We all go abroad wanting to see the famous attractions, from the Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon, but once you’re tired of being squashed around crowds, you get a craving for something the other tourists don’t know about, a hidden local gem.
Finding these are hard, unless you live locally, the moment one rises up on a guide, it becomes well known to thousands, therefore it doesn’t stay a hidden gem for long. But I will do my best to list some of the lesser known attractions and places to check out in Italy.
Soverato, Calabria
Soverato is a beach resort with gorgeous weather and nice restaurants and bars along the coastline, however it simply doesn’t attract the crowds of other areas of Italy.
You can eat your dinner at Macarena, where they have some unbelievable seafood, locally and freshly caught. This is a bit of a party town, while the real party kicks off at Spox, just a 1 minute walk from Macarena.
Of course, it’s not just a party scene, you can visit here for lunch as well, but really it’s more of a bar and gets pretty wild on Sundays. I repeat…Sundays are the day everyone goes crazy here, we’re talking partying until 5am.
We also enjoyed exploring Soverato market, it’s not huge, but again you’re off the beaten path and you can pick up some local foods and souvenirs. This is also where you might want to get some nduja to take home with you.
The beach deck chairs are actually pre-paid by people who have them for the whole summer, but there are large sections of free beach area where you can relax in the sand and jump in the warm water.
Rome Beyond The Colosseum
Of course you’re going to have a look at the Colosseum, you can’t go all this way and not do it, but once you’ve got that Gladiator kick out of the way, there are so many other sights to be seen here.
Centrale Montemartini is a museum dedicated to Giovanni Montemartini (hence the name) in a converted power station. You’ll find a number of Roman statues inside and it’s a popular attraction with locals, while it won’t gather the same crowds as say the Vatican.
Another great area to visit is Quartiere Coppedè, built around 100 years ago, while it’s an ideal sight for those into their architecture. You’ll also find the Piazza Mincio and the Fountain of the Frogs, a nice piazza where you can relax during the day. The area is so stunning, it will surprise you that you’ve not seen it in documentaries or movies before, it just simply doesn’t get the same media attention.
There are a number of Rome Tours that can be booked to provide you with a more authentic locals insight into what it’s like to live in Rome and where they would eat or go in the evening.
Matera
Matera is best known for its caves. In fact most of your experiences here will be focused on caves, where that’s sleeping in one or eating dinner in a cave.
Found in Southern Italy, the reason why this one isn’t visited as much is simply the lack of options when it comes to flights, with the nearest airport being 40 miles away in Bari, therefore it tends to get skipped from most itineraries. But if you’re travelling around and having a full Italy vacation, this suddenly becomes an amazing and unique option.
The buildings aren’t painted at all and all look very similar, making for a distinctive view when near the top looking across at the buildings and the surrounding hills. You can easily walk around town, it’s not a big area, while you should get up to Belvedere di Piazza Giovanni Pascoli in the evening to watch the sunset.
There is even a church in a cave, I might not be religious but that would fascinate me to see. If you remember the James Bond movie ‘No Time To Die’ then you might recognise some of the scenery.
Dasa
We didn’t originally plan on visiting Dasa but it got added to our itinerary and we’re so glad we did. Being outsiders, the locals gathered and welcomed us into a restaurant with music as we met the pair from Pasta Grammar.
They then taught us how to make pasta alongside a nonna, a fun activity and then we got the chance to eat the pasta at the end. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t naturally gifted at making the pasta, but the experience and to be around these happy people was amazing.
This isn’t a village where you will have a huge itinerary, it’s a place I’d recommend visiting for 1-2 nights, but it’s such a sweet area and I loved it. You can also try a cheese making class where you’ll learn to make ricotta. Plus you can get a tour of the area and learn about the old flour mill, meeting the guy who worked there for most of his life from boyhood.
