Italy has more than its share of legendary drives. Many of the country's most spectacular routes are well traversed, first by the Romans and then by the subsequent civilisations and peoples who followed, carving out picturesque paths that offer much more than a means of getting from A to B. While some are particularly iconic – the well-trodden Amalfi Coast Road among them – there's plenty more to discover on your next Italian adventure, including one resident Italophile's dreamy tour of Franciscan monasteries in Tuscany .
So fuel up and set off, allowing time to stop off for incredible meals, new encounters, and lots of snaps along the way. Approximate time: six hours Start in the old, noble city of Palermo , where honey hues and crumbling stone splendour blur into a balmy labyrinth of restaurants and al-fresco wine bars. Dodge Vespas and zoom past old palazzos before heading west.
Sip on cocktails at Trapani’s Scopello beach and marvel at the sandy meadows, olive groves and ancient columns of Agrigento further south. Then work your way up the east through Ragusa, Modica and Noto to Taormina , a dramatic town in the shadows of Mount Etna that’s home to an Ancient Greek amphitheatre and an annual film festival. Finally, hop on a boat to explore the sleepy Aeolian islands , where stretches of vineyards are peppered with white houses and craggy rock formations drop down into crystal-clear waters.
Rosalyn Wikeley Where to stay: Set in the Ragusan countryside a 35-minute d.
