Little-known destinations, forgotten villages and whole regions to discover before everyone else does. The antidote to overtourism, one guide at a time.
Monte Argentario's main port and ferry hub for the islands, Porto Santo Stefano is the practical base for exploring this stretch of the Tuscan coast.
Not very crowded Aug 3, 2026
Spanish bastions, a 19th-century botanical garden and the story of Caravaggio's death: Porto Ercole is the most intimate corner of Monte Argentario.
Not very crowded Aug 3, 2026
Portoferraio is the first stop for anyone arriving by ferry from Piombino: here's how to find your way between the fortified centre and coastal hamlets to choose where to stay.
Not very crowded Aug 3, 2026
A handful of houses perched on a white cliff, a pebble beach and a 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck on the seabed: Chiessi is Elba at its most secluded.
Almost deserted Aug 3, 2026
167 metres above the sea, among medieval alleys and views over the gulf, Capoliveri is Elba seen from up high, far from the bustle of Portoferraio's port.
Very quiet Aug 3, 2026
On the shore of Lake Massaciuccoli, among reed beds and the villa where Puccini lived, a corner of Versilia that faces fresh water instead of the fashionable sea.
Not very crowded Aug 3, 2026
Prato is about 20 km from Florence and well connected by train: one of the simplest ways to get there without a car.
Very quiet Aug 3, 2026
Prato, Tuscany's second city, has top-tier Renaissance heritage and a Swabian castle, without the crowds of Florence just 20 km away.
Very quiet Aug 3, 2026
Prato is the birthplace of cantucci biscuits and has its own mortadella: Tuscan cuisine with specialities of its own, often overlooked by Florence visitors.
Very quiet Aug 3, 2026