Where to go on holiday in Italy in August: 12 destinations for a summer vacation
August is the holiday month par excellence in Italy, when many people are off work and looking to escape the daily routine.
Green homes, the future of Italian property
When it comes to green homes, 2030 is a deadline that's generating attention and, in some cases, even some concern. However, it's important to remember that this isn't a doomsday year for the real estate market. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has mandated the achievement of certain overall national targets. These targets must be interpreted correctly: new residential buildings must be zero-emission by 2030; while for existing residential buildings, Member States must adopt measures to ensure a reduction in average primary energy use of at least 16% by that year. Therefore, there's no requirement for a minimum energy class for each individual home. But what does the latest news on the European directive on green homes tell us?
Cheap August holidays in Italy: affordable destinations for summer 2026
August is Italy’s busiest holiday month, and prices rise sharply in the country’s best-known seaside resorts.
Goodbye crowds, hello 20 quiet beaches in Italy away from the chaos
Finding a quiet beach in Italy in July or August seems almost impossible. Yet the peninsula still hides dozens of coves accessible only on foot, bays protected by nature reserves, and inlets where the only sound is the crashing waves. Many of these uncrowded beaches owe their tranquility to their difficult access: forest trails, boat arrivals, or limited-access reservation systems that limit daily admissions.
12 equipped beaches in Lampedusa for sunbeds, snorkelling and sea views
Lampedusa is famous for its transparent waters, deep turquoise seabeds and still largely unspoilt scenery. If you don’t want to give up an umbrella, a sunbed, a shower and a proper lunch with a sea view, choosing the right lido (beach club) can really shape your holiday. The equipped beaches in Lampedusa strike that balance between wild nature and comfort. Here’s a complete overview of the main beaches with facilities, including where most of the lidos are concentrated, which areas are easiest for families and which are better suited to snorkelling and proper relaxation.
Worst places to retire in Italy: what to consider before you choose
Italy remains one of Europe's most popular retirement destinations. Its slower pace of life, excellent cuisine and history continue to attract retirees from around the world.
Popular destinations where Italians abroad return
A reopened flight route, a surname spotted on the village bell tower, a recipe scribbled in pencil: sometimes that is all it takes to trigger a return ticket.
Italian locations where Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" was filmed
The award-winning director Christopher Nolan has returned with a new cinematic adaptation of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, with Matt Damon in the star role. For a story so strongly rooted in a specific geographical and cultural imagination, which locations were chosen?
Italy's ghost island reopens as an art laboratory
An uninhabited island, flat as a table and hidden among sandbanks and canals: one of the most surprising places in the Venetian Lagoon is about to be reopened. San Giacomo in Paludo, just over a hectare between Murano and the route to Burano and Torcello, is at the center of a project that combines environmental restoration, research, and contemporary art.
A new guide for pet-friendly travel in Italy
Italians' travel habits are changing, along with the increasingly central role of pets. This is confirmed by research conducted by Rover.com, the world's largest online marketplace for personalized pet care services, on the travel habits of Italians with their pets. And, in collaboration with Lonely Planet, a free online guide for traveling with pets in Italy has been published.
Mountains with beaches, the most beautiful lakes for summer 2026
A beach without stifling heat, set among forests and peaks, really does exist. In many cases, it’s just a few hours by car, with clear water to dive into and meadows where you can stretch out in the shade. The new “cool” summer destinations aren’t by the sea but at altitude: Alpine lakes and valleys with proper lidos, equipped or completely natural, suited to swimming, picnics and sport.
Ferragosto in Italy: meaning, history and what happens on 15 August
If you spend any time in Italy in summer, you’ll quickly hear one word over and over again: Ferragosto.
The best dog-friendly beaches in Italy
With the growing number of dog-friendly beaches in Italy, planning a holiday with your four-legged friend has become much easier. Your dog deserves a few days of fun and relaxation under the sun too, with sand under their paws and the sea close by. To help you organise your holiday with your dog, we’ve put together a selection of the most beautiful pet-friendly beaches in Italy, so you can enjoy the coast without stress. But that’s not all. As well as the beach, you’ll need dog-friendly accommodation. You can book your holiday home on Rentalia online, simply by using the “pets allowed” filter.
Which cities have the best climate in Italy? The 2026 ranking
To find Italy’s most pleasant climate in 2026, you need to look east, along the Adriatic coast, which dominates the ranking. In this context, Bari confirms its place at the top for the third consecutive year. The data comes from the Sole 24 Ore Climate Index, which each year compares Italian provincial capitals based on overall climate wellbeing.
Holiday Scams in Italy: how travellers can protect themselves
Planning a trip to Italy should be about choosing the right piazza to stay near and arguing over which gelato flavour wins, not dealing with fraud.
Most beautiful beaches near Pachino: where to head for the sea
The southernmost tip of southeastern Sicily offers wild coves, stretches of golden sand, and waters that rival the world's most famous seas. Fortunately, within just a few kilometers of coastline, there are a wide variety of environments, from low cliffs to dunes protected by nature reserves. Pachino is located at the southern tip of the province of Syracuse, a stone's throw from Portopalo di Capo Passero and Marzamemi. Due to its strategic location, it's worth discovering the most beautiful beaches near Pachino.
Typical cheeses of Southern Italy: from buffalo mozzarella to pecorino
In Southern Italy, some of the most iconic cheeses in the world are produced. The stretched-curd traditions of Sicily and the creamy richness of Puglian burrata each tell their own story through milk, pastureland and the skilled hands of producers who still follow age-old methods.
Sardinia: three young women reopen abandoned houses and villages come back to life
Can a small cup of coffee change the fate of a borgo, a historic village? In Sardinia, three young women have turned an everyday gesture into a collective invitation to put down roots again in places many had stopped believing in.
Sardinia's XXL beach where there's room for everyone, even in August
There’s a stretch of Sardinian coastline where the sea laps at a very long beach and, even in high season, it never feels cramped.
6 dream islands in Italy, Spain and Portugal for a summer escape
Ready to plan your perfect summer?Here’s a look at 6 dream islands between Italy, Spain and Portugal, ideal if you’re after striking beaches, dramatic scenery, high levels of comfort and unspoilt nature.If you’re looking for peace and quiet, outdoor experiences or special moments to share with famil
Inside the world’s largest bamboo labyrinth in Italy
Just outside Parma, tucked into the Emilian countryside, there’s a place that quietly claims a world record. The world’s largest bamboo labyrinth is far more than a novelty maze.
Best places to live in Italy in 2026 for foreigners
Italy still attracts remote workers, retirees and professionals in large numbers, and the search for the best places to live in Italy hasn’t slowed down in 2026. The reality, though, is a little less glossy than the brochure version.
Tuscany's most beautiful beaches
Cala Violina, Fetovaia, Feniglia: Tuscany is home to some of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in Italy. Sheltered coves with pale pebbles, long sweeps of golden sand and untamed bays protected by nature reserves. In the north lies Versilia, with its well-organised beach clubs, and further south the Grosseto area of Maremma, where clear waters brush against parks and untouched headlands. In between sits the treasure of the Tuscan Archipelago: the Island of Elba and the Island of Giglio, both with remarkably clear seas. Here, then, are the most beautiful beaches in Tuscany.
Italy’s only car-free town
There is only one place in the country that can claim the title of Italy’s only car-free town. No traffic lights, no engines idling, no delivery vans edging through narrow lanes.
Hiking in Italy: 5 beautiful walking routes for summer
Discover the pleasure of a slow holiday, a different way of travelling that puts calm, time and wellbeing at the centre of the experience. We’ve selected five routes to help you explore some of Italy’s most remarkable natural wonders.