The British newspaperThe Telegraph has published a guide to the best holiday regions in Italy, which includes a list of the ten best beaches in the country.
On top of the list there is a string of pristine sandy strands south of the historic towns of Avetrana and Manduria, in Puglia. It is an area where translucent water and white sand conjure up to create a dramatic as well as enjoyable landscape. Moreover, it is possible to enjoy a good lunch at the many little restaurants in the seaside villages of Punta Prosciutto and Torre Colimena and to spend a night (or more) in the nearby town of Porto Cesareo or in the country hotels located inland.
The second best region is Liguria, where San Fruttuoso is highlighted as one of the best options for being both beautiful and only around halfway by boat between Portofino and Camogli.
The third position goes to Tropea, a classy enclave in Calabria, where "the old town, full of good trattorias and shops, garlands a rocky outcrop above a gently shelving sandy beach, which is popular with families", and where evening passeggiate can be enriched by either ice-cream or lemon granita.
The top five of The Telegraph also includes Viareggio, in Tuscany, described as a classic Italian beach holiday made of "ordered rows of beach umbrellas, carefully groomed sand, Belle Epoque villas and dapper grand hotels that dream wistfully of their glory days", and the summer magnet San Vito lo Capo, in Sicily, where "a lively, low-rise garden town panning out along a two-mile sweep of sand is dominated, at its northern end, by the vertiginous peak of Monte Monaco". Also, for those interested in exploring new styles of cuisine, it is worth noting that centuries of Arab influence have left their mark on the local cuisine as couscous, not pasta, is the default main.
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