{"id":194,"date":"2023-04-13T12:06:57","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T11:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=194"},"modified":"2025-03-26T19:39:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:39:58","slug":"italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy","title":{"rendered":"7 Italian Honeymoon Destinations Off the Beaten Path: Lecce, Taormina, &#038; More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re planning a honeymoon, few destinations could be better (or more popular!) than Italy. And while you could head to your classic Italian honeymoon haunts (Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi coast), your <em>luna di miele <\/em>is a once-in-a-lifetime experience\u2014and one you might not want to share with every other honeymooning couple.<\/p>\n<p>So while the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/the-trevi-fountain-in-rome\">Trevi Fountain<\/a> is great, if you <em>really <\/em>want to up the romance, seek out Italy&#8217;s more-hidden romantic gems.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4305\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4305\" class=\"wp-image-4305\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Shellfish-seafood-Puglia-Italy-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Fish, a traditional dish in Puglia and the Salento\" width=\"1200\" height=\"797\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresh fish on a beach in Puglia? Don&#8217;t mind if we do!<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy\/#Amazing_Italian_honeymoon_destinations\" >Amazing Italian honeymoon destinations<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy\/#Lecce_Puglia\" >Lecce, Puglia<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy\/#Verona\" >Verona<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy\/#Umbria\" >Umbria<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy\/#Turin\" >Turin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy\/#Italys_%E2%80%9CLake_District%E2%80%9D\" >Italy\u2019s \u201cLake District\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy\/#Taormina_Sicily\" >Taormina, Sicily<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/italian-honeymoons-off-beaten-path-romantic-italy\/#Sardinia\" >Sardinia<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Amazing_Italian_honeymoon_destinations\"><\/span>Amazing Italian honeymoon destinations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lecce_Puglia\"><\/span>Lecce, Puglia<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Located in the heel of the \u201cboot\u201d of Italy, Puglia remains one of Italy\u2019s least-discovered regions for travelers and is a great option for an Italian honeymoon. But that\u2019s a shame, because the region is gorgeous, featuring miles of countryside, tiny medieval towns, and beautiful coastline. For a laid-back, sun-soaked honeymoon, stay in Lecce, nicknamed the \u201cFlorence of the South\u201d for its striking architecture, and explore the rural areas and small towns nearby.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15289\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15289\" class=\"wp-image-15289 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/hall-882658_1280.jpg\" alt=\"The cathedral of Lecce is a must-see. The Piazza del Duomo is one of Italy's most beautiful squares, a Baroque masterpiece that makes the space seem like a lovely cloister.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15289\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cathedral of Lecce is a must-see. The Piazza del Duomo is one of Italy&#8217;s most beautiful squares, a Baroque masterpiece that makes the space seem like a lovely cloister.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Verona\"><\/span>Verona<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>We know, we know: You&#8217;ll find a tour bus (or two, or three) here. But we just couldn&#8217;t leave Verona off a list of potential honeymoon destinations in Italy: It&#8217;s just too perfect! Plus, there are so many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/thing-to-do-in-verona\">things to do in Verona<\/a>! Here, after all, is where Shakespeare set <em>Romeo and Juliet&#8230; <\/em>and you can even go see Juliet\u2019s \u201chouse\u201d and \u201cbalcony\u201d today.<\/p>\n<p>The city has lots else to offer, too. In fact, its art and architecture, from ancient Roman ruins (including a Roman amphitheatre, the third-largest in Italy) to important medieval churches, have landed it on the<a href=\"https:\/\/whc.unesco.org\/en\/list\/797\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> UNESCO heritage list<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15702\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15702\" class=\"wp-image-15702 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/verona-3153518_1920.jpg\" alt=\"verona stone bridge\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-15702\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Verona&#8217;s charming setting makes a perfect Italian honeymoon getaway.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Umbria\"><\/span>Umbria<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Often called the less-discovered version of Tuscany, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/things-to-do\/umbria-in-italy-favorite-spots\">Umbria<\/a> has the same rolling hills, excellent food, and medieval hilltop towns as its better-known neighbor\u2014sans tourists. Consider picking a town like Narni, Spoleto, or Todi as a tranquil, off-the-beaten-path base to explore the countryside while on your Italian honeymoon, and other towns nearby, like <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/visit-assisi-italy-attractions\">Assisi<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> and Orvieto. By car is the easiest way to get around Umbria if you want to take in a number of towns, but be careful: It&#8217;s easy to get lost, so unless you want to put your relationship to the test, consider relying on trains instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1726\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1726\" class=\"wp-image-1726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/DSC_1709-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Beautiful Umbrian town of Todi\" width=\"1200\" height=\"797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/DSC_1709-scaled.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/DSC_1709-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/DSC_1709-1536x1020.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1726\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Umbrian town of Todi is easily accessible by car.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Turin\"><\/span>Turin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If sophistication and urban energy are what you\u2019re after for your Italian honeymoon, consider Turin, one of Italy&#8217;s most happening cities. Its architecture\u2014a blend of Baroque, rococo, neoclassical, and Art Nouveau\u2014is striking, and the city is filled with gardens, castles, public squares, and palaces. For the culturally-minded honeymooners, Turin has a ton to do, including concerts, shopping, and museums. Among others, Turin has the world\u2019s second most important Egyptian collection, a cinema museum, and even a museum devoted to cars.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17886\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17886\" class=\"wp-image-17886\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/x9yofcza-8q.jpg\" alt=\"Turin water Po River with monument and boats\" width=\"1200\" height=\"673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/x9yofcza-8q.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/x9yofcza-8q-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/x9yofcza-8q-1536x862.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17886\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Turin boasts a bustling city on the banks of the Po River. Photo credit: Andreas Patsalides<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Italys_%E2%80%9CLake_District%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>Italy\u2019s \u201cLake District\u201d<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Stunning lakes are scattered throughout Italy\u2019s north. Some, including Lake Lugano, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, and Lake Garda, are frequented by Italians and Europeans in the high season, so seek out one of the smaller gems if you want true solitude while on your Italian honeymoon. Otherwise, those more-popular lakes aren&#8217;t only gorgeous, but boast elegant (and pricey) hotels, spas and resorts. Feeling sporty? Go mountain biking, boating, paragliding, or hiking.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_12720\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12720\" class=\"wp-image-12720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/garda-lake-in-summer-8CLE9PB-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/garda-lake-in-summer-8CLE9PB-scaled.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/garda-lake-in-summer-8CLE9PB-768x501.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/garda-lake-in-summer-8CLE9PB-1536x1001.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-12720\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beautiful Lake Garda is one of the many bodies of water that make up the Lake District in northern Italy.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Taormina_Sicily\"><\/span>Taormina, Sicily<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Sicily has a fascinating blend of cultures, fabulous food, and miles of gorgeous coastline. Taormina, dramatically positioned to overlook the coast and the Mt. Etna volcano, is one of its top destinations. From the medieval quarter to castle ruins to a still-used Greek theatre, it\u2019s ideal, and off the beaten path.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_201\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-201\" class=\"wp-image-201 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/taormina-21.jpg\" alt=\"View of Taormina, SIcily, and Mt. Etna, perfect for a honeymoon\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/taormina-21.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/taormina-21-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-201\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stunning views from the Greek theater in Taormina.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sardinia\"><\/span>Sardinia<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re looking for a top-notch, all-inclusive resort or a tranquil, centuries-old town, Sardinia\u2019s got it. The glamorous hotels and beaches are on the northern Costa Smerelda. But if you really want to \u201cget away from it all,\u201d consider the other coasts, too. The beaches near Oristano or Buggerru, on the western shore, are world-renowned, as are the beaches on the southern coast, near Villasimius\u2014and they\u2019ll be far less crowded.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2754\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2754\" class=\"wp-image-2754\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Sardinia-prehistoric-tombs.jpeg\" alt=\"Giants' graves of Sardinia\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Sardinia-prehistoric-tombs.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Sardinia-prehistoric-tombs-768x576.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2754\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prehistoric tombs in Sardinia, Italy.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you&#8217;re planning a honeymoon, few destinations could be better (or more popular!) than Italy. And while you could head to your classic Italian honeymoon haunts (Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi coast), your luna di miele is a once-in-a-lifetime experience\u2014and one you might not want to share with every other honeymooning couple. So while the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":12720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[180,64,94,18],"ppma_author":[195],"class_list":["post-194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-amalfi-coast","tag-florence","tag-pompeii","tag-rome"],"authors":[{"term_id":195,"user_id":87,"is_guest":0,"slug":"matteom","display_name":"Matteo M.","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Matteo-Marino.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Matteo-Marino.png"},"user_url":"","last_name":"M.","first_name":"Matteo","job_title":"","description":"When Matteo, a native of Milan, isn't savoring the rich flavors of homemade pasta or engaging in lively debates about Italian politics, you can find him exploring the hidden gems of Italian cities, unearthing the stories behind ancient ruins, and getting lost in the vibrant maze of local markets in whatever city he finds himself in. Matteo considers himself to be the go-to source for tips, tidbits and recommendations for all things Italy. When he's not working, you can find him enjoying a pisolino or a gelato."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/87"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23106,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194\/revisions\/23106"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}