Ciao e benvenuto a tutti! Welcome to my passion blog series, where I will be writing about anything and everything Italy. This is a continuation of my blog series from last semester, and if you are curious about some of my past blogs, I will link my old site below. With a mountain of topics to choose from, it was difficult to decide what to discuss in this issue. After breezing through the options, I decided to share a tidbit about the natural beauty of the boot-shaped peninsula.
Everyone knows Italy for its famous urban hotspots, like the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Duomo di Milano. Yet to truly witness la bellezza (the beauty) of Italy, you must travel beyond the city limits. A geographically diverse country, the Italian peninsula holds a variety of natural wonders. We’ll trickle down the boot to highlight some of the best works of nature across the country. Starting in the north, Lake Como is perhaps one of the most famous lakes in Europe. Situated in the Alps, one glimpse at the views will quickly explain why it is a beloved destination.
Drive a few hours south, and you will be met with arguably the most breathtaking countryside on Earth. Tuscany is home to a swaying array of rolling hills covered in grasslands and vineyards. If you’ve ever been to Olive Garden (not recommended), it tries to mimic the Tuscan theme. But to truly witness the greatness of la terra Toscana, you need to be there. Even flying thousands of feet in the air, seeing Tuscany is a sight for sore eyes.
There is so much to see that I cannot feature it all on one blog. Fear not, however, I will make sure your visual experience does not go to a rocky halt. Now we are going to go island hopping to ensure an all-inclusive visual. Let’s start at Sardegna, which may be one of the most underrated regions of Italy. Here, you will find the Archipelago della Maddalena. This was featured in a previous blog, but this location is so beautiful that I must feature it again. The Archipelago epitomizes the Mediterranean: clear, blue waters, and rocky coasts define this feature. It seems surreal, like a scene out of a tropical island catalogue. And there’s more where that came from.
Hop to Capri, and your mind will be blown away once again. Unlike the pants, this island will never go out of style. The destination I’d like to pinpoint the most here is la Grotta Azzurra. This combination of sea and stone glows a luminescent blue that is one of a kind. The island of Capri is a popular tourist attraction itself, but this hidden feature really takes it to the next level.
For our last jump, we’ll land in Sicily, where I have the most expertise. As I have been to Sicily five times, I will rapid fire some of my favorite natural wonders. Perhaps the quintessential feature of the greatest island on Earth is Mount Etna. The tallest active volcano in Europe, the views looking to and from Etna are unmatched. Nearby, you will find the Gole Alcantara gorge, formed by volcanic ash. From personal experience, this is an unknown paradise that is a must-see when visiting Sicily. A few miles away, there is the Taormina shoreline, which weaves its way through the picturesque towns of Taormina and Giardini Naxos. And lastly, the Scala dei Turchi looks like a scene out of a movie. As the name suggests, these “stairs” are a beautiful natural feature of the island, with their stacked, white form. Unfortunately, I am out of time and space. If there is anything you should pack in your mental suitcase, it’s this: Italy is a thrilling country to visit, and its natural beauty adds a layer to the laundry list of tourist attractions and areas worth seeing. Grazie e ci vediamo presto!
Links and Sources:
Top 10 Natural Wonders in Italy – Places To See In Your Lifetime (pandotrip.com)
Il Passionato | Nic’s Guide of Everything Italian You Need to Know (psu.edu)
Awesome first post, Nic–I feel like I’m there. Maybe, at this rate, you’ll even convince me to pursue study abroad programs in Italy–the pictures and landscape seems beautiful. I was super interested in la Grotta Azzurra and it’s super weird blue appearance, so I did a bit more research, and it seems like the blue sheen is because of the particular angle that the sun’s rays strike the water and the small (relatively) entrance to the cave. It seems like between 12 and 2 pm is when the light most directly elicits a blue coloration from the water. Also, due to the chemical composition of the water within the rock of the cave, any objects put underwater look silver because of how the bubbles form on them and refract the sun’s light from the mouth of the cave. Maybe someday I’ll have to go check it out myself–thanks for the info!
Hey Nicholas! I loved your use of pictures throughout this post! I honestly don’t know much about Italy besides what I see on TV or in movies and Epcot in Disney World. Obviously, those are not always the best representations of what a country is like. These destinations look amazing, and I hope to get to visit them one day. I also really like your take on going beyond the urban famous places in Italy, it goes to show how much we forget about the natural world! Itlay is way more than just cool architecture and cities. Great job!
Great Post! Those pictures look absolutely insane. When I used to think of Italy the main things that would come to mind would be the old cities and the cuisine. However the natural diversity was quite surprising. This makes me want to visit Italy one day.
These pictures of Italy are so beautiful and magnificent. I genuinely cannot wait until I visit Italy when I do study abroad in the next few years. La Grotta Azzurra caught my eye the most, especially from that picture. That water and glow look so unreal. It just looks like it’s from a video game and not real life. I definitely have to check that place out when I visit Italy.