Where to go in July without the crowds

July in Italy is a study in contrasts. The light turns amber long into the evening, medieval piazzas host open-air opera, and the coastline hums until well after midnight. Yet the same month can flatten the country's most photographed places under coaches and cruise crowds. The antidote is a slower, more literate map of the peninsula.

For art cities, trade the obvious for the eloquent: Mantua, Urbino or Lecce reward early risers with cool cloisters and unhurried cafes. In villages and countryside, the high Apennines and the Sesto Dolomites offer alpine lakes, rifugi and wildflower meadows well into the month. For the sea, look beyond the Amalfi cliches toward the Cilento's hidden coves, the Ionian shore of Puglia and Sicily's smaller islands, where fishing rhythms still shape the day.

Undertourism in July means choosing regional trains, family-run locande and shoulder hours over Instagram queues.

Tip of the month

Book a two-base itinerary: three nights inland at altitude, three nights on a lesser-known stretch of coast. You will halve the crowds and double the sense of discovery.