3 Underrated Places in Italy — Destination Dreamer Diaries

Italy is a destination nearly on everyone’s travel radar. Everyone dreams about seeing the Trevi Fountain and living their out their own Lizzie McGuire moment in Rome, shopping through the Quadrilatero Della Moda in Milan, or riding on a gondola in Venice… but there are so many other places to see in Italy that aren’t the big cities you’ve heard of.

In fact… I some of like these places better.

Here some of my favorite places in Italy that aren’t Milan, Rome, Florence, or Venice.

1. Lake Garda

When we think of Italy, we tend to think of summer time festivities, right?

This place screams that.

With the option to eat the local seafood for lunch, shop through markets, or go boating – Lake Garda is a wonderful (and cheaper than the Capri or the Amalfi Coast) option.

Located in Lombardy a couple of hours away from Milan, Sirmione and Sulzano are beautiful places to stay if you’re looking for a Swiss-Alps kind of get away while in Italy.

Seriously… look at the color of this water!

And look what I was waking up to from our hotel in Lovere…

When you’re there, I HIGHLY recommend you hop on a speed boat for the gorgeous views of the mountains against that teal-colored water.

2. Cinque Terre

Oh. My. God.

You guys – this was probably, hands down, my favorite place I went in my entire two-and-a-half-week trip around Italy. I mean, yes, prepare yourself if you decide to go there in the middle of July like I did for hot, sweaty trains stuffed with people…

…but it was so worth it.

The mixture of vibrant and pastel colored houses sitting on the jagged, grey cliffs is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. Do yourself a favor when you’re there, and like Lake Garda – hop on a speed boat, so you can get a view like this:

View of Manarola in Cinque Terre from Speed Boat; July 2018

If you want to know more about how to spend your time in Cinque Terre, click here.

3. San Marino

A tiny little independent state about 3 hours away from both Florence and Venice, this place is just too cute for words. With the option to sit down and have your bucket list Italian bites, to walk all the up to San Marino Fortress for the view, or to stroll through the streets and shop the small boutiques – the honest charm of this town will be sure to get you good.

Pizza in San Marino. There are great, authentic restaurants in San Marino that won’t be crawling with tourists like Rome. When here, try the pizza – this region is known for making thinner and flatter crusts!

Grilled Eggplant. There’s always veggies at Italian places for when your’e sick of the pasta and pizza!

You won’t want to miss this… it’s a panoramic sight to be seen.

View from the top of San Marino Fortress; July 2018

Just one of the many charming streets in San Marino

And there you have it! 3 places in Italy that I think are extremely underrated and worth a visit. If you’re looking for other ideas for your trip to Italy, click here.