One Italian beach opens up between the rocks, sheltered by a natural arch around 50 metres long, and protects a lagoon barely 25 metres across that feels almost unreal. Located in San Nicola Arcella, it's one of the emblematic spots along the Riviera dei Cedri. Every year, thousands of people seek out this stretch of coastline shaped by marine erosion, yet few realise that access is regulated, paid, and time-limited.

In the hills of Fraginesi, this beautifully restored Sicilian masseria sits within 2,500 m² of private Mediterranean gardens, just a kilometre from the sea.

An archipelago town where sunsets set the Adriatic glowing, yet without the pressure of mass tourism.