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Even penniless people go to paradise: 5 low-cost ideas for an unforgettable holiday

Where to spend the summer

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With summer now inexorably approaching, conversations and exchanges on social media begin to focus on travel plans and the best holiday destinations for the next three months. A planning that usually requires a chameleon-like approach: one eye scanning the calendar and the other looking at the budget available for the coveted period of leisure and relaxation. Reconciling the two requirements satisfactorily is therefore the result of alchemy, research, irresponsibility and luck, not always mixed in equal proportions.

There are, however, some destinations that lend themselves more than others to guaranteeing a fully satisfying summer stay without requiring an excessive outlay - exclude the 5-star resorts from your search filters beforehand! And even peak season periods could be among the parameters to eliminate in order to arrive at a menu of low-budget summer solutions.

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Zyxelle (@zyxelle_)

But once the dates have been set, the budget has been raised and travel companions carefully selected, where should one head for? Starting from the top, the first possibility could be the Valle delle Chiese, in the mountains of Trentino. A cool and pleasant climate, barbecues, lakes, waterfalls, torrents, Austro-Hungarian fortresses, relics from the Great War, and paths through boundless forests provide the backdrop for the Adamello Brenta Natural Park, the largest protected area in Trentino. Not far away is Lake Ledro, around which festivals and concerts are often held in summer. Flats, campsites, B&Bs and farm holiday establishments offer a range of accommodation options at reasonable prices.

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Hollytour (@holly_tour)

After all, the great Hamletic doubt is always the same: sea or mountains? It is therefore also reasonable to think that, in summer, you might prefer the sea. Excluding Versilia for purely economic reasons, there are hundreds of other resorts that could accommodate you. Remaining in Tuscany, the Orbetello area, with the understandable exception of Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano, offers welcoming beaches, tree-lined areas to have lunch by the sea on hot days, agritourisms and villages where you can, more or less metaphorically, pitch your tents. Nature, trekking and biking enthusiasts will have the 474 hectares of the Feniglia Nature Reserve at their disposal. Those who prefer art and the exotic will find the Tarot Garden near Capalbio intriguing. For sustenance and overnight stays, Albinia and its long route of campsites will provide adequate answers.

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Orbetello Turismo (@orbetelloturismo)

A summer stopover around Trieste to alternate between sea, urban life and cross-border exploration could also be suitably interesting. The Foce dell'Isonzo regional nature reserve has plenty of beaches and cycle paths to enjoy the sun, sea and nature. And when the day is too hot or sunset approaches, there is nothing better than a stroll around town, in the garden of Miramare Castle, at the Victory Lighthouse or in Piazza Unità d'Italia. To add an exotic connotation to your holiday, all you have to do is travel a few kilometres, cross a border that is now only theoretical, and come to Koper, in Slovenia, or Umag, in Croatia.

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Discover Trieste (@discover_trieste)

Skirting the Adriatic for less than 900 kilometres, one lands on the Gargano, a place in the north of Apulia that has little to envy the more famous and distant para-Maldivian beaches. Between Peschici and Vieste, the road follows a jagged coastline full of bays, with a hilly hinterland that allows one to enjoy different panoramas and climates. Here, too, villages, campsites, flats and agritourisms allow for a low-cost stay, if one does not pay too much attention to the small number of stars on the signs. Many beach bars offer quick but tasty meals that make the lunch break less heavy and onerous. Then for dinner something is invented!

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Visit Gargano (@visit.gargano)

The pentagon of the penniless holiday finally points to Abruzzo and the town of Pineto, whose beach borders the Marine Protected Area of Torre del Cerrano, dedicated to the ancient defensive building that guards the sandy shore, itself named after the nearby stream. The name of the town is not accidental but depends on the thick pine forest that stretches for over 4 kilometres and has been providing shade and coolness to holidaymakers for over 100 years. Who can also count, after spending the canonical 8 hours on the beach, on the Filiani Park, a hilly green area with paths and cycle and pedestrian routes. Pineto boasts Four Sails from Legambiente and the Blue Flag for its coastline.

 
 
 
 
 
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Un post condiviso da Antonio Tartaglia (@antoniotartagliaphoto)

Illustration by Fabiola Graziosi - Acrimònia Studios