining room when the wine glasses, forks and plates of cuttlefish and mushrooms smashed to the ground. At the magic show in the theater, the trash cans tipped over and the theater curtains turned on their side. Then the hallways turned upside down, and passengers crawled on bruised knees through the dark. Others jumped alone into the 55-degree Mediterranean Sea. The Friday the 13th grounding of the Concordia was one of the most dramatic cruise ship accidents in recent memory. It immediately raised a host of questions: Why did it hit a reef so close to the Tuscan island of Giglio? Did a power failure cause the crew to lose control? And why did crew members tell passengers they weren't in danger until the boast was listing perilously to the side? The delay made lifeboat rescue eventually impossible for some of the passengers, some of whom jumped into the sea while others waited to be plucked to safety by helicopters. Some boats had to be cut down with an ax. "We had to scream at the controllers to release the boats from the side," said Mike van Dijk, from Pretoria, South Africa. "It was a scramble, an absolute scramble." Costa Cruises said about 1,000 Italian passengers were onboard, as well as more than 500 Germans, about 160 French and about 1,000 crew members. The State Department said about 126 U.S. citizens were onboard. The ship began its lurch at the beginning of dinner service in the ship's two-story dining room, where passengers described a scene of frantic confusion. Silverware, plates and glasses crashed down on them from the upper floor balcony, children wailed and darkened hallways upended themselves after the ship began its lurch. "Have you seen Titanic? That's exactly what it was," said Valerie Ananias, 31, a schoolteacher from Los Angeles who was traveling with her sister and parents. They all bore dark red bruises on their knees from the desperate crawl they endured along nearly vertical hallways and stairwells, trying to reach rescue boats. "We were crawling up a hallway, in the dark, with only the light from the life vest strobe flashing," said her mother, Georgia Ananias, 61. She choked up as she recalled the moment when an Argentine couple handed her their 3-year-old daughter, unable to keep their balance as the ship listed to the side. "He said, 'Take my baby,' " Georgia Ananias said, covering her mouth with her hand. "I grabbed the baby. But then I was being pushed down. I didn't want the baby to fall down the stairs. I gave the baby back. I couldn't hold her." Her daughter Valerie said: "I wonder where they are?" A top Costa executive, Gianni Onorato, said Saturday the Concordia's captain had the liner on its regular, weekly route when it struck a reef. Italian coast guard officials said the circumstances were still unclear, but that the ship hit an unknown obstacle. Many passengers complained the crew didn't give them good directions on how to evacuate and once the emergency became clear, delayed lowering the lifeboats until the ship was listing too heavily for many to be released. Several other passengers said crew members told passengers that there was a simple "technical problem" that had caused the lights to go off. Seasoned cruisers knew better and went to get their life jackets from their cabins and report to their "muster stations," the emergency stations each passenger is assigned to, they said. Passengers said they had never participated in an evacuation drill, although one had been scheduled for Saturday. The cruise began on Jan. 7. Surviving passengers huddled under woolen or aluminum blankets in a middle school on the Italian mainland of Porto Santo Stefano, where passengers were ferried early Saturday from Giglio. Some wore their life preservers, their shoeless feet were covered with aluminum foil. Costa Cruises said the Costa Concordia was sailing on a weeklong cruise across the Mediterranean Sea that began Jan. 7 in Savona with stops at Civitavecchia, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Cagliari and Palermo. The Concordia had a previous accident, Italian officials reported. In 2008, when strong winds buffeted Palermo, the cruise ship banged against the Sicilian port's dock, and suffered damage but no one was injured. Italy - Survivors who escaped a luxury cruise liner that ran aground and tipped over off Italy's coast recounted a chaotic and terrifying evacuation through the ship's upended hallways Saturday as divers searched the submerged part for any people still unaccounted for in the confusion Three bodies were recovered from the sea after the Costa Concordia with 4,234 people aboard ran aground hundreds of yards off the tiny island of Giglio near the coast of Tuscany late Friday tearing a 160-foot gash in its hull and sending in a rush of water As authorities and port officials carefully matched names on the cruise ship's list of passengers and crew with those of survivors getting off ferries or other boats on the mainland the number of the unaccounted for steadily dropped to roughly 40 Passengers described a scene reminiscent of "Titanic," saying they escaped the ship by crawling along hallways desperately trying to reach safety as the lights went out and plates and glasses crashed around them Helicopters whisked some survivors to safety others were rescued by private boats in the area and witnesses said some people jumped from the ship into the dark involving fire department divers and coast guard divers While only a small section of the submerged area was inspected no signs of any survivors or victims were immediately found Helicopters and sea searches of the area were continuing The ship was lying virtually flat off Giglio's coast its starboard side submerged in the water and the huge gash showing clearly on its upturned hull Passengers complained the crew failed to give instructions on how to evacuate and once the emergency became clear delayed lowering the lifeboats until the ship was listing too heavily for many of them to be released An evacuation drill was scheduled for Saturday afternoon even though some passengers had already been on board for several days our evacuation drill was scheduled for 5 p.m.," said Melissa Goduti who had set out on the cruise of the Mediterranean hours earlier "We had joked 'What if something had happened today?'" which owns the cruise line that the ship belongs to didn't address the allegations in a statement it issued "Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the grounding of the Costa Concordia and especially the loved ones of those who lost their lives They will remain in our thoughts and prayers in the wake of this tragic event." One of the victims was a Peruvian crew member a diplomat from the South American country said adding that a Peruvian woman was also missing A French Foreign Ministry official confirmed that two of the bodies Frenchmen a schoolteacher from Los Angeles who was traveling with her sister and parents on the first of two cruises around the Mediterranean said the experience was like a disaster movie "Have you seen 'Titanic?' That's exactly what it was," said They all bore dark red bruises on their knees from the desperate crawl they endured along nearly vertical hallways and stairwells with only the light from the life vest strobe flashing," her mother She choked up as she recounted the moment when an Argentine couple handed her their 3-year-old daughter unable to keep their balance as the ship lurched to the side and the family found themselves standing on a wall covering her mouth with her hand as she teared up I didn't want the baby to fall down the stairs "I thought that was the end and I thought they should be with their baby," she said "I wonder where they are," daughter Valerie whispered The family said they were some of the last off the ship forced to shimmy along a rope down the exposed side of the ship to a waiting rescue vessel below shivered near the harbor of Porto Santo Stefano She was wearing elegant dinner clothes - a gray cashmere sweater a silk scarf - along with a large pair of hiking boots which a kind islander gave her after she lost her shoes in the scramble to escape Left behind in her cabin were her passport told The Associated Press she was eating her first course on her first night aboard her first-ever cruise from her local church where she volunteers Glasses and plates fell down and we went out of the dining room and we were told it wasn't anything dangerous," she said saying crew members for a good 45 minutes told passengers there was a simple "technical problem" that had caused the lights to go off knew better and went to get their life jackets from their cabins and report to their "muster stations," the emergency stations each passenger is assigned to crew members delayed lowering the lifeboats even thought the ship was listing badly "We had to scream at the controllers to release the boats from the side," said Mike van Dijk "We were standing in the corridors and they weren't allowing us to get onto the boats crew members directed passengers to go upstairs from the fourth floor deck; Alan Willits said he refused "I said 'no this isn't right.' And I came out and I argued 'When you get this boat stabilized I'll go up to the fifth floor then," he said But things didn't improve for passengers once aboard the lifeboats or on land neither in the life boats nor on land," said Ophelie Gondelle She said there had been no evacuation drill since she boarded in Marseille said Saturday the Concordia's captain had the liner on its regular "The ship was doing what it does 52 times a year going along the route between Civitavecchia and Savona," a shaken-looking Onorato a popular vacation isle about 18 miles (25 kilometers) off Italy's central west coast The captain was being held for questioning Prosecutors were not immediately available for comment said 250 of the 462 French passengers are being brought Saturday night to Marseille The other French passengers are expected to be brought back by special flights Coast guard officials in Porto Santo Stefano said it would take hours at least to completely go through the cruise ship's lists they were being communicated to consulates inquiring about the fate of their citizens aboard but at least two people were reported to be in grave condition Several passengers came off the ferries on stretchers but it appeared more out of exhaustion and shock than serious injury The evacuees were taking refuge in schools Those evacuated by helicopter were taken to the port of Porto Santo Stefano on the nearby mainland Passengers sat dazed in a middle school opened for them with some wearing their life preservers and their shoeless feet covered with aluminum foil Civil protection crews served them warm tea and bread but confusion reigned supreme as passengers tried desperately to find the right bus to begin their journey home was shuttled from one line to another with her mother and 2-year-old son Bruno trying to figure out how to get back to Savona "It's his birthday today," she said of her son rolling her eyes as she held Bruno and tended to her mother who had grown faint and was lying on the ground Survivors far outnumbered Giglio's 1,500 residents and island Mayor Sergio Ortelli issued an appeal for islanders - "anyone with a roof" - to open their homes to shelter the evacuees Francesco Paolillo said the first alarm went off about 10:30 p.m. about three hours after the Concordia had begun its voyage from the port of Civitavecchia speaking from the port captain's office in the Tuscan port of Livorno then tried to steer his ship toward shallow waters lifeboat evacuation was no longer feasible took turns airlifting survivors and ferrying them to safely A coast guard member was airlifted aboard the vessel to help people get aboard a small basket so they could be hoisted up to the helicopter Costa Cruises said the Costa Concordia was sailing on a cruise across the Mediterranean Sea starting from Civitavecchia with scheduled calls to Savona The Concordia had a previous accident in Italian waters the cruise ship banged against the Sicilian port's dock and sustained damage but no one was injured Italy -- The first course had just been served in the Costa Concordia's dining room when the wine glasses forks and plates of cuttlefish and mushrooms smashed to the ground the trash cans tipped over and the theater curtains turned on their side and passengers crawled on bruised knees through the dark Others jumped alone into the cold Mediterranean Sea chaotic escape from the luxury liner was straight out of a scene from "Titanic" for many of the 4,000-plus passengers and crew on the cruise ship which ran aground off the Italian coast late Friday and flipped on its side with a 160-foot gash in its hull At least three bodies had been recovered and divers searched the underwater belly of the boat for a few dozen more who remained unaccounted for the number of missing had dwindled to about 40 The Friday the 13th grounding of the Concordia was one of the most dramatic cruise ship accidents in recent memory It immediately raised a host of questions: Why did it hit a reef so close to the Tuscan island of Giglio Did a power failure cause the crew to lose control Did the captain -- under investigation on manslaughter allegations -- steer it in the wrong direction on purpose And why did crew members tell passengers they weren't in danger until the boast was listing perilously to the side The delay made lifeboat rescue eventually impossible for some of the passengers some of whom jumped into the sea while others waited to be plucked to safety by helicopters Van Dijk said the boat he was on -- on the upended port side -- got stuck along the ship's wall as it came down which is owned by the U.S.-based cruise giant Carnival Corp. defended the actions of its crew and said it was cooperating with the investigation issued a statement expressing sympathy that didn't address the allegations of delayed evacuation was detained for questioning by prosecutors investigating him for suspected manslaughter Prosecutor Francesco Verusio was quoted by the ANSA news agency as saying Schettino deliberately chose a sea route that was too close to shore Bruno Leporatti told the agency: "I'd like to say that several hundred people owed their life to the expertise that the commander of the Costa Concordia showed during the emergency." France said two of the victims were Frenchmen; a Peruvian diplomat identified the third victim as Tomas Alberto Costilla Mendoza The ship began its lurch at the beginning of dinner service in the ship's two-story dining room where passengers described a scene of frantic confusion plates and glasses crashed down on them from the upper floor balcony children wailed and darkened hallways upended themselves after the ship began its lurch Panicked passengers slipped on broken glass as the lights went out while crew members insisted nothing serious was wrong That's exactly what it was," said Valerie Ananias a schoolteacher from Los Angeles who was traveling with her sister and parents She choked up as she remembered the moment when an Argentine couple handed her their 3-year-old daughter unable to keep their balance as the ship listed to the side "He said,'Take my baby,'" Georgia Ananias said The Ananias family was among the last passengers off the ship They were forced to exit from a still-attached lifeboat that became impossible to use once the ship began to tip over; so they climbed a ladder dropped too them off a deck and shimmied down a rope to a waiting rescue vessel "We thought we were dying four times," Valerie said recounting the most terrifying moments in their escape Italian coast guard officials said the circumstances were still unclear Despite some early reports that the captain was dining with passengers when his ship crashed into the reef going along the route between Civitavecchia and Savona," a shaken-looking Onorato told reporters on Giglio a popular vacation isle off Italy's central west coast He said the captain was an 11-year Costa veteran and that the cruise line was cooperating with Italian investigators to find out what went wrong editor of maritime magazine IHS Fairplay Solutions said a loss of power coupled with a failure of backup systems could have caused the crew to lose control "I would say power failure caused by harmonic interference and then it can't propel straight or navigate and it hit rocks," Latarche said There were no firm indications that anyone was trapped Rescuers carried out extensive searches of the waters near the ship for hours and "we would have seen bodies," said Coast Guard Capt Many passengers complained the crew didn't give them good directions on how to evacuate and once the emergency became clear delayed lowering the lifeboats until the ship was listing too heavily for many to be released Several other passengers said crew members told passengers for 45 minutes that there was a simple "technical problem" that had caused the lights to go off Seasoned cruisers knew better and went to get their life jackets from their cabins and report to their "muster stations," the emergency stations each passenger is assigned to Passengers said they had never participated in an evacuation drill although one had been scheduled for Saturday a hostess on the cruise liner who disembarked earlier this week in Palermo told SkyTG24 the ship conducts a drill every 15 days She said that since passengers on the Concordia embark or disembark every day some passengers could miss it depending on which day they begin the trip Surviving passengers huddled under woolen or aluminum blankets in a middle school on the Italian mainland of Porto Santo Stefano where passengers were ferried early Saturday from Giglio their shoeless feet were covered with aluminum foil shivered near the harbor as she waited for a bus to take her somewhere - she didn't know where She wore her gray cashmere sweater and a silk scarf with a large pair of hiking boats loaned to her by an islander after she lost her shoes in the scramble credit cards and phone were left in her cabin said the ship lurched to the side as she ate an appetizer of cuttlefish sauteed mushrooms and salad on her first night aboard her first-ever cruise celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary said they were watching the magic show in the ship's main theater when they felt an initial lurch That was followed a few seconds later by a "shudder" that tipped trash cans over The subsequent listing of the ship made the theater curtains seem like they were standing on their side "And then the magician disappeared," Laurie Willits said Costa Cruises said about 1,000 Italian passengers were onboard about 160 French and about 1,000 crew members Francesco Paolillo said the exact circumstances of the accident were still unclear but that the first alarm aboard went off about 10:30 p.m. about three hours after the Concordia had begun its voyage from the port of Civitavecchia to Savona he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview The vessel "hit an obstacle," that tore a 50-meter (160 feet) gash in the side of the ship and started taking on water It wasn't clear if the obstacle was a jagged navy and air force took turns airlifting survivors still aboard and ferrying them to safely Costa Cruises said the Costa Concordia was sailing on a weeklong cruise across the Mediterranean Sea that began Jan and suffered damage but no one was injured Italy — Survivors who escaped a luxury cruise liner that ran aground and tipped over off Italy’s coast recounted Saturday a chaotic and terrifying evacuation through the ship’s upended hallways This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC Monte Argentario is a welcoming island in the Med Homes & Property | Where to live renting and decorating in London from our award-winning experts I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Think of a Tuscan holiday home and you probably picture a rural hideaway set among vines What has hardly registered with most British buyers is the region’s beautiful coastline where pine-shaded beaches and tiny fishing villages with pastel-painted homes provide a deliciously understated The 250-mile Tuscan coast is where Italian holidaymakers go a green and densely wooded island 90 minutes from Rome airport Linked to the mainland by road and two long sandbanks lined with family beach clubs it’s where elegant Romans and millionaire industrialists have holiday homes hidden down steep Past occupations by Spanish and Neapolitan forces have left their architectural mark on Monte Argentario largely unpopulated Mediterranean coastline feels more like Sardinia than Tuscany Ercole is more exclusive and seasonal while friendly unspoilt Porto Santo Stefano is where locals barter with fishermen — a place with a year-round life and marginally lower house prices “Property prices on the Tuscan coast peak in exclusive Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio further north,” she adds “In Argentario they are about 20 per cent lower The lifestyle is more laidback but totally Italian Porto Santo Stefano has a daily food market selling fresh seafood while crime is low and it’s easy to make a day trip to go exploring and shopping to Siena and Rome A shortage of good medium-priced hotels on Argentario means rental properties are in high demand in the summer months Typical rents range from £456 a week for a one-bedroom flat to £6,100 for a secluded detached villa with five or more bedrooms Holiday homes: it's all about vineyard vistas Find Italian holiday homes for all budgets “Property on Monte Argentario is mixed, from small flats for £228,000 to detached villas from £910,000,” says Biglia. “The most expensive recent sale was Villa Feltrinelli which sold for £13.3 million to a Russian oligarch last year, half its pre-recession price tag.” OUR SECRET: A FRIENDLY, UNDISCOVERED HOLIDAY SPOT Emily Clark, Lucinda Frost, Francesca Gibbons and Stephanie McCracken, four 24 year-olds who share a Fulham flat, spent a week together in September in the apartment owned by Lucinda’s family on Monte Argentario. They went to soak up the autumn sun by the pool, eat in the town — and chill. They flew to Pisa and then took a train directly to Orbetello opposite the island. “My family bought the apartment in 2001 and we’ve been coming to Argentario every year since,” says Lucinda, who works for L’Oréal. “Some days we do very little, others we have a day trip to Rome or Florence, visit Elba and the islands or hire a boat to explore the coast. Argentario is relaxed and friendly and still seems an undiscovered secret.” Lucinda always heads for the Shangri-La jewellery shop in Porto Santo Stefano, and to Cala Piccola, her favourite beach. Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Lady Victoria Starmer VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud' New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications from nationalities most likely to overstay New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications bodies foundAssociated PressPORTO SANTO STEFANO Italy — A luxury cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany sending water pouring in through a 160-foot gash in the hull and forcing the chaotic evacuation of some 4,200 people from the listing vessel early Saturday There were reports that three other people had died after the accident late Friday night near the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio Passengers complained the crew failed to give instructions on how to evacuate the Costa Concordia and that the evacuation drill was only scheduled for Saturday afternoon Authorities still hadn't counted all the survivors "We had joked what if something had happened today." Helicopters plucked to safety some 50 people who were trapped on the ship after it listed so badly they couldn't launch lifeboats Paolillo told The Associated Press in Rome by telephone from his command in the Tuscan port city of Livorno Some survivors were rescued by boats in the area Coast guard rescuers were continuing to search the ship for passengers told the ANSA news agency that "it was like a scene from the Titanic." She was wearing elegant dinner clothes — a cashmere sweater a silk scarf — along with a large pair of hiking boots told the AP that she was eating her first course The passengers were then instructed to put on life jackets and taken to the life rafts but Hammer said they couldn't get into them because the cruise liner was tilting so much the boats couldn't be lowered into the cold sea The passengers were eventually rescued by one of several boats in the area that came to their aid as German and Spanish tourists were about to board buses at the port neither in the life boats or on land," said Ophelie Gondelle She said there had been no evacuation drill since she boarded in France on Jan a painstaking search of the 950-foot long ship's interior was being conducted to see if anyone might have been trapped inside and the ship isn't straight," Paolillo said referring to the Concordia's dramatic more than 45-degree tilt on its right side "I'll leave it to your imagination to understand how they (the rescuers) are working as they move through it." Some Concordia crew members were still aboard to help the coast guard rescuers Paolillo said it wasn't immediately known if the dead were passengers or crew nor were the nationalities of the victims immediately known but at least two people were reported in grave condition Paolillo said the Concordia was believed to have set sail with 3,206 passengers and 1,023 crew members Authorities were trying to obtain a full passenger and crew list from Costa so they could do a roll call to determine who might be missing a popular vacation isle about 18 miles off Italy's central west coast Those evacuated by helicopter were flown to Grosseto rescued by local ferries pressed into emergency service took survivors to the port of Porto Santo Stefano on the nearby mainland wrapped in woolen blankets with some wearing their life preservers and their shoeless feet covered with aluminum foil and island Mayor Sergio Ortelli issued an appeal for islanders — "anyone with a roof" — to open their homes to shelter the evacuees Paolillo said the exact circumstances of the accident were still unclear but that the first alarm went off about 10:30 p.m. about three hours after the Concordia had begun its voyage from the port of Civitavecchia en route to its first port of call said the vessel "hit an obstacle" — it wasn't clear if it might have hit a rocky reef in the waters off Giglio — "ripping a gash 160 feet across" in the side of the ship were taking turns airlifting survivors still aboard and ferrying them to safely It said about 1,000 Italian passengers were on board discover five lesser-known alternatives for the perfect road trip This article was adapted from National Geographic Traveller (UK).Roads chiselled into cliffs some of Europe’s most lusted-over hotels and the Tyrrhenian Sea twinkling away safe in the knowledge that nothing created by humans can ever outshine it No wonder everyone loves the Amalfi Coast.This year that love will be even fiercer as attentions turn to the Bay of Naples the tiny island of Procida has been named Italian Capital of Culture What’s already a well-trodden corner of the country will be packed to the gills.But if you’re keen to feel that unhurried dolce vita vibe that’s long drawn people to Amalfi then there are plenty of worthy alternatives in a country with nearly 5,000 miles of coastline so too are their coastlines — so whether you’re looking for full-on luxury or a wilder you’ll find a coastline that’s every bit as dramatic as Amalfi with an even more evocative name.Photograph by Alamy1 named after the livid colour it turns during dramatic sunsets runs north from Reggio Calabria — the very end of the Italian mainland — up to the Capo Vaticano peninsula But what a ‘bunion’ it is — this is an area of dramatic cliffs shearing down to dreamboat sandy beaches where the narrow streets slalom past ancient palazzi before finishing abruptly at the cliff edge home of Italy’s double-layered ice cream dessert Where to stay: Villa Paola is an elegant grande dame in Tropea meticulously crafted from a 16th-century convent and with a spectacular pool with sea views With sweeping corniches over the Tyrrhenian Sea Monte Argentario has all the Amalfi essentials and adds another precious ingredient: sand A high promontory anchored to Tuscany’s southern coast by two thick sandbars Monte Argentario could almost pass an island — indeed Sunloungers line up along the shore at dune-rippled Feniglia beach street food stalls at elegant Porto Santo Stefano dole out cones of delicately fried fish and the only exercise anyone seems to do is the walk down the cliffside to one of the perfect coves etched round the perimeter (you’ll hit gold on the stretch between Porto Santo Stefano and Cala Moresca) Monte Argentario has long been a low-key weekend retreat for wealthy Romans and is also beloved by equally low-key celebrities whose previous claim to fame was being the malarial swamp where Caravaggio died a place of old-school wealth where yachts huddle in the marina there’s not a whole lot else to do on Monte Argentario — and that’s exactly the point Where to stay: Follow the stars to Hotel Il Pellicano near Porto Ercole where shady sunloungers among the rocks guarantee privacy Wondering what the Amalfi Coast felt like several decades ago Look no further than the eastern coastline of Puglia’s Salento peninsula — the stiletto tip of Italy’s heel with the Adriatic washing at the bottoms of cliffs there’s a much simpler feel — one of the main attractions on the most spectacular stretch from Otranto south to Leuca is the Grotta Zinzulusa stalagmites and a whole lot of guano from the resident bats That’s not to say it isn’t glam — Otranto itself is a chic beach town where restaurants serve fish caught just hours earlier and the Pugliese take their daily passeggiata (evening stroll) around the 15th-century Aragonese Castle Heading south is the turn-of-century spa town where you can still take the waters and enjoy spa treatments on the rocks or go for a dip in the lido scored from the cliffside this is a storied land where prehistoric dolmens sit amid olive groves and fortified masseria farmhouses have been transformed into upmarket accommodation But that coastline — fragrant with the herbs and bushes of the macchia mediterranea shrubland — is so breathtaking Where to stay: Soak up the peace at Masseria Montelauro a 19th-century farmhouse fringed by citrus and olive trees you’re best skipping the most famous stretch that runs north of Cernobbio start inching up that inner peninsula from Como town to Bellagio (pictured) for a road that hugs the cliff edge and plunges over mini ravines including the waterfall-laced Orrido di Nesso.Photograph by Getty Images4 LombardyIt might not flank the sparkling Mediterranean but if you’re looking for the old-school glamour and superstar glitz of Amalfi then look no further than Europe’s longest either on ferries or those famous vintage Riva boats you’ll realise Lake Como is also perfect for road-tripping a cooperative that’s been feeding the locals for more than a century stop off for lakeside walks around Musso and Gravedona Where to stay: You’ll be cantilevered over the lake from the balconies at Al Molo 5 a delightful restaurant-with-rooms in sleepy Vassena Sardinia’s underrated west coast has it all: cliff-etched roads gorgeous coastal villages and beaches that are accessible to all.Photograph by Getty Images5 Western SardiniaThe east coast of Italy’s second-largest island has long been known for its GPS-defying cliff drives and spectacular coves calling from the bottom of precipices for those who dare has the ritzy beaches of the Costa Smeralda but Sardinia’s underrated west coast has it all: cliff-etched roads Its industrial history — this was a mining region — means it missed the tourism boom Sardinia’s wild west is an astonishingly varied place. Start in Carbonia in the south — a mining town of blocky, rationalist buildings with the fascinating Museo del Carbone based in the former Serbariu mine where visitors are led through underground tunnels head west up the not-for-the-faint-hearted coastal road which lurches round the cliffs to Portixeddu the road ripples through Amalfi-style villages unfurling down the rockface you’ll find the chocolate-box seaside town of Alghero and the coastal wilderness of Porto Conte Regional Natural Park Where to stay: Villa Asfodeli is a beautiful albergo diffuso (‘scattered hotel’) centred around an art nouveau mansion in teeny Tresnuraghes Set against a backdrop of the Knoydart Peninsula, the distillery overlooks the picturesque Knock Bay. ItalyChevron GettySave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors "I fell in love with the Mediterranean at a young age," fashion designer Tory Burch says my parents would take a big steamer ship to Italy and would come home six weeks later with the most incredible stories and pictures from their travels." Now Burch travels the Mediterranean with her own family collecting memories and souvenirs to channel directly into her ready-to-wear collection "Inspiration is the most invaluable thing I bring back with me," she says Her most recent trip to Italy inspired her newest scent Should you want just a little bit of a schedule and swimming on the western Italian coastline " Hotel Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole Italy has a unique history and the views are extraordinary," Burch says Porto Ercole is brimming with tons of outdoor activities and Burch suggests incorporating something different every day make your way to the hotel bar: "I almost always order a tequila on the rocks I am at the mercy of the legendary bartender in Porto Santo Stefano for the spaghetti alle vongole Evenings in the Mediterranean were actually the starting point for Nuit Azur's scent "The crisp and salty notes always remind me of that last dip in the ocean at the end of the day The scent reminds me of moonlight on water," she says "I am a curious person by nature. I love exploring new places like the local markets for antiques, flowers, and produce, plus the bazaars and the ancient ruins," says Burch. "There is a wonderful antique market in Arezzo, about two hours inland, that I have been meaning to visit—it might take some convincing with my boys." Burch suggests bringing along a roomy, sturdy tote so you have plenty of space to carry home all of your goodies from the markets. You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. 20 Nights  Europe - Western MediterraneanSpain Morocco & Mediterranean MagicLeaving from: Barcelona →+16 ports 7 Nights  Europe - Western MediterraneanTurkey & Greek Isle GemsLeaving from: Istanbul →+6 ports 2025(4)Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn VentureSeabourn VentureSeabourn VentureSeabourn VentureSeabourn Venture20 Nights Iceland & ScoresbysundLeaving from: Dublin →+19 ports 2026Seabourn Cruise LineCruise Critic FavoriteSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn Encore7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - Western MediterraneanAegean TreasuresLeaving from: Pireaus (for Athens) →+6 ports Greenland & CanadaLeaving from: Dover →+24 ports 2026Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn Ovation7 Nights Denmark & BelgiumLeaving from: Copenhagen →+6 ports 2026Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn Encore14 Nights 14 Nights  Europe - Western MediterraneanGreek & Aegean TreasuresLeaving from: Fusina →+12 ports 2025Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn Sojourn14 Nights 14 Nights  Baltic SeaNorth Cape & Norwegian FjordsLeaving from: Dover →+9 ports 2025Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn Sojourn28 Nights 28 Nights  Baltic SeaNorwegian Fjords & Icelandic IntrigueLeaving from: Dover →+19 ports 2025Seabourn Cruise Line.css-ad1o0y{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;height:-webkit-max-content;height:-moz-max-content;height:max-content;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-6);}Seabourn Ovation30 Nights 30 Nights  Europe - Western MediterraneanJewels Of Spain Italy & FranceLeaving from: Barcelona →+27 ports 28 Nights  Baltic SeaIberian Coast & Jewels Of The British IslesLeaving from: Barcelona →+21 ports 2025Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn Encore7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - Western MediterraneanAmalfi Coast & Adriatic GemsLeaving from: Rome (Civitavecchia) →+6 ports 2025Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn SojournSeabourn Sojourn24 Nights 24 Nights  Europe - AllRoute Of The VikingsLeaving from: Dover →+16 ports 2025Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn EncoreSeabourn Encore14 Nights 14 Nights  Europe - Western MediterraneanEphesus & Grecian GemsLeaving from: Pireaus (for Athens) →+12 ports 2025Seabourn Cruise LineSeabourn Ovation28 Nights 28 Nights  Europe - AllAtlantic Passage & Iberian PeninsulaLeaving from: Barbados →+13 ports 1fr));}@media screen and (min-width: 576px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(1 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(2 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(3 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 1284px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(4 Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site Our partners who list cruise pricing on Cruise Critic are required to provide prices for cruise only or cruise packages and are based on specific cabin types and sailing dates and may not be available for all cabin types/sailings Rates are in GBP and valid for UK and Ireland residents only please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site Cruise Critic is not responsible for content on external web sites Lowest pricing is based on our 3rd party pricing supplier and valid as of 6th May 2025 an idyllic Italian island just one hour from the mainland