Visiting spas and hot springs ( terme ) is an increasingly popular activity in Italy , and the way that many people choose to spend a relaxing weekend break. As Benessere - wellbeing - becomes big business in Italy , historic spas are upgrading their facilities, and luxury hotels compete to offer a spectrum of therapeutic treatments. From clay holes in the middle of fields, fed by natural hot springs , to luxury spa hotels offering every kind of beauty treatment, Italy offers a full range of spa experiences.

Acqui Terme , on the Piemonte wine trail, dates back to Roman times and the Bollente , a hot sulphuric spring, is still a tourist attraction, along with the mud baths and mineral treatments on offer.

Abano Terme , close to Padova ( Padua ) in the Veneto , is one of Italy 's leading spas. The hot springs in this small town - nearest budget airline destinations: Treviso , Venice , Verona - were recommended by the ancient Romans and these days a large number of hotels offer health and beauty treatments at their own thermal swimming pools. There is also a high-quality ballet festival in the summer.

One of Italy 's smartest spa leisure complexes can be found at Saturnia , in Tuscany . In the same region are Montecatini Terme , in the north of the region, and Chianciano Terme , a spa town set among pretty Tuscan scenery close to Siena and Montepulciano.

Close to Rome , in the Lazio region there are natural hot springs near Tivoli (at Bagni di Tivoli) and Viterbo as well as at the spa town of Fiuggi . The Terme dei Papi, at Viterbo, were known and used by the Etruscans and then the Romans, who built baths here. The name means 'thermal springs of the popes', since by Medieval times it was they who came to 'take the cure'. Also around Viterbo are several open-air pools in the countryside, where locals drive at night to strip off and relax in the hot waters.

German tourists, in particular, flock to the thermal springs of Ischia , an attractive island in the Campania region close to Naples . If you're looking to combine an enjoyable sightseeing holiday with spa relaxation, Ischia is one of the best places to choose. Within easy reach of Naples , Capri and the Amalfi Coast , green and hilly Ischia has fine beaches as well as hot mineral springs. Some of the volcanic springs are radioactive; they're supposed to cure all sorts of ills.

Italy was traditionally the cheap option for those wanting to ski the Alps . This is still true, but increasingly Italy is having to earn its spurs for the calibre of its skiing not just its value. Italy 's skiing spreads from the French border in the west, to the stunning Dolomites in the east, with French, Italian and German spoken in different areas.

Italian skiing includes some of the world's great domains, with the SuperDolomiti region and the Milky Way offering hundreds of kilometres of lift-linked slopes. Facilities are improving but, compared to other countries, the infrastructure needs updating. This is true for most Italian resorts.

Overall, Italy has some great skiing and apres-ski, in a more laid-back fashion than elsewhere in the Alps . It is still good value but to continue to compete it will need to invest heavily in more state-of-the-art equipment to maximise its terrain.

Amalfi Resort
On the west coast of Italy 's boot, the Amalfi Coast is known as the 芒聙聵Neapolitan Riviera', a superbly elegant region frequented by Italy 's most superbly elegant elite. The 芒聙聵passagiata' here is amongst the best in the country. The town of Positano is at the heart of this explosion of glamour, crowned by the distinctive tiled dome of the church of Santa Maria Assunta .

Streets lead down, linked by cobbled alleys and little lanes, to a central sandy beach, with another beach behind a rocky headland. As you'd expect there are a range of superb designer shops, with Positano especially known for its fine fabrics in vibrant colours, reassuringly priced to reflect their quality.

This ultimate refinement doesn't mean the Italians don't like to have fun, with watersports taking centre stage, water-skiing and parasailing as well as boat cruises out to sea, making the most of the fantastic views of this beautiful stretch of coast, exploring islets and bays or the nearby island of Capri.

As for nightlife, here it is quiet and refined, with the famous summer festival of international chamber music setting the tone, appealing to an educated, cultured audience who appreciate the very best.

On either side of Positano, the Amalfi coast spills gloriously across the Mediterranean Sea , with vineyards sloping towards cliffs that drop sheer into clear blue waters, dotted with beautiful villas and villages. Like any part of Italy , the Amalfi Coast has its own regional cuisine, with locally-produced ingredients flavouring the fresh harvest of the sea: squid with potatoes is just one of the dishes made famous in countless local restaurants.

This is also an excellent place to sip at a glass of Lacrima Christi, grown on vines that thrive on the rich volcanic soil of the slopes of Mount Vesuvius . The area itself is a treasure-trove of past civilisations, with the Roman ruins of Herculaneum , the buried city of Pompeii and the active volcano of Vesuvius within easy reach.

Our villas here make it exceptionally easy to appreciate the best this wonderful coast has to offer. Some are within walking distance of Positano and others are set in quieter areas along the coast. All have maid service included to take the strain out of your stay, and in many of our villas skilled local cooks are available to share a taste of the region with their guests.

Liguria Resort

Italy always conjures up stunning images, from the rolling hills of Tuscany lined with their vineyards and cypresses, to the wonderful architecture of Florence and Siena , to the magical and dramatic Amalfi coast and the charm of the smaller islands of Capri and Ischia .

Sicily Resort

It's more than an island! Discover Sicily and discover the world. The world's first multicultural society, Sicily is Italy 's (and Europe 's) most historically cosmopolitan region, having been ruled by Asians, Africans and Europeans. Sicily is black and white and a million shades of gray. There's no other place on Earth like Sicily . Our island is a unique place full of art, archeology, history, folklore and breathtaking scenery. And, of course, great food. Sicily is almost a nation unto itself. The enchanting land where Archimedes taught and Saint Paul preached was a Greek colony, a Roman province, an Arab emirate and a Norman kingdom. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Swabians, Angevins and Aragonese made Sicily their own, leaving behind an eclectic history that you can still touch today.

Chaianti Resort

The Chianti hills between Florence and Siena are a crystallisation of all the delights of rural Tuscany . The glorious woodlands which carpet the rolling hillsides mingle with vineyards so numerous that, even if you were to sample a different wine at every meal, it would take more than a year to taste just a single vintage from each producer. Dotted across this verdant landscape are majestic stone farmhouses, whose perfect and natural beauty complements the surroundings, and picturesque old villages where markets are held and local wine and olive oil bought and sold. Winding roads climb uphill and down dale, through woods fields of golden sunflowers, offering wonderful open vistas across a scene made up of endless vine-covered valleys and crests often topped with medieval castles.

Lucca North Tuscany Resort

So deeply ingrained is the 芒聙聵cypresses and rolling hills' image of Tuscany that many people forget that the north of the province is bordered by the magnificently dramatic mountains of the Apuan Alps and the Apennines. Stretching down from these majestic peaks towards Lucca in the west and Florence in the east are wooded foothills which stay refreshingly green all through the summer, in contrast to the barer hills of the parched south. The Garfagnana region north of Lucca , with its craggy peaks, cleft valleys and forested hillsides, possesses the richest flora and fauna in Italy .

In springtime the meadows are a brilliant carpet of wildflowers and in the autumn they yield a magnificent variety of fungi. Red deer roam among the woods as do, in the remotest regions, wolves. The bird life is prolific, including Golden Eagles and much of this area is now a nature reserve. In the 14th century the Garfagnana was ruled by the Castruccio Castracani family from their stronghold high in the village of Coreglia Antelminelli . Ruins of mediaeval ramparts and bastions can be seen in the spectacular hilltop town of Barga and abandoned churches adorn many a wooded peak.

Last century European literati, including Shelley, Flaubert and Victor Hugo, took the cure at Garfagnana's Bagni di Lucca. Contemporary sophisticates head for chic Montecatini Terme, where the elegant spa is the excuse for taking a holiday of light-hearted relaxation, gossip and serious shopping. The foothills which back the fertile land around Montecatini and Lucca are dotted with unspoilt villages and the Lucchese gentry's elegant villas and formal Italianate gardens. It was in Lucca that Ruskin was first seized by the beauty of Italian mediaeval buildings; the town's collection of striped marble Romanesque façades is matchless and its fortified Renaissance walls imposing. Lucca 's monthly antique market, quaint shops, fabled extra virgin olive oil and restaurants also charm, as does the evening passeggiata, when much of the population takes to the picturesque narrow streets to stroll and chat. From Lucca it is a short journey to Pisa , for a visit to the astounding Piazza dei Miracoli, to the sea at Viareggio or the Lago di Massaciuccoli where Puccini lived and composed. An outdoor festival is held here and in Lucca , Puccini's native town, in the summer. Florence is also within easy reach from Lucca, Montecatini Terme and the Garfagnana and even more so from the Mugello, the hills that extend northeast of the city, either side of the broad valley of the River Sieve and up towards the Apennines.

Largely unknown to the foreign visitor, the tranquil countryside of the Mugello, north of Florence , has been a favoured retreat of the powerful and noble families of Florence since the time of the Medicis. Amongst the castles and elegant villas which sit on the Mugello hills are two of the Medici main country residences: the fortified Castello di Trebbio and the castellated Villa Cafaggiolo, preferred estate of Cosimo il Vecchio and Lorenzo il Magnifico.

Both Trebbio and Cafaggiolo were remodelled by the great Renaissance architect, Michelozzo, who also designed the exquisite porticoed monastery church of Bosco ai Frati. The Michelozzi's country seat, Villa Campestri, is itself high in the Mugello hills and two other great masters of the Renaissance, Fra Angelico and Giotto, were born in the Mugello, just a few kilometres apart, at Vicchio and Vespignano. With around a thousand ancient churches the Mugello has possibly the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in Italy . San Lorenzo and San Giovanni Maggiore in Borgo San Lorenzo, the largest town in the Mugello, are two of the finest, but almost every Mugello village boasts a Romanesque chapel or church.

That Florence lies so close is witnessed by numerous landmarks, from the Medici fortress which broods high above delightful San Pietro a Sieve, or enchanting Scarperia, on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Sieve Valley, a medieval town fortified by Florence and possessor of a Palazzo Pretoriale more densely studded with coats of arms than any other in Tuscany.

Sorrento Resort

芒聙聹Dramatically located with wonderful views across the Bay of Naples , Sorrento is the perfect centre for a holiday on this beautiful coastline. The town is well positioned to explore the other resorts along the Amalfi Coast or the historic centres of Pompeii , Herculaneum and Naples .芒聙?

Set on a spectacular headland, Sorrento faces one of the most beautiful views we know, across the Bay over to Naples . The town is full of contrasts; narrow alleyways in the old medieval centre with tiny hole-in-the-wall antique shops and numerous restaurants, whilst the main shopping street, Corso Italia, is lined with elegant boutiques.

Life tends to centre around Piazza Tasso, the main square, in the evenings. Most of our hotels are centrally located, so walking is the best way of getting around the town itself. Nearby is the famous site of Pompeii , buried beneath the lava of Mount Vesuvius in the 1st century just sixteen years after the town had been devastated by an earthquake.

Amalfi and Pompeii are just a couple of the popular excursions that are available throughout the summer. The programme also includes visits to other places of historical and cultural interest such as Herculaneum, the island of Capri, Caserta with its Royal Palace, Naples and even as far as Rome. Alternatively, we could arrange car hire for you for a few days and you can explore at your own pace.

Florence Resort

The cultural and historical impact of Florence is overwhelming. However, the city is one of Italy 's most atmospheric and pleasant.

Its striking buildings, expensive galleries and treasure-crammed churches show the Italian people's love of display. Even long after it had set on the political and economic future, Florence upheld its elegant picturesque appearance.

Puglia Resort

Puglia , Italy 's heel, is a veritable storehouse of natural and cultural treasures waiting to be discovered. With its fabulous climate, Apulia has the best of both worlds: some of Italy 's quietest and most unspoiled beaches, a stunning coastline, and inland, landscapes that are fertile and undulating - often dotted with picturesque olive trees and pastoral herds of sheep. As you travel across Apulia , the silhouettes of ancient ruined castles and magnificent palazzi on the horizon imbue this land with an almost Arcadian feel and evoke a sense of peaceful nostalgia for former times.

"The California of Italy" is the phrase that chambers of commerce and tourist development agencies use to lure tourists to Puglia , but Puglia has something California lacks: a depth of history, a sense of the chiaroscuro of tragedy and loss, of the harsh side of life that counterpoints moments of joy and sweetness. There's a special poignancy to celebration when the ache of misfortune and sorrow underlies it: It seems significant that the pizzica, a woman's triumphal dance of seduction and conquest, is almost indistinguishable from the ritualistic rapture of the tarantella, the hypnotic trance-dance induced by the remorseless sting of a spider that lurks, one writer says, "in the labyrinths of a guilty conscience" and almost always attacks women, almost always those who have been unlucky in love or marriage.

Puglia (or Apulia as it is also called), is a food and wine lover's paradise. One reason is that the fresh produce is of such high quality. Indeed, many of the basic elements of the Italian kitchen originate from Puglia . A huge proportion of Italy 's fish is caught off the extensive Apulian coast, 70% of the country's olive oil is produced here and the region provides 80% of Europe 's pasta. Many quality wines are produced here, 10% of the European production to be more precise with the best reds from the Peninsula Salentina.

No less than twenty castles make the Salento area itself into one huge fort, a rock-like bastion, which together with coastal towers and internally fortified farmhouses, have stood against the hundreds of invasions which through the centuries have made this region a conquered land or a land to conquer for Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Spanish, Venetians and Saracens. The actual lay-out of nearly all Salento's castles dates back to the Renaissance period (15th and 16th century), even if is often the case that earlier structures have been built into various complexes, as for example in the case of the castles in Copertino, Gallipoli, Otranto, Acquarica del Capo, Presicce, Morciano di Leuca and Roca Vecchia. A mention apart for the castle in Corigliano d'Otranto, a superb synthesis of military practicality and artistic beauty. It is the most decoratively rich in the region and among the most visited and admired castles in the South of Italy.

Tuscany Resort

The air is hazy, still, quiet. The rolling hills shimmer in the sun's warmth. The patchwork of green olive groves, vineyards and forests blends with fields of yellow wheat and sunflowers and pink-hued medieval castles. Rivers sparkle in the valleys, and mountains loom on the horizon.

This is Tuscany , the home of relaxing mornings strolling amongst the cypresses, breathing the scents of the countryside and hearing bells tolling from distant towers. And of afternoons lazing by the pool, or admiring some of the world's most beautiful art. Many a Renaissance artist, sculptor, writer or poet was inspired by the Tuscan landscape - the evidence is everywhere; Florence bursts with works by da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello and Boticelli. Not to be forgotten - Umbria with its historical cities such as Perugia home of the splendid Palace of Spoleto and Assisi and Orvieto. Explore the endless beautiful landscapes and the unspoilt Trasimeno Lake .

Imagine life in this favoured land. Let the warmth relax you. Life is mellow, languid, slow. Shelter from the sun in the shady coolness of ancient churches and castles, or unwind on your verandah and experience the pleasures of rural life. Feast on simple meals of fresh bread and oil pressed from locally-grown olives, soup, beans and grilled meats, with glasses of red wine from nearby Chianti. Pass balmy nights watching wonderful sunsets over distant hills, then gazing at the stars glinting in the sky's wide darkness, accompanied by the songs of the night birds.

Gioia Tauro Resort

Gioia Tauro is a growing town by the sea in the province of Reggio Calabria which is located between Naples and Messina , 7 Km near the town of Palmi , today is considered the "jewel" of the Costa Viola. Gioia Tauro is located in the gulf of Gioia Tauro . On a clear day, you can see Sicily and the Eolian islands from the coast.
In fact Gioia Tauro is not only a town by the sea, but a way of life, a love. Gioia Tauro charms anyone who goes there with the colour of its sea, the greens of its shores, and the warmth of its inhabitants. It is a place that has a miraculously positive and uplifting effect on those who are struggling with the constant demands of everyday life. Gioia Tauro has excellent restaurants as well as in the nearby hill towns of Seminara, Sinopoli, and Mt Elia abound; the area is noted for its cheeses, wines, olive oil. Beaches at Tropea and Capo Vaticano are only a short distance away. Activities in the area include tennis, swimming, horseback riding and yachting.

Sardinia Resort

Sardinia is the Mediterranean isle with a difference - a sunny slice of Italy but exotically different, or, as DH Lawrence put it, 'lost between Europe and Africa and belonging to nowhere.' The second-largest island in the Mediterranean , Sardinia is also one of the least known amongst British holidaymakers and yet, without doubt, one of the loveliest.

Sardinia 's tourism policy has always put quality above quantity - no 'tourism blackspots' here - and the island exudes an air of style and sophistication that few other Mediterranean destinations can match. Nearly 2,000km of glittering coastline with an infinite number of sandy coves and bays make this an inspired choice for sun-worshippers, boating enthusiasts, or just those in need of a real break from the day-to-day to feel squeaky-clean sand between their toes and enjoy great gulps of pure sea air. A mere two hours from the UK by air, the landscape inspires indolence. Whole days can be spent watching the sea's extraordinary display of colours - from translucent turquoise and the characteristic emerald which inspired the name of the exclusive Costa Smeralda, via vibrant cobalt blue and aquamarine, to intense shades of indigo and violet. The waters surrounding the island are amongst the cleanest in the whole of the Mediterranean , lapping beaches of white, pale gold or dusky pink sand and creating an idyllic background for your honeymoon or family holiday.

Umbria Resort

Umbria merges seamlessly with Tuscany, for this province, Italy's 芒聙聵Green Heart', displays the same essential and timeless components as her better-known northern neighbour; a landscape of undulating hills swathed with silvery-green olive groves and outlined with cypresses which dip into valleys chequer-boarded with green vineyards and fields of golden sunflowers. On almost every hilltop, ancient walls encircle medieval villages - many of them, such as Monte Castello di Vibio with its tiny theatre, contain treasures equal to Italy 's finest, yet are so seldom visited that you often feel you are making your own personal and very special discovery.

Umbria also has more than its fair share of celebrated beauties. Enchanting Gubbio is home not only to the superb Palazzo dei Consoli but also to the annual 900-year-old race, the 芒聙聵Corsa dei Ceri', second only to Siena 's 芒聙聵Palio' for passionate involvement and medieval spectacle, yet scarcely known outside Italy . Perugia , the cosmopolitan capital of Umbria , has a fascinating and ancient centre, with one of the most impressive medieval Palazzos in Italy , as well as frescoes by the town's most famous native painter, Perugino, and by his pupil Raphael, plus an unequalled collection of paintings by Umbrian Masters. Captivating Todi perches dramatically atop its craggy site, whilst outside its intact mediaeval walls lies one of Italy 's most perfectly executed Renaissance churches. Orvieto is famed not only for its white wine but also for its cliff-top vantage point above a vine-covered plain and for its breathtaking Gothic cathedral. Like many other towns in Umbria , delightful Spoleto has antique origins that can still be seen in the Roman stones of its walls and a far more modern, international arts festival each June which has overtaken all others in Italy for innovation and importance.

Assisi , with its fabulously frescoed cathedral of St Francis, is to this day a pilgrimage centre of haunting power and dignity. In Assisi 's steep and winding backstreets, or in the fortress high above the town, the soft pink stone resonates with the echoes and beliefs of the past. It is natural to ask what kept Umbria in the shadow of Tuscany for so long. Historically, Umbria lacked both the power and ruthlessness of the Medicis and an exit to the coast, for Umbria is the only province in Italy to have neither seaboard nor foreign frontier. Sleeping away in its land-locked fastness, Umbria has remained one of the most traditional regions of Italy . A deeply held attachment to the native earth imbues the place with a serenity that even a temporary visitor can find both profoundly relaxing and completely irresistible.

Irresistible too are the wines of Umbria and the truffles, both white and black, that are the region's great speciality. Working off all the excellent food and wine is no penance because Umbria is heaven for walkers. There are gentle rambles around Lake Trasimeno (the fourth largest lake in Italy ) and in the rolling hills west of Perugia . More ambitious hikes can be enjoyed in the nature reserve of Monte Subasio near Assisi , or even in the wild mountains of the Monte Sibillini in southeast Umbria , which provides the third highest point in the Italian peninsula. Rich in walking trails, Umbria is also just as wealthy in flowers and wildlife.