the natural wonders of Italy are many. Beautiful landscapes, infinite blue waters, imposing mountains that captivate everyone who visits it. This country full of contrasts, history and culture offers tourists natural destinations that will surprise them. We invite you to discover seven of the natural wonders of Italy that you will want to visit.
Natural wonders of Italy
1. La Maddalena Archipelago, Sardinia
In this archipelago everything invites us to enjoy its beauty. From the Budelli beaches, the wind-carved rock sculptures of Razzoli, to the hidden coves of the islands of Spargi and Caprera form an impressive set of natural beauty of more than fifty thousand hectares, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
The archipelago is made up of 62 islands and 7 islets. Among the most important are the islands of Maddalena, Spargi, Spargiotto, Budelli, Santa Maria, Santo Stefano, Caprera, Razzoli, la Presa, Barrettini, Piana, Corcelli, Porco and Bisce. In them we find more than 700 species of fauna, 50 of them endemic.
The jewel of the archipelago is the island of La Maddalena, for its magnificent beaches with brilliant sand and crystal clear turquoise blue waters and its spectacular seabed. In addition, there are some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean, such as the famous pink beach of Budelli Island. As well as the famous Cala Coticcio, Brigantina and Portese in Caprera. In Spagi the Cala Corsara and Cala Granara in Spargi. And, Cala Lunga in Razzoli.
two. Blue Grotto, Campania
It is one of the impressive natural wonders of Italy that looks like something out of a movie. The Blue Grotto is a karst system of underground cavities open to the sea. Thanks to a lighting effect created by the hypnotizing blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the sunlight that enters through the cave, this becomes a true visual spectacle that captivates those who visit it.
Blue Grotto. Photo By Christian Martinez from Flickr. (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The access to the cave is by sea, crossing an existing gap in the rock two meters high by another two meters wide. However, this access is reduced to only one meter in height due to being at sea level. For this reason, visitors are asked to lie down at the bottom of the boat upon entering. Once you have passed that entrance arch, you go directly to the well-known Blue Cathedral. A space that surprises the visitor for its unexpected width, 22 meters deep by 25 meters wide and 60 meters long.
Inside the Blue Grotto, observing the almost fluorescent blue of the water is an incredible experience. It is amazing how it illuminates the cave. Although the wait to access this grotto can be very long (up to more than an hour) due to the number of visitors it attracts, the scarce five minutes that the tour takes within the Blue Grotto are worth it.
3. Thermal baths of Saturnia, Tuscany
Italian Tuscany offers us one of the most beautiful natural wonders of Italy, the Baths of Saturnia. Although the Bagni San Filippo, the Thermal Baths of Montecatini and Bagno Vignoni are also found here, the Thermal waters of Saturnia are the best known. Tuscany is one of the regions of the world with the most spas.
The Saturnia Thermal Baths are located in the southernmost area of the Tuscan Maremma and receive thousands of people every year. Generally, visitors are those who practice a type of wellness and health tourism. Therefore, these hot springs are a great destination for them, since their sulphurous waters have extraordinary beneficial and therapeutic properties.
The beauty of the Saturnia Thermal Baths lies in its staggered natural pools with small waterfalls, known as Cascadas del Molin. In addition, its great waterfall. The origin of the Saturnia Thermal Baths is a stream, the Gorello, which is born on Mount Amiata, an extinct volcano, which lies behind Saturnia and dominates the Orcia Valley. It is a pleasure to enjoy a good bath of steaming waters in these white pools, due to the limestone.
Four. Aeolian Islands, Sicily
The Aeolian Islands, also called Eolicas are located in the province of Messina and off the coast of Milazzo. This archipelago is made up of seven main islands: Lipari (the capital), Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea, Salina, Stromboli and Vulcano.
It has just 13,000 inhabitants that are distributed among all the Aeolian islands. Its origin was underwater volcanoes that emerged on the surface two million years ago. Currently, only the Stromboli and Vulcano volcanoes are active.
The Aeolian Islands offer their visitors a true landscape of rest, with transparent waters, and thermal mud baths, popularized by films such as Stromboli by Roberto Rosellini, or Vulcano, with Anna Magnani. This allowed the places of their islands to be put on the lips of all Italians, promoting their tourism and getting Unesco to declare the group of islands a World Heritage Site.
5. Orcia Valley, Tuscany
Once again Tuscany offers us one of the natural wonders of Italy. The Orcia Valley, Val d’Orcia or Valdorcia, is one of the most beautiful regions of Tuscany. The Orcia region, located to the south of Siena, connects in a small territory to a great variety of attractions. Achieving that the area is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The very particular natural beauty of the Orcia Valley is a delight. Reliefs and landscapes inherited from millions of years of geological history. However, despite the fact that other areas of Italy have been battered by urban planning, the Orcia Valley has maintained its charm. It has quite preserved nature with a humanization of the relief, of the cultivated fields and the residential areas.
It is undoubtedly a unique landscape that has become an idyllic image of Tuscany. The hills and mountains, accompanied by beautiful villages with balconies over the rocky cornices; In addition, the palaces and manor houses protected by rows of cypresses and fields that change color with the season, make the Orcia Valley an unmissable natural destination in Europe.
6. Dolomites, Trentino Alto Adige
This mountain range is located in northern Italy, on the border with Austria and Switzerland. Trentino Alto Adige is among the Italian regions the best known for the beauty of its mountains. Its territory extends from the group of peaks of the Adamello – Brenta and from the Ortles and Cevedale summit, to the most suggestive reliefs in Europe: The Dolomites of Val di Fassa, Brenta, Val Gardena and Val di Fiemme.
This rocky setting has an extraordinary variety of landscapes. Majestic snow-capped peaks, forests, wide valleys, waterways and lakes. As well as dream towns with its bell towers and hundreds of tones of an authentic and virgin nature.
In addition to its beauty, this area has a huge area of ski centers. Hundreds of kilometers of tracks that put this region at the forefront of tourism. Madonna di Campiglio, Canazei, Moena, San Martino di Castrozza are the most renowned destinations. These are visited in both winter and summer for a vacation to conquer nature, sports and fun.
Trentino Alto Adige also has an important cultural heritage. In this region there are prehistoric remains, magical castles, sanctuaries and cities of great historical and artistic value. As if that were not enough, it also offers thermal towns that offer treatments and cures for the body. Some of the best known are Merano, Lèvico Terme, Peio, Rabbi and Comano Terme.
7. Coast of the Gods, Calabria
These are the beaches that stretch between Pizzo and Nicotera, passing through emblematic towns such as Tropea and Ricadi. Beautiful Mediterranean landscapes of cliffs, golden sands and a spectacular sea, make the Coast of the Gods one of the natural wonders of Italy.
This coastal area is located at the tip of the “boot of Italy” and stretches for 55 kilometers. Along the coast the visitor can delight in its extensive beaches with crystal clear water. In addition, as you progress through the territory you can see its vast cliffs and stone walls located to preserve the environment. An impressive visual pleasure.
That little corner of Calabria, with the famous Madonna del l’Isola church, is considered one of the most photographed corners of the Italian Mediterranean.