Italy is a perennial favourite for intimate getaways, drawing everyone from first-time visitors to devoted Italophiles to the classic grand tour: Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice.
Though that’s amore, beyond the marquee cities lies a quietly seductive, hidden Italy, where couples can connect with destinations – and each other – amid postcard-perfect locales, far from the usual whistle stops.
“While Italy is undeniably popular, there are still regions that feel refreshingly under the radar,” says Lucie Kittel, founder of Domino Travel (domino.travel), an international luxury-travel advisory affiliated with SmartFlyer and Virtuoso, who has years of experience crafting bespoke itineraries for honeymoons and milestone journeys. “In a relatively short timeframe, couples can move from cities to countryside to coastline, each stop feeling completely distinct.”
So what should be next up on your love affair with Italy and your amore? Here, hidden Italy, and the country’s most romantic undiscovered escapes. They are some of the most compelling destinations right now for those craving a passionate escape.
Cruising the coast by yacht allows couples to access quiet beaches, hidden coves, and crystalline waters that are simply unreachable by land.
— Lucie Kittel, Domino Travel
Umbria: 1,000 Years of Quiet
A meticulously restored castle dating back to 1050 in Umbria’s rolling hills is the setting of Hotel Castello di Reschio. Couples can – and should – get lost wandering its many secret spaces, from a candle-filled hideaway tucked in the castle ramparts to a fireplace-warmed nook perfect for a private dinner or nightcap.
Courtesy of Hotel Castello di Reschio
Courtesy of Hotel Castello di Reschio
The hotel’s interior spaces are awash with fresh flowers, while the estate’s 3,700 acres of olive groves, woodlands, lakes and meadows provide a perfectly serene outdoor backdrop for leisurely picnics. For a more regal time, falconry and archery are just a few of the refined ways to while away an afternoon together. reschio.com
Courtesy of Tenuta di Murlo
For an even more secluded destination near Perugia, Tenuta di Murlo offers an Umbrian haven on an estate that’s been in the same family for generations. Guests lodging in Villa Molinella, a restored 13th-century stone watermill, are treated to a private subterranean whirlpool spa tucked just beneath the living room in a grotto where the original millstone once sat. Nights here feel as if the world no longer exists, just you and your partner. murlo.com
Lake Garda: Where Locals Escape the Spotlight
Lake Como may get the spotlight, but the more discreet, less-travelled Lake Garda is where locals – and those in the know – retreat. Set in Lombardy between Milan and Venice, the region was once a favourite hideaway of European aristocrats, and the area still charms with Belle Époque villas and palm-lined promenades as well as easy access to vineyards and a constellation of storybook lakeside towns.
Courtesy of Grand Hotel Fasano
The family-owned, five-star Grand Hotel Fasano is set directly on the lake’s shimmering shores. The fragrance of 200-year-old magnolia trees mingles with citrus fruit from the hotel’s garden, drifting through the air. Also a feast for the senses? Inside the property, Chef Maurizio Bufi’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Il Fagiano, is a tasty marriage of refined northern Italian flavours with southern influences rooted in the chef’s heritage. ghf.it/en/
Courtesy of Cape of Senses / 📸: @alexmoling
For another elevated, five-star stay, Cape of Senses rises 600 feet above Lake Garda on a hillside terrace. This adults-only property makes it effortless for couples to slow down and savour the romantic atmosphere. Days unfold with Vespa rides or time spent sailing the lake, followed by evenings enjoying candle-lit couples’ massages in the private spa or drinking in panoramic lake and mountain views (best enjoyed with a glass of Franciacorta in hand) at sunset. capeofsenses.com/en/
The Dolomites: Cozy Mountain Moments for Two
Even before the Olympics descended on northern Italy, Kittel recommended her clients seeking a mountain holiday consider the Dolomites, including Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel & Spa in the heart of Ortisei, Val Gardena – an elegant alternative to some of the region’s more buzzed-about resorts.
Courtesy of Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel & Spa
“Guests enjoy effortless access to Alpe di Siusi’s gentle trails and Seceda’s more challenging terrain, along with a Michelin-starred dining experience at Anna Stuben,” she says. “It’s a destination that consistently surprises travellers with its livability and warmth.” gardena.it/en/gardena.it/en/
Courtesy of Forestis Dolomites
The Venice-based bespoke travel designer Your Custom Journey recommends Forestis in South Tyrol as another standout in the Dolomites, celebrated for its architectural minimalism and wellness focus atop the slopes of Mount Plose. This five-star, adults-only retreat occupies three timber towers built around a former Austro-Hungarian sanatorium in dense forests that was never completed due to the First World War. Every suite faces the dramatic, jagged peaks of the Odle Massif, offering alpine panoramas that feel at once powerful but peaceful. forestis.it/en
Puglia: A Southern Love Story
Founded by Italy-based travel designer Anita Cagnazzo, The Secret Explorer (thesecretexplorer.com) sets couples on a course for true romance in Puglia, the heel of Italy. Cagnazzo believes luxury should be defined by access rather than excess – and her thoughtfully curated recommendations that are deeply tied to place in this part of the country don’t disappoint.
Courtesy of Palazzo Bacile
Among her top picks for adding a dose of southern heat to the itinerary is Palazzo Bacile, a medieval castle in Spongano that’s still home to the Bacile di Castiglione family after nearly five centuries. Experiences are bespoke and shaped around anything their guests’ hearts might desire, whether studio visits with local artisans, private horseback rides along olive-tree-lined paths or boat trips tracing the nearby sparkling Adriatic coast. palazzobacile.it
Courtesy of Masseria Ferrarelli Trepizzi
For a countryside haven, the four-room Masseria Ferrarelli Trepizzi offers an elegant base in lower Salento. Here, guests can ease into the peaceful rhythms of the rural life – perhaps with a cooking class focused on local dishes – before setting out to explore the region’s seaside towns and sun-washed villages on this stretch of the sea. masseriaferrarelli.it/en/
Luxury should be defined by access rather than excess.
— Anita Cagnazzo, The Secret Explorer
Tuscany: Romance Blooms Under the Sun
Courtesy of Villa Ardore
Courtesy of Villa Ardore
Chianti’s Villa Ardore couldn’t be more aptly named for a rendezvous since ardore means “passion” in Italian. Proprietor Christian Scali describes the refurbished 16th-century farmhouse as a home “where love and togetherness come first.” Sleeping up to 18 and rented exclusively in its entirety, the villa is ideal for couples and their loved ones looking to celebrate a special anniversary in a setting that feels both grand and deeply personal. villaardore.com
Courtesy of Pensione America
Further northwest in Tuscany, on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the shadow of the Apuan Alps, the coastal village Forte dei Marmi has secreted away some true gems, reserving them to shine for partners who want private time. Two elegant Collezione Em (collezioneem.com) sister properties, the veranda’ed 18-key Pensione America and the nearby charming Villa Roma Imperiale, with its lush, shaded gardens and rich history hosting artists and writers, are both minutes from the sea (and a hand-in-hand stroll along the sandy beach or open-air market). villaromaimperiale.com; pensioneamerica.com
Sardinia: Sun-Kissed Shores and Secluded Luxury
Cala Goloritzè beach in Sardinia, born from a 1962 landslide. @glennsouer/Unsplash
For water lovers, few experiences rival exploring Sardinia, the Mediterranean’s second-largest island after Sicily.
“Cruising the coast by yacht allows couples to access quiet beaches, hidden coves, and crystalline waters that are simply unreachable by land,” says Kittel of Domino Travel.
Hotel Le Dune Piscinas 📸 – Ettore Cavalli
For those who prefer solid ground, the five-star, 28-room boutique hotel Le Dune Piscinas, a former mining warehouse on southwest Sardinia’s wild Costa Verde, is home to one of Europe’s most secluded beaches, where guests can dine by the shore beneath expansive, star-filled skies. ledunepiscinas.com/en/
Courtesy of 7Pines Resort Sardinia
Turquoise waters, golden beaches and colourful sunsets await couples seeking to get lost in their own chic corner of the see-and-be-seen Costa Smeralda. 7Pines Resort Sardinia, a beachfront Destination by Hyatt property in Baja Sardinia, is surrounded by four secluded coves, yet tucked away near the luxury marina town of Porto Cervo on the north coast – ideal for those who crave a whisper of jet-set energy with their romantic escape. 7pines-sardinia.com/en
