National Geographic Traveller UK - September 2022

Photo: Alexander Gogolin A magical place
in Tyrol

This magical spot is high up in the Tyrolean mountains. The new Nature Apart
Hotel Puitalm in the Tyrolean Pitztal, in the heart of Naturpark Kaunergrat,
features 25 private apartments, all of which emphasis quiet, sustainable travel.
Step into the mountain retreat and step back from everyday life. Spend time
in the spa and let your mind drift away in the infinity pool. Later, savour game
specialities from the hotel-owned hunting grounds at the Puitalm restaurant.
Take a gentle stroll around the hotel’s fish pond and herb garden, and calm
your body and mind at the meditation chapel.

Plattenrain 1 · 6471 Arzl im Pitztal · AUSTRIA · +43 5412 22242 · [email protected]

WWW.PUITALM.AT

E AT

MEMPHIS

Barbecue may be king in the Tennessee city, but meat is only half of the
story. Inspired by regional produce and the city’s love of soul food, creative

chefs are putting new, plant-based spins on classic Southern fare

WORDS: JACQUI AGATE

At Plant Based Heat, owner Ralph ‘RJ Groove’ a top seller, made from a mix of soy and pea IMAGES: GETTY; JUSTIN BURKS; ALAMY
Johnson is chuckling over a spitting fryer. protein, shaped into flats and drumsticks and
“Twenty-plus years ago, I owned a [branch of] then fried in rapeseed oil. “Then we sauce it
Crumpy’s Hot Wings,” he tells me. “And now up and you’ll be back tomorrow,” says RJ with
my first vegan restaurant is next door to one, another belly laugh.
so we laughed about that.”
I get my wings with ‘agave gold sauce’ — a riff
One of more than 200 wing joints here in on Memphis’s signature ‘honey gold’. They’re
the ‘hot wing capital of the Deep South’ (an sticky and sweet with a low, slow heat, and
epithet I’ve heard three times in as many turn my fingertips yellow. “Food is a passion in
days), Crumpy’s is something of an institution. Memphis,” says RJ. “Folks like Mr Crump [of
The rib-sticking, finger-licking wings it’s been Crumpy’s] just know how to cook. It’s in their
slinging since the early Nineties — served up blood. And if your food’s not good, the people
red hot or sweet with honey — are as Memphis will tell you. Memphis is a tough crowd.”
as Elvis Presley, barbecue and the blues. Here
at Plant Based Heat, however, things are done Happily, RJ’s offerings have been crowd-
rather differently. pleasers from the get-go. Having first trialled
his recipes at pop-ups around town, it was
The all-vegan restaurant opened in June soon clear that Memphians had an appetite
2021 and is one of several plant-based spots for plant-based food “My favourite piece of
shaking up Bluff City’s meat-heavy food scene. equipment is my chargrill,” he says. “It just
The vegan wings — known as ‘vings’ — are gives you that immediate smoke flavour.”

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SEPTEMBER 2022 53



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IMAGES: JUSTIN BURKS; PETERSON WELLFORD That heady smoke and spice is distinctively city is partial to a meat-free feast. Such was A TASTE OF
Memphis, and the mushrooms, jackfruit and the festival’s success that it returned in 2022,
cauliflower on RJ’s menu are vehicles for alongside a Vegan Block Party in spring. Memphis
those Southern flavours. For born-and-bred
Memphian RJ, though, it’s about more than “Memphis is so big on soul food,” says R AW GIRLS
just great-tasting food. “I wanted to bring Ayesha Collier, who’s gearing up to open a Founded by married couple Amy
healthier food options to my community,” bricks-and-mortar restaurant at Memphis’s and Hannah Pickle, Raw Girls began
he says. Hickory Ridge Mall. “I wanted to bring life as a food truck, before a bricks-
Memphians something they’d love, and that’s and-mortar version opened in
It’s a sentiment shared by The Vegan Table comfort food.” Downtown in 2021. The food ranges
901, a collective of four Black, female vegan- from dahl, bursting with turmeric,
business owners: Ayesha Collier, of Sun of Alongside their own ventures, the four ginger and garlic, to fresh-
a Vegan; Daishu McGriff, of Shroomlicious women collaborate with pop-ups across town. sprouted hummus with tomato
Meals; Donnesha McKinney, of Thicc Ass And today, they’ve cooked up a feast just bread. From around $14.50 (£12.15)
Vegan; and Francesca Kinsey, of LiveYaLife for me. There’s a mighty, meaty smashed- per person. raw-girls-memphis.
Juices. According to the women, the pandemic mushroom patty wedged between hunks of myshopify.com
inspired Memphians (and particularly Texas toast from Shroomlicious, while The
communities of colour, here in this majority- Sun of a Vegan lasagne is heavy with almond IMAGINE VEGAN CAFE
Black city) to search for healthier, plant-based ricotta and herby marinara sauce. I’m offered a An institution of over 10 years’
food options. supremely sweet red velvet ‘chezecake’ cookie standing, the family-run restaurant
from Thicc Ass Vegan and a zingy Green Glow dishes up meat-free takes on classic
We meet in Fourth Bluff Park, in earshot juice from Live Ya Life Juices. It’s Memphis Southern plates, from gumbo to
of the buzz of Beale Street. In the distance, like I’ve never tasted it before. fried chicken and waffles. You can
the M-shaped Hernando de Soto Bridge rises expect a welcoming, down-to-
over the Mississippi.“The last time I was here “This is a barbecue city,” says Daishu, “but earth vibe and friendly staff. From
was for the festival,” says Donnesha. “And I Memphis’s food scene is pushing beyond around $14 (£11.70) per person.
couldn’t tell you what this park actually looked what’s expected. It’s exciting to see what we imaginevegancafe.com
like, because people were just everywhere.” can do.” Indeed. Across the city, all-vegan
spots are springing up like mushrooms, while DORY
The event in question is Memphis’s first well-loved omnivore joints are adding meat- An upmarket spot with a mission
ever plant-based festival — the 901 Vegan free dishes to their menus. But one place has to champion high-quality local
Festival — which debuted in June last year. On been on the scene for over a decade. produce and reduce waste in the
a sizzling summer afternoon, vendors packed kitchen, Dory caters to meat-
out this little park, hawking vegan versions Imagine Vegan Cafe is in Midtown, in the eaters, too, but its plant-forward
of birria tacos, mac and cheese and shrimp trendy Cooper-Young neighbourhood. It plates are the star of the show.
and grits. Memphians came out in force, and shares a street with a veteran record store In summer, there’s a dedicated
the proof was in the plant-based pudding: the and a comic book shop and it was the only plant-based night on the third
fully plant-based restaurant in the city when Monday of the month, or diners
can opt for a bespoke vegan
menu at any time. The sleek, low-lit
dining room is decorated with
local art and diners can see right
into the open kitchen. From
$78 (£65) per person, with wine.
dorymemphis.com

Previous pages, clockwise from left:
Memphis skyline; diners eat zucchini
noodles at Raw Girls; The Big Smack
with sides at Imagine; historic Beale
Street, known as the ‘Home of the Blues’

From left: South Main, a vibrant
entertainment district; mung bean
pasta with asparagus at Raw Girls

SEPTEMBER 2022 55

E AT

Guests toast with a ‘nojito‘
and sake martini at Dory

Left: Chef de tournant
John Johnson puts the
finishing touches to the

ratatouille at Dory

Kristie and Adam Jeffrey opened it in 2011. Punchy fermented beetroot powder FIVE FOOD FINDS IMAGES: JUSTIN BURKS
The list of patrons is impressive: big names features in my amuse-bouche: a delicate
including Stevie Wonder, Chrissie Hynde and concoction of pea shoots, parsley oil and fig WINGS
Bill Clinton have wandered through the doors, puree. After that, it’s shaved and roasted A Memphis staple, vegan wings
to be greeted — as I was — by a painting of golden beets, with a salty peanut gremolata are whizzed up from soy proteins,
John Lennon gazing into the middle distance. and more of that magic beetroot powder. cauliflower and mushrooms. Go for
The late Beatle’s ode to peace inspired the Everything is made from scratch with a the ubiquitous honey-gold sauce.
restaurant’s name. pulled-right-from-the-earth freshness. “If
Brandon had his way, we’d ship in seawater BARBECUE
The extensive menu is centered on Southern and make our own salt,” jokes Amanda. Classic pork is swapped out
comfort food. A highlight is the huge barbecue for tofu or soy-based proteins,
sandwich — the ‘meat’ (a wheat- and soy-based Earthy mushroom grits are served next, which are doused in sweet sauce,
protein) coated in sweet barbecue sauce and before a round of citrussy sorbet. There are piled high with coleslaw and
piled into a pillowy bun. I order it with a side of flashes of the South in the penultimate course:
nutty mac and cheese, and baked beans punchy baked squash finished with carrot barbecue, stuffed into a bun.
with smoke. It’s the South on a plate. a fermented tomato paste and dehydrated
sprout leaves that vanish on the tongue. BURGERS
It’s exciting to see creative restaurants I close with a tart apple jelly topped by three Few things scream American
breaking open the city’s dining scene and orbs of satsuma sorbet and ribbons of candied comfort food more than a burger:
placing vegetables at the fore. Another citrus peel. plant-based patties are chargrilled
trailblazer is Dory, Memphis’s first tasting for extra smoke and layered
menu-only restaurant. It’s in Brookhaven “The Memphis food scene is different from
Circle, an area known for its stellar dining when I got here in 1992,” says Dave. “Every with vegan cheese.
options, and is owned and run by Tampa-born year there are new concepts in this space.” One
chef Dave Krog and his wife Amanda, a fourth- thing’s for sure: whatever bright minds enter SOUTHERN SIDES
generation Memphian. They describe their Memphis’s dining scene next, plants will be Vegan versions of cornbread,
venture as a “farm-driven, ingredient-driven, firmly on the menu. mac and cheese, hush puppies
intentionally sourced restaurant”, and they and baked beans are moreish
offer bespoke, plant-based tasting menus. HOW TO DO IT
American Airlines, British Airways and Delta Air Lines additions to a meal.
“We want to support local farms, have fly to Memphis with connections in US hubs including
beautiful menus and drive imagination in the Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth. aa.com FRIED CHICKEN AND WAFFLES
kitchen,” Amanda says. Indeed, their near- ba.com delta.co.uk Oyster mushrooms are a popular
zero-waste policy forces Dave and his sous Hyatt Centric Beale Street Memphis has doubles from substitute for chicken in this
chef, Brandon Burke, to be creative. They pulp, $208 (£173), room only. hyatt.com traditional Southern dish.
powderise, dehydrate and ferment everything
from beetroot to surplus satsumas. “It’s MORE INFO
opened up this incredible world of spice for us tnvacation.com memphistravel.com
and it’s all created from ingredients like carrot
tops,” says Dave. “It’s all vegan, too.”

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ESCAPE
AND
EXPLORE

National Geographic x Stance
Collection online now

STANCE.E U.COM / STANCE E U ROPE

SLEEP IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; ROYAL MANSOUR. RATES QUOTED ARE
FOR STANDARD DOUBLES, B&B, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
MARRAKECH

Entering Marrakech’s Medina still feels like sinking into a fever dream: a
lantern-lit warren of workshops, traders’ stalls and butchers’ nooks. It’s also
packed with riad hotels, converted private homes full of hand-laid tiles and

antiques. Meanwhile, choice abounds on the outskirts of the city, home
to some of the grandest resorts in Africa. Many of Marrakech’s ancient
landmarks have been spruced up over lockdown, too, while businesses all
over town have revised their offerings. So, visitors both regular and new
can expect the same famously gregarious city, with its mix of grit and
grandeur, but with a crop of new bars, restaurants and shops to boot.

WORDS: JOHN O’CEALLAIGH

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Best for aesthetes

£ £ £ ROYAL M AN SOU R

Intoxicatingly rich in aesthetic detail, Royal
Mansour is one of the world’s most lavish
hotels. Owned by the king of Morocco,
Mohammed VI, this Moorish-style palace is
a showcase for the country’s most dazzling
craftsmanship: from the intricately carved
cedarwood to the embroidered damask
curtains, virtually every decorative detail
was created by one of Morocco’s top artisans.
The hotel seems to get everything else right.
too: the spa is top-tier, and guests occupy
standalone, three-storey riads, with rooftop
plunge pool. Rates are hefty, but pampering
treatments, dining reservations and pool
passes are available to day guests (a day pass
costs MAD1,250 [£105]), meaning Mansour’s
magic remains somewhat accessible. In fact, at
£38, afternoon tea here feels a relative steal.
RO O M S : From €1,400 (£1,200), including
airport transfers and fast-track immigration.
royalmansour.com

SEPTEMBER 2022 59

Best for privacy IMAGES: GEORGE APOSTOLIDIS; ALAN KEOHANE

£ £ £ AMANJENA

Opened in 2000, this was the first
international five-star hotel to serve the Red
City and set the standard for every rarefied
resort that followed. The Ed Tuttle-designed
property’s vast ponds, colonnaded walkways
and immaculate grounds still impress, with a
highlight being the Pavilion suite — a classic
retreat with a domed roof and sliding cedar
doors. Service can be slow, but still, guests
seem to be in no hurry, and the small number
of rooms and sprawling grounds mean Aman
delivers on its promise of absolute privacy.
RO O M S : From €822 (£695), including airport
transfers. aman.com

Best for next-level service

£ £ £ THE OBEROI,
MARRAKECH

A decade in the making, The Oberoi made
an immediate impact with its momentous
scale when it opened in 2019. Its grounds
sprawl endlessly, its staggering centrepiece
a gleaming, gargantuan courtyard, ornately
modelled on the 14th-century Ben Youssef
Madrasa. But still it’s the service that’s
most memorable: guests here can be heard
sharing stories of how the team created truly
thoughtful surprises, be it hosting impromptu
concerts to installing in-room bespoke
artworks. Forthcoming arrivals’ public social
media profiles are often mined for inspiration
(you might well find your headshot framed
and waiting on your dining table) and staff go
out of their way to make guests feel happy.
RO O M S : From €625 (£528), room only.
oberoihotels.com

Best for homebirds

£ £ £ M ANDARIN ORIENTAL ,
MARRAKECH

Though there’s a smattering of suites on the
upper level of this elegant resort’s main hub,
the 54 standalone villas are the big draw.
Discreetly embedded in rose-filled gardens,
they’re so comprehensively equipped that
many guests simply laze in situ all day. Inside,
bathrooms feature huge marble tubs and
hammam-style showers; the living area is
decorated with handwoven Berber rugs and
traditional ceramics. From the bedroom’s
sliding doors, you can step directly into
the plunge pool. The central outdoor area
is shaded by apricot trees and has a proper
swimming pool as its centrepiece, too.
RO O M S : Suites from €1,100 (£945), villas from
€1,600 (£1,375). mandarinoriental.com

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SLEEP

Villa bedroom at
Mandarin Oriental,
Marrakech

Clockwise from left:
Tagine at Amanjena;
bassin and grounds at
Amanjena; view outside,
The Oberoi, Marrakech

SEPTEMBER 202 2 61



SLEEP

Best for traditionalists

£ £ LE FARNATCHI

Established by Yorkshireman James
Wix in the heart of the Medina, this
10-bedroom boutique hideaway is spread
across six renovated merchant houses and
is exceedingly well-equipped considering its
small inventory. There’s an emerald-tiled pool
in one courtyard (and citrus trees in the other)
and the pretty spa incorporates two marble
hammams. The vibe is unpretentious and
cosy, and the heaving breakfast spreads are
served whenever and wherever you like
— don’t miss the freshly pressed nectarine
juice, when in season. Service, too, is familial
and lovely, and many of the souks’ best stalls
and sights are just a few minutes away.
RO O M S : From €317 (£268), including airport
transfers. lefarnatchi.com

IMAGE: JALAL BOUHSAIN Best for discerning diners Best for bargain-hunters Best for shopaholics

£ DAR SIMONS £ RIAD YA SMINE £ RIAD LE J
Delicious though tagines are, frequent visitors to Eight-bedroom Riad Yasmine’s impeccable interior This boutique riad is so deeply ensconced in
Marrakech may find many menus repetitive. There’s design makes it a favourite with the Instagram set, the Medina that you might find yourself on an
no chance of that at Dar Simons, however: the labour but it’s even better in real life. Favourite hang-out unintentional tour of the surrounding stalls and
of love of Belgian chef Carlo Simons, this petite guest spots for guests (and cats Bowie and Bebe) include sellers to find it. And with a background in furniture
house at the edge of the souks is better understood and interior design, proprietor Antonio is also
as a restaurant with rooms. Those diminutive rooms the jade-green courtyard pool, ringed by plump well-placed to recommend the locality’s best
are restrained, tasteful and tranquil, though the loungers, and the expansive roof terrace, where the retailers. But set aside time to relax, too: handsome,
real reason to bed down here is to secure a priority view extends to the jagged Atlas Mountains. It’s truly uncomplicated and with the intimate feel of a family
reservation in the intimate 12-cover fine-dining home, the riad’s rooms are crowned with ceilings
restaurant. Incorporating whatever is best that day, lovely, and accessible pricing means it’s regularly intricately finished with hand-painted decorations
the minimalist menu might feature crisp sea bass booked in its entirety by friends or families (from and feature French-style flourishes and antique finds.
soaked in honey and saffron, or homemade ice cream €1,300 [£1,099]). On those occasions, the team go all The team can happily arrange cookery courses and
out: musicians might be arranged, or the roof terrace
streaked with whisky, caramel and butter. can be transformed into an outdoor yoga studio or a on-site massages.
RO O M S : From €90 (£77). darsimons.com RO O M S : From €85 (£73). riadlej.com
striking setting for a cocktail party.
RO O M S : From €130 (£112). riad-yasmine.com

SEPTEMBER 2022 63

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Best for social butterflies Superior room at Berber Lodge IMAGES: CÉCILE TREAL; MITCHELL VAN VOORBERGEN; BERBER LODGE

£ £ EL FENN From top: Extra large room
at El Fenn; dinner at El Fenn,
There’s a joyful boisterousness to El Fenn, including beetroot carpaccio
which comprises a dozen interconnected
riads. Enter its innocuous doorway and a and spiced cauliflower
labyrinth unspools before you, revealing
candlelit courtyards, a bijou, glossy-green spa,
and a suntrap atrium garden. Beyond its three
pools, the property’s heart is its rooftop bar
and Moroccan-international restaurant
— mellow by day, buzzing at night (light
sleepers should bring ear plugs). There are
31 rooms, with 10 more debuting in another
extension that’s set to open in October this
year — expect high ceilings and technicolour
tones of candy-floss pink and canary yellow.
Given the property’s upbeat, social vibe,
friends and family often book adjacent rooms
to celebrate milestones en masse.
RO O M S : From €270 (£230). el-fenn.com

Best for nomads

£ £ BERBER LODGE

About half an hour’s drive — and a world
away — from central Marrakech, this rural
retreat is utterly serene. That might be due to
the beautifully unfussy accommodation: the
lodge’s nine standalone abodes were made
using traditional Berber methods and feature
palm-thatched roofs, simple woollen rugs and
furniture made of wood and rattan. While
rates have risen as the word has spread, the
property still draws a relaxed, creative set who
settle in for days, interspersing dips in the pool
with gentle ambles in the nearby countryside
or explorations of the Agafay Desert.
RO O M S : From €230 (£200). berberlodge.net

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The Concrete Jungle

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Italy

COAST

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IMAGE: AWL IMAGES TO COA S T

From the terraces of Cinque Terre to the azure waters of
Puglia, the Italian coast encapsulates the very best of the
country: rich culinary traditions, dramatic landscapes
fragrant with lemons and ancient sites that bear witness to
millennia of history. Whether you embark on a beachside
getaway or head out on a thrilling road trip, there’s a lifetime
of experiences to be had on Italy’s glittering shores

WORDS: JULIA BUCKLEY
PHOTOGRAPHS: FRANCESCO LASTRUCCI

ITA LY

Amalfi

COAST OF
MIRACLES

Travellers the world over flock to the Amalfi Coast for glittering sea views and rainbow-coloured villages
spilling down hillsides. But the real treasures of this well-trodden corner of the country only reveal
themselves if you dig a little deeper — in some cases, literally

It’s a summer Saturday on the Amalfi Coast, and it feels like centuries. Beneath us, under a glass floor, is a room Previous pages: IMAGE: SUSAN WRIGHT
everyone has come to Positano. Only one street leads up frescoed in brilliant scarlets, jades, mustards and azures. Salerno, on the
from the harbour through the village, and it’s packed — a It’s the first excavated part of the luxurious Roman villa Amalfi Coast
long snake of people winding their way up, the swell of the that sprawled along the Positano shore before it was buried
crowd moving as one. Initially, it’s hardly appealing, to be by ash and pumice (and, later, mudslides) in AD 79 — the Clockwise from top:
honest — the reality of overtourism dampening the beauty same eruption that destroyed Pompeii, eight miles to Monica Aonzo of
that brought us all to Positano’s colourful cliffside houses. the north. “We knew there was a villa somewhere — we the Hotel Poseidon,
But there’s a different side to the Amalfi Coast, as I’m just didn’t know exactly where,” says Paola. Hidden for Positano; Santa
discovering: a place of thriving culture, history and dolce centuries, it was discovered in 2003, and opened to the Croce beach, a stony
vita beyond the Instagram shots. It’s just that, as in any public in 2018. Frolicking through the room are stucco strand accessible by
place grappling with its honeypot status, you have to dig a seahorses, mermen and cherubs; elsewhere, scenes from boat only; fruit and
little deeper to find it. classical mythology are ‘pinned’ on trompe l’oeil hanging vegetables for sale
canvases. It’s as spectacular as Pompeii. in Vietri sul Mare;
Literally, in the case of Positano. I’m in the crypt of traditional ceramic
the church of Santa Maria Assunta, part of the Roman Afterwards, I slalom past the crowds back to my hotel, shop fronts in Vietri
Archaeological Museum of Positano (MAR). But this is halfway up the cliffside. The street may be packed, but sul Mare; loungers on
Italy, where history is layered like a lasagne, so as well as at Hotel Poseidon, run by the Aonzo family, I’m whisked the beach of Atrani
Roman finds, there’s this medieval crypt, plus a 17th- back to the 1950s, when Positano went from simple fishing
century cemetery. Opposite the church — where tourists village to the beating heart of la dolce vita.
in shorts and T-shirts are piling in to watch an American
couple get married — Paola, the MAR’s guide, leads me In 1955, nonna Liliana started renting out her spare
down an underground staircase as we spin back the rooms to early tourists, then building extensions whenever
centuries with every step. she could afford it, gradually creating the 48-room hotel.
Little has changed since then — not least the spectacular
Suddenly, we’re under the church in another, upper coastal views. The tiled floors, panoramic terrace and
crypt, a kind of auditorium — dozens of seats, carved pool, her collection of glass penguins — it’s all been
from the soft rock. In fact, says Paola, they’re colatoi lovingly preserved by her daughter Margherita and
— niches where the bodies of abbots were positioned granddaughters, Monica and Liliana, who live on the top
for a mummification process between the 17th and 19th floor and chat to guests as if it’s still a B&B.

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ITA LY

Clockwise from right:
Raffaella Di Martino
(right) at Antica Latteria
di Tramonti; a classic
brodetto with prawns,
mussels and squid; fruit
on the tree at the Amalfi
Lemon Experience

There’s so much hidden in plain view along the Amalfi
Coast, I discover. Above Ravello, I follow mountain roads
to Tramonti. Swaddled in a valley, the Tyrrhenian Sea
flashing blue in the distance, it’s a lost paradise, with
centuries-old vines crisscrossing the landscape. At Antica
Latteria di Tramonti, the village dairy, owner Raffaella
Di Martino is so thrilled to see a tourist that she plies me
with hunks of homemade cheese: ricotta, caciocavallo and
provolone that she’s smoked over straw.

Descending from mountain to sea, the vines give way to
lemon terraces, stacked along the cliffsides, and in Amalfi
itself, I get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the area’s
agrarian side. “This is another Amalfi,” says Salvatore
Aceto, gesturing from the town below to his terraces
— forests, really — of gigantic, knobbly, organic lemon
trees. For seven generations, his family have grown the
citrus fruits here. “We treat them like children,” he says,
caressing one, encouraging me to smell it (although I’m not
allowed to touch). Walking under the trees — the jasmine-
like scent of the blossom, the calm buzz of the resident bees
and of course the lemons themselves, each as individual as
each of us — I can see why.

Where Amalfi is known for lemons, the town of Vietri
sul Mare produces the folksy ceramics you’ll see all along
the coast. Among the artisans is Mirkò Guida, who uses the
local red clay and traditional glazes to produce Picasso-
like artworks painted on vases, lamps and tiles. “Most
ceramicists here make crockery but I wanted to make
art,” he says proudly. He’s succeeded; his works sell for
thousands in the US, while Italy’s Foreign Ministry bought
a piece earlier this year. But he credits the Amalfi Coast
with his success. “You meet people here. If I was born in
Molise, I wouldn’t have reached New York,” he says. “This
is the coast of miracles.” I can’t disagree.
More info: marpositano.it anticalatteriaditramonti.it
amalfilemonexperience.it mirkoart.it
How to do it: Fly to Naples and take the train or bus to
Salerno. Salernorental has cars from €30 (£25) per day,
including station pick-up. salernorental.it
Hotel Poseidon has doubles from €300 (£255), B&B.
hotelposeidonpositano.it
B&B Vietri Centro has doubles from €70 (£60), B&B.
bbvietricentro.it

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Fano

SOUP STORIES

Flavio Cerioni runs Alla Lanterna restaurant in Fano, Marche, alongside his wife, Elide. He talks about the
history of the town’s legendary soup — brodetto — and what makes it so special

IMAGE: STOCKFOOD One dish we find in all Italian ports is fish soup, and on there’s a similar soup, cacciucco, but they use octopus as
the Adriatic, we call it brodetto. There’s a friendly rivalry the base, which changes the taste.
between Marche and Emilia-Romagna about where it
started, and here in Marche, there are three main kinds, Here in Fano, we have brodetto alla fanese, passed
from Fano, Porto Recanati and San Benedetto del Tronto. down from old fishermen cooks. Seven of us wrote down
the official recipe and had it rubber-stamped by a notary.
Brodetto has always been made from trawler fish. Fano We call ourselves the Brodetto Confraternity. Now we
used to be the Adriatic’s second-biggest fishing port, and the have around 40 members, and every month we travel
boats would go away for a week at a time. They’d throw down around the province, eating brodetto or having speakers
the nets, drag them along the bottom and pull them up talk about the ingredients.
every half hour to sort the fish. Brodetto was born onboard.
To make it, you start with a soffritto of garlic and
People say it used to be made with less highly prized onion. You need to add more garlic if you’re using more
fish, but that’s not correct — for brodetto, they used the crustaceans, as they’re sweet; if you have a fish base, you
fish that were spoiled in the net, which gave rise to the need more onion. Then you add the squid, followed by the
saying, ‘The worse they were at fishing, the better they ate.’ tomato concentrate mixed with water and vinegar. Leave it
They’d make it during the last few days of their trip, when to evaporate until the vinegar smell has gone, then add the
their bread had hardened, so they’d throw that in the mix, fish, cook for 18 minutes and it’s ready.
too. And, because they didn’t have fresh vegetables on
board, they’d add tomato concentrate and wine. The San The method of cooking depends on who’s cooking it.
Benedetto version is slightly different: their valley is full On the boats, they cooked in thin, high pots because of the
of green tomatoes and peppers, so they’d preserve them in roll; in the confraternity, we use a 120cm-diameter pan,
vinegar and take them onboard. and add up to 70kg of fish. We add fresh bread that we cook
for two minutes as a reminder of the days-old bread they
In almost all brodetto, you’ll find gurnard, redfish and used to eat. In the restaurant, we also do a more modern
some kind of cephalopod — maybe a squid or a cuttlefish. version using a carpaccio of the fish. My mum was the first
There are no clams or mussels as it’s only trawler fish. cook here — she’s 90, now, but still invites herself over for
That’s how it is on the Adriatic; on the Tyrrhenian side lunch or dinner. allalanterna.com

SEPTEMBER 2022 71



ITA LY

Clockwise from top left:
San Giuliano a Mare,
famous for its Fellini
-inspired graffiti;
Roman-era Ponte di

Tiberio; Rimini’s iconic
beach; colourful houses

in the fishing village
of Borgo San Giuliano;
ornate interiors of the
Tempio Malatestiano

Inside guide

RIMINI

Famous for its 10-mile stretch of sand, this is a city that’s home to Roman and
Renaissance history as well as colourful streets that inspired legendary director
Federico Fellini, whose cinematic legacy is celebrated with a striking new museum

IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY To many Italians, this is the ultimate seaside and carved elephants, as well as artworks
holiday spot. To get a handle on it all, start, as by Giotto and Piero della Francesca. Fuel up
most do, with the beach, which is divided into at O S T E R I A I O E S I M O N E ; set in a park a
strips of private sand. At B AG N O T I K I 2 6 , short walk from the church, it serves Emilia-
you’ll have to pay for a sun lounger but you’ll Romagnan classics like tagliatelle al ragù and
get access to hot tubs, volleyball and yoga cappellacci with soft squacquerone cheese.
classes on the sand, plus an excellent seafood facebook.com/osteriaIosimone
restaurant and a tapas bar, where there’s a DJ
in the evening. bagno26rimini.com Not even the best Renaissance architects,
though, could trump the P O N T E D I T I B E R I O
Head into town, and you’ll see a more — the mighty Roman bridge that connects
historic Rimini: begin at the A RC H O F the city centre to B O RG O S A N G I U L I A N O,
AU G U S T U S , a monumental gateway into the an ancient fishing village. Federico Fellini,
ancient city of Ariminum, and the end point legendary film director and local lad, adored
of the Via Flaminia (the original road from the area’s pastel-toned houses; today’s
Rome), built of blazing-white Istrian stone. residents have repaid the favour with murals
The ancient forum, meanwhile, is now T H E depicting scenes from his films, including
P I A Z Z A T R E M A RT I R I , which sports elegant the famous La Dolce Vita kiss. Linger for an
colonnades, a clocktower and a little chapel aperitivo at wine bars like B I B E R I U S , which
marking the spot of a 13th-century ‘miracle’. specialises in local wines such as the fruity,
Head to Piazza Ferrari, where you’ll find the heady Rebola. biberius.it
D O M U S D E L C H I RU RG O (The Surgeon’s
House) — a sprawling former Roman home, Last year saw the opening of the twin-
carpeted with sumptuous mosaics, in which a centred F E L L I N I M U S E U M . The more
huge collection of ancient surgical equipment academic half is round the back of the Cinema
was found. Today, the scalpels, forceps and Fulgor, where Fellini got his first taste of
bone saws are on display next door at the Hollywood. The main museum sits in the
M U S E O D E L L A C I T TÀ . domusrimini.com 15th-century Castel Sismondo, where scenes
museicomunalirimini.it from the director’s films play out alongside
exhibits on his film scores, fixation with
During the Renaissance, Rimini was ruled psychoanalysis and pioneering work that
by the Malatesta clan; 15th-century ruler prefigured a number of social movements.
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta oversaw fellinimuseum.it
the transformation of a gothic church into How to do it: Ryanair flies from Stansted to
his grandstanding mausoleum. Today, still Rimini in summer; the rest of the year, fly to
half-finished (Sigismondo died before its Bologna and take the fast train (one hour) to
completion), the T E M P I O M A L AT E S T I A N O Rimini. ryanair.com trenitalia.com
is one of Italy’s finest examples of architecture Hotel Card International has doubles from €50
within the humanist movement, which put (£42), B&B. hotelcard.it
religion to one side and took its influence from Grand Hotel Rimini has doubles from €400
the classical world. Admire the zodiac signs (£341), B&B. grandhotelrimini.com

SEPTEMBER 2022 73



THREE TO TRY ITA LY

Beach towns SEPTEMBER 2022 75

OTRANTO, PUGLIA
English writer Horace Walpole
hadn’t been to Italy’s easternmost
town when he wrote the world’s first
gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto,
in 1764. There is indeed a castle in
Otranto — a grand, 15th-century one
built by the Aragonese — but it’s
not even the town’s biggest draw.
Vying for that position would be the
Cathedral of Otranto, with its 12th-
century mosaicked floor, as well as
the whitewashed alleyways, pretty
port and the Baia dei Turchi, one of
Puglia’s best beaches, four miles to
the north.

TR A PA N I , S I C I LY
Many people arrive in Trapani only
to leave for the Egadi Islands, as well
as for the island of Pantelleria. But
Trapani has been central to Sicily’s
history ever since the Aragonese
landed here in 1282, and its port
has long made it a key trading post.
All that history means wealth, as
evidenced in the grand palazzi of
the old town, the florid churches,
the palm-lined gardens of the
Villa Margherita park and the
mix of architecture, from gothic
and Catalan to Renaissance and
baroque. Don’t miss the cable-car
up to the Greek-founded town of
Erice, 2,460ft above Trapani, for
stunning coastal views.

PESARO, MARCHE
Located on the Adriatic coast,
Pesaro is better known for its
beaches than its history, but that
looks set to change in 2024, when
it’ll be designated Italy’s Capital of
Culture. Founded by the Romans,
it’s an elegant Renaissance town
and was the birthplace of composer
Rossini, who’s celebrated with the
Rossini Opera Festival each August.
Many visitors are too smitten with
the sea to head into the hills, but if
you do, you’ll find epic views from
the Monte San Bartolo Natural Park.
Head to the town’s Renaissance-era
summer residences, too, like the
Villa Caprile, with its magnificent
terraced gardens.

From top: Swimmers take to the water
beneath Otranto’s city walls; street life
in Otranto; colourful ceramics for sale
in the town

ITA LY

Road trips

COASTING ALONG

Some of Italy’s shores are best explored by car, offering ample opportunity to uncover their many
secrets, from historic thermal baths to an intriguing mining heritage

COSTA VIOL A , CAL ABRIA WESTERN SARDINIA SALENTO, PUGLIA IMAGE: ALAMY

On the toe of Italy’s boot, the Violet Coast The west coast of Italy’s second-largest island Wondering what the Amalfi Coast felt like
takes its name from the colour it turns has it all: cliff-etched roads, gorgeous coastal several decades ago? Look no further than the
during dramatic sunsets. It runs north villages and accessible beaches. Its mining Adriatic shores of Puglia’s Salento peninsula
from Reggio Calabria — the very end of the history means the region missed the tourism — the stiletto tip of Italy’s heel. One of the main
Italian mainland — up to the Capo Vaticano boom, and that’s a boon for today’s travellers. attractions on the most spectacular stretch from
peninsula, passing dramatic cliffs shearing It’s an astonishingly varied place: start in Otranto south to Leuca is the Grotta Zinzulusa,
down to sandy beaches, darling towns like Carbonia in the south, home to the Museo a cave filled with stalactites, stalagmites and
Tropea, where the narrow streets finish del Carbone, where visitors are led through a whole lot of guano from the resident bats.
abruptly at the cliff edge, and unspoiled underground mining tunnels. From there, Further south is turn-of-the-century spa town
villages such as Pizzo, home of Italy’s double- head west up the vertiginous coastal road Santa Cesarea Terme, where you can still
layered ice cream dessert, the tartufo. Along to Portixeddu. History buffs will love the take the waters and enjoy spa treatments on
the Costa Viola itself, the road hugs the San Giovanni di Sinis peninsula halfway up, the rocks or go for a dip in the lido carved out
cliffside, with the Aspromonte mountain range where the Roman city of Tharros overlooks a from the cliffside. Salento isn’t just about the
in the distance. Not that you’ll be looking that sweeping sandy beach. At the top of the drive, coastline, however. This is a storied land where
way — heading south, it’s eyes right, to see you’ll find the chocolate-box seaside town of prehistoric dolmens sit amid olive groves, and
volcanic Stromboli, one of the Aeolian islands Alghero and the coastal wilderness of Porto masseria farmhouses have been transformed
in the distance, gently puffing away. Conte Regional Natural Park. into upmarket accommodation.

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Winemaking È Iss, the signature wine at
Tenuta San Francesco, Tramonti
DROP
From left: The Ciolo Bridge
BY DROP at Gagliano del Capo, south
of Otranto; gnarled, centuries-
Across the country, vintners are reclaiming ancient old vines at Tenuta San
growing practices to produce ‘heroic’ wines Francesco, Tramonti

In the Lattari Mountains, high above the Amalfi Coast,
is an Alice in Wonderland landscape of what look like
upended tree roots. These are vines, but here in Tramonti,
they’re more like trees, with branches as thick as arms,
entwined in centuries-old embraces. Key to their survival
has been their location, helping them to escape a plague
that wiped out most of Europe’s vines in the 1800s.

“When the phylloxera arrived, it couldn’t kill Tramonti’s
vines,” says Gaetano Bove, striding through his vineyard.
Phylloxera is a microscopic pest from the US that attacks at
the root. But here, it couldn’t get a hold. “Look at this one,”
he says of a centuries-old vine striking a ballet-like pose.
“It’s a work of art.” Today, Gaetano’s cooperative, Tenuta
San Francesco, makes È Iss — a wine from Tintore grapes,
indigenous to Tramonti.

The reason those vines survived? The pumice-filled,
volcanic soil — impenetrable to the phylloxera — spewed
from Vesuvius, 13 miles north west. Italy’s dramatic
coastlines aren’t the easiest places to plant vines, but that
hasn’t stopped locals planting them for thousands of years,
producing some of the most exciting wines around.

Take Etna, for example. On its steep eastern slope, Seby
Costanzo rakes his hand through the ash-rich soil. Etna
wines are seeing a surge in popularity, and Seby’s seaside
setting is doubtlessly a key reason — the sea breezes impart
a unique taste to the unusually minerally red at Cantina di
Nessuno, the vineyard he founded 10 years ago.

Cliffside vineyards are often dubbed ‘heroic’ because of
the effort it takes to work them. Up north in Liguria, the
cliffs of the Cinque Terre were terraced with vineyards for
centuries, but then came industrialisation; Ligurians turned
away from the back-breaking vineyards. “It wasn’t worth
doing all the work,” says Simone Bonanni.

In 2015, Simone and his friend Luca Pagliari replanted
two abandoned vineyards, growing the indigenous
varietals Bosco and Albarola to make their Finis Terrae
wine. The pair are part of a wine renaissance in the Cinque
Terre, as locals realise the heritage they stand to lose, and
start to cultivate vines once more. “Nobody’s doing it for
the money — we’re doing it to respect our ancestors, who
shaped the mountains for centuries,” says Simone. Four
hundred miles south, Gaetano thinks along the same
lines. “Tramonti is the Pompeii of wine,” he says. “This is
a living museum — and we’re doing this [work] to preserve
it.” vinitenutasanfrancesco.com cantinadinessuno.it
instagram.com/finisterrae_riomaggiore

SEPTEMBER 2022 77

ITA LY

Abruzzo

WA L K I N G
O N WATER

Perched on stilts, the over-water trabocchi are a hallmark of the eastern Abruzzo region,
a steadfast tradition amid the changing landscapes of the Adriatic coast

Every morning, Marino Verì walks onto the the nets pulled up that morning. Below, waves Clockwise from
trabocco built by his family generations ago and froth and seagulls perch on the lashed-together top: Dinner at
listens to the Adriatic Sea rumbling beneath acacia branches from which nets dangle. Trabocco Punta
him. A lot has changed since the stilted wooden Tufano; oysters and
structure was built: Marino’s family have gone It wasn’t always like this. Most trabocchi clams at Trabocco
from fisherfolk to successful restaurateurs. Even were abandoned in the 1970s and ’80s, as fish Punta Punciosa;
the landscape here, just south of Pescara, has populations declined and families couldn’t Rinaldo Verì (centre)
transformed — an earthquake in 1627 destroyed afford the upkeep. “If you had a trabocco, entertains guests
the original coastline. But one thing remains you were poor,” says Marino. Battered by the with stories at
constant: the Adriatic. waves, some lost their catwalks and wooden Trabocco Punta
arms. But in the early 2000s, a scheme funded Tufano; fish starters
Further north, Italy’s Adriatic coast is one trabocco-rebuilding projects, enabling people at Trabocco
seemingly endless beach, but here, between to reclaim their heritage. Most families took a Cungarelle
Ortona and Vasto, it becomes a 24-mile bet on culinary tourism and turned them into
crescent, where the crumbling cliffs splinter restaurants — a virtuous circle, helping the
into rocks, the sea foaming around them. fishing community as much as the families
Along this stretch are what look, from afar, like themselves. Marino’s mother and grandmother
spiders spinning webs. In fact, they’re former also got involved. “Before, trabocchi were men-
fishing platforms turned restaurants, jutting only. The walkway was dangerous, and people
out over the deep water, attached to the land said women brought bad luck,” he shrugs.
by rickety catwalks and with spindly wooden
arms that drop nets into the deep. A five-minute walk from Marino’s
restaurant is Trabocco Punta Tufano, where
These trabocchi have been part of the Rinaldo Verì (no relation) shows visitors how to
coastline since at least the 1700s, enabling sink nets into the water — two people guiding
the locals to fish the deep waters around the a wooden lever in a circle, like donkeys round a
rocks without their boats coming a cropper. millstone, gradually unwinding the ropes that
As for their origin, one theory is that after the drop the nets. A mile south is the very different
earthquake, the Verì and Annechini clans Trabocco Punta Torre. Here, custodian
— thought to be Jews fleeing persecution in Claudio Ambrosini is keen to share the history
Northern Europe — sought refuge on this of his 19th-century trabocco, which is open
abandoned coast. Not being expert sailors, most weekends. “I want to keep the memory
their only way of reaching the fish was via these of the trabocchi, to highlight the beauty of
bridges in the air. the place,” he says, gazing out at the sea and
its layers of colour: grey, eau de nil, jade,
Today, Marino fishes part-time in winter, turquoise, royal blue. To do that, the former
but during the summer, he can be found at his ExxonMobil salesman shows guests around,
family’s trabocco, Sasso della Cajana. Today, reads poetry and offers lunch, which might
like most other trabocchi along the coast, it’s a include local sourdough, tomatoes and olive
restaurant. Tourists cross the fairy-lit walkway oil. “The sea helped me rediscover simplicity,
to sit at tables gently rocked by the wind and manners and love,” he says. “I wouldn’t give
the water beneath them to eat traditional food: this up for anything.” sassodellacajana.com
octopus and potato salad, anchovies spiced with traboccopuntatufano.eu
chilli flakes, and pasta heaped with whatever

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SEPTEMBER 2022 79

Pantelleria

BEST OF
BOTH WORLDS

From its wine to its words, the tiny isle of Pantelleria owes much of its character to the
Arabic influences of nearby North Africa. Similarly influential is the island’s rich,
dramatic landscape — the origins of which are bubbling beneath the surface

“My nonno told me he could see the camels in Tunisia when is a mix of Sicilian and Arabic. Village names — Khamma,
he was younger,” says Salvatore Murana. I’ve come to meet Gadir, Bukkuram — have an Arabic twang, while the
Pantelleria’s wine king up here on the Mueggen plateau, but traditional house is the square and squat dammuso with
Salvatore doesn’t want to talk about maceration or varietals; a white-domed roof, brought over from North Africa.
he wants to deliver a eulogy to his beloved island, which
bobs in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Tunisia. “Our terracing [of the cliffs] is from Arab culture,”
says Salvatore. “The canalisation of water is Arabic. Our
He claims this is the navel of the world, and while that language…” he looks around. “I live to breathe this land. I
might not be scientifically verifiable, what’s certain is that love talking about it.” Even Salvatore’s vines are of Arabic
Pantelleria is a place where Europe meets Africa. Closer origin. Pantelleria’s Zibibbo wine and caramelly Passito
to Tunisia than Sicily — 37 miles and 62 respectively dessert wine are made from the Moscato d’Alessandria
— this volcanic island, known as the ‘black pearl of grape, thought to have originated in Egypt or Tunisia. The
the Mediterranean’ for its inky cliffs, has long been islanders have earned UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
multicultural thanks to its strategic location. Colonised by status for the way they plant them: low, in hollowed-out
the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, earth, to protect them from the winds that whip the island.
Normans and Spanish, before becoming part of Italy, Winemaking isn’t the only thing that’s done differently.
Pantelleria’s culture is as stratified as its volcanic layers.
Although this is officially Italy, you won’t find any
The Arabs of North Africa, who ruled from the 8th to the Renaissance art galleries here; Pantelleria has a museum
12th century, left the biggest imprint. Even today, the dialect dedicated to the caper. And instead of the fabled beaches

8 0 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

elsewhere in the country, this is an island of further down, Peppe spies a rare orchid and ITA LY
rocky coves that take a scramble to get to. grabs a pod of wild peas.
THREE MORE
“There’s no middle way with her,” says As well as its dramatic coastline, Pantelleria
Peppe d’Aietti, an author and guide. “She’s is known for its thermal waters. Above the Island escapes
wild, hard and made for only a few to love.” ancient settlement of Sibà, I walk along dry-
Peppe is one of them. He once moved to Sicily stone terraces and past wildflower meadows ELBA, TUSCANY
for work, but, he says, “the island was always to a cliff, where steam curls out of a slit in Napoleon couldn’t wait to get off
in my head”. Now, he leads travellers on hiking the rock. It’s the Grotta di Benikulà, where Elba; he was exiled there in May 1814
tours away from the spectacular coastline vapours emerge from the mountain into the and escaped nine months later. You
— one of sheer cliffs and jagged lava flows, small cave, creating something like a volcano- might wonder what his problem
with knockout sea views — and into the heated hammam. I roast inside, emerging was — the island’s beaches, miles
island’s surprisingly green interior. drenched in sweat to a view of wildflowers, the of hiking trails and thermal springs
plains of the collapsed calderas beyond and beloved by the Romans would keep
Pantelleria is a volcanic island, but it isn’t the blue Mediterranean in the distance. Again, most people happy for a lifetime.
just one volcano, according to Peppe: there you can see North Africa if it’s clear, but I don’t If you’ve only a few days, don’t
are scores of cones on land, with others need to — Pantelleria’s multicultural history is miss the crescent-shaped beach at
underwater. What I thought were hills are, embedded in the rock. Marina di Campo; snorkelling in the
in fact, volcanoes, and the plains where More info: vinimurana.it clear water at Capo Sant’Andrea;
Pantelleria’s famously tasty vegetables grow How to do it: Peppe d’Aietti leads two- and the Medici Fortress at
are collapsed calderas. hour hikes, from €15 (£14) per person. Portoferraio. As for Napoleon, he
pantelleriaculturaenatura.it spent part of his exile at Villa San
We head up to Montagna Grande, the Cognoscenti Travel offers bespoke trips to Martino, which is now a gallery,
highest cone at 2,743ft. Peppe says that Pantelleria, including accommodation (B&B), home to Canova’s Galatea sculpture.
on a clear day, you can see Tunisia, but car hire and flights from €800 (£682) per
today, the clouds swirl below us around the person. cognoscentitravel.com PONZA, LAZIO
neighbouring cone of Monte Gibele. Up here is Set in the Tyrrhenian Sea between
an Eden of holm oaks and arbutus trees, while Rome and Naples, this is one chic
escape, with candy-coloured
houses along the shorefront that
are the stuff of postcards. Equally
photogenic are the flaming sunsets
behind neighbouring island
Palmarola, the seawater pools at
Cala Feola — and Frontone disco
beach, where a DJ plays after dark.
The largest of the Pontine islands,
Ponza serves up plenty of history,
too, including the Roman necropolis
etched into the white cliff above
Bagno Vecchio beach and, nearby,
the now-uninhabited island of Santo
Stefano which used to house a
prison — Italy’s answer to Alcatraz.

TREMITI ISLANDS, PUGLIA
There are five islands in the Tremiti
archipelago, 14 miles above Puglia’s
wild Gargano peninsula, the spur
of the Italian boot. If you like
history, head to San Nicola, with its
11th-century abbey of Santa Maria
a Mare; while San Domino’s coastal
caves are a paint chart of blue and
green waters. Uninhabited Capraia
is great for scuba diving (look out for
the Roman wreck), while Cretaccio
— a semi-eroded outcrop — is where
afternoon swimmers pull up in little
boats. But you’ll have to admire the
isle of Pianosa from afar — it’s an off-
limits nature reserve.

From left: Volcanic landscapes in the
Laghetto delle Ondine area; morning
caper harvest on Monte Gibele with
farmers from Emanuela Bonomo

SEPTEMBER 2022 81

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ITA LY

Beaches

SECRET SHORES

From wild, forest-backed sands to dazzling cobalt water, Italy’s coast is
notched with blissful beaches. Here are 10 to inspire a coastal getaway

BEST FOR VIEWS
C A P O PE LO RO, S I C I LY

Capo Peloro sits where the Ionian and Tyrrhenian
seas swirl into each other, at the north-eastern
tip of Sicily. Spilling out in front of the village,
the beach — a nature reserve — is a wide, flat
expanse of sand, unfurling beneath a mammoth
electricity pylon, which was once the tallest in
the world. Dolphins frolic in the crystalline waters
and swordfish pass through the strait in summer,
while the Calabrian coast looms on the horizon.
Where to stay: The slick, modern Capo Peloro
Hotel is only 300ft from the sea. From €75 (£64),
B&B. capopelorohotel.com

BEST FOR NATURE
MARINA DI ALBERESE, TUSCANY

If you're after something wilder, head to the
Maremma area, near the border with Lazio. Here,
deep within the Maremma regional park, you can
cycle through buffalo fields to find a pine forest
abutting a four-mile stretch of sand. There are no
sunbeds, but you could improvise a shade and a
windbreak with only a towel and some driftwood.
Look out for the semi-tame foxes that roam the
forest and lope around the sands at sunset.
Where to stay: Get a taste of laid-back
Maremma life at L’Andana, a glorious country
house hotel, a little further up the coast. From
€440 (£376), B&B. andana.it

BEST FOR SNORKELLING From left: Spiaggia dei
BAIA DI RIACI, CALABRIA Conigli, Lampedusa,
Sicily; a fox in Marina di
The Capo Vaticano peninsula is home to some of Alberese, Tuscany
Italy’s most spectacular beaches, with turquoise
IMAGES: ALAMY; GETTY waters and sugary sands at the bottom of cliffs.
Baia di Riaci, one of the best, is a crescent of
sand belted in on either side by fossil-rich rocks.
There’s even a tiny islet to climb if you fancy some
offshore sunbathing. The area is known for its
marine life, and the calm waters here are great for
snorkelling. Clamber around the rocks to the right
of the beach and you’ll find a quieter area, ripe for
sunning yourself or, of course, more snorkelling.
Where to stay: Go for old-school glamour at
Villa Paola, a former convent in pretty Tropea
converted into a lavish villa in the 1920s. It’s
now a lush hotel. From €290 (£250), B&B.
villapaolatropea.it

SEPTEMBER 2022 83



ITA LY

Cala Rossa, Favignana, one
of Sicily’s Egadi Islands

IMAGE: GETTY BEST FOR FAMILIES rearing up behind are evidence of its past as a with a handful of pretty crescents of sand right at
PESCOLUSE, PUGLIA limestone quarry. Today, though, people flock its heart, and a long strip of private beach clubs
to the beach via a 10-minute walk on a footpath within easy walking distance of the centre.
Maybe it’s because of the crystalline water through the rocks, or — more easily — in hired Where to stay: In the hills above the coastline
flashing between turquoise and jade, the fine boats that bob in the croissant-shaped bay. is the medieval commune of Castellabate,
white sand, the little sandbars forming islets Legend has it that the water was once tinged where Residenza Tamara has sweeping
offshore, or the lilies sprouting from the dunes red in a particularly bloody battle between the views down to the sea. From €65 (£56), B&B.
behind, but this region has become known as Romans and Carthaginians (hence ‘rossa’), but residenzatamara.com
the ‘Maldives of Italy’. Whatever the reason, see rest assured it’s now a vivid blue, shaded by
it for yourself on the Salento peninsula — the meadows of seagrass and gleaming white sand. BEST FOR SECLUSION
spiky bottom of Italy’s heel. The east side of this Where to stay: A 15-minute drive from the SPIAGGIA DEI CONIGLI, LAMPEDUSA
finger of land is an Amalfi-style rollercoaster beach takes you to the stylish I Pretti resort,
of corniches and coastal roads, while the west in Favignana port. From €130 (£111), B&B. For many, ‘Rabbit Beach’ — an almost circular
has a crop of incredible beaches on the super- iprettiresort.it bay, with dunes, scrub and low cliffs giving
still Ionian Sea. Pescoluse is arguably the most way to brilliant white sand and bright blue
stunning and, with its slowly shelving waters, it’s B ES T FO R O LD -SCH O O L ITALY water — is Italy’s most beautiful. The only issue
great for families, too. SANTA MARIA DI CASTELL ABATE , is that it takes a while to get there. The island
Where to stay: King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon CAMPANIA of Lampedusa is actually closer to Tunisia
used to spend his summers at this 16th-century than it is to Sicily, let alone mainland Italy, so
country estate in Salento, which has been Santa Maria di Castellabate in Cilento, location you’ll have to fly or take the ferry from Sicily.
repurposed as an elegant hotel, the Masseria of Campania’s loveliest coastline, is the kind of The beach is so fragile that only 550 people
Relais Casina dei Cari. From €80 (£68), B&B. place you might fear no longer exists — a tiny, are allowed to access it at any one time. But
casinadeicari.it laid-back fishing village with great restaurants, that means it doesn’t feel crowded, even
no nightlife to spoil your sleep and a lovely in peak season. You can book a free slot at
BEST FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS little beach. Heading south towards here from prenotazionespiaggiaconigli.it.
CALA ROSSA, FAVIGNANA Salerno, time seems to unravel as you pass the Where to stay: Who needs a luxury hotel when
Greek temples of Paestum and the medieval you can stay right on the water? Do just that
Off the coast of western Sicily, the Egadi Islands hilltop town of Agropoli, and continue along at magical B&B Cala Pisana di Paolo e Melo, a
offer one barnstorming beach after the next. the pristine Cilento peninsula to reach your 20-minute drive from Rabbit Beach. From €80
Cala Rossa, on the buzzy isle of Favignana, destination. Santa Maria is a gorgeous little town, (£69), B&B. paolaemelo.it
wasn’t always so lovely — those chunky cliffs

SEPTEMBER 2022 85

ITA LY BEST FOR HIKES IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY
PUNTA ADERCI, ABRUZZO
Hiking path along Punta Fields of swaying sunflowers point the way to
Aderci, Abruzzo one of Italy’s wildest beaches, set in the Punta
Below: Statues on the shore Aderci nature reserve, outside the town of
in Viareggio, Tuscany Vasto. The headland here might feel familiar
— there’s a hint of Cornwall or Pembrokeshire
86 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL in the field-covered cliffs and the coastline
unfurling beyond — but the sound of cicadas
reminds you this is southern Europe. From the
path down and then up again onto the billowing
Punta Aderci itself, you’ll spy what’s below the
crumbly headland: a beach of pebbles worn into
perfect circles by the Adriatic. Huge driftwood
tree trunks act as benches, while gargantuan
lumps of fallen rock provide shade.
Where to stay: Tra Gli Ulivi in Vasto is an
upmarket three-room retreat in an olive grove,
a few minutes from the sea. From €60 (£52), B&B.
T: 00 39 339 308 6309. booking.com

BEST FOR ARCHITECTURE
VIAREGGIO, TUSCANY
This is one of Italy’s all-time Tyrrhenian
classics, with butter-coloured sand raked to
perfection and dozens of beach clubs vying for
your attention. It’s part of Versilia, Tuscany’s
most famous coastline, but while Forte dei
Marmi is more glam and Pietrasanta arty, what
makes Viareggio special is its liberty-style
architecture, Italy’s answer to art nouveau. Here,
the seafront becomes an architectural catwalk
of shell-shaped windows, striped facades and
brightly tiled roof turrets. You can sunbathe at
the wedding cake-like Bagno Martinelli beach
club; or eat at Gran Caffé Margherita, with its
stained glass and painted ceilings.
Where to stay: Grand Hotel Principe di
Piemonte is a 1920s grande dame that’s been
beautifully renovated for the 21st century. From
€405 (£348), B&B. principedipiemonte.com

BEST FOR SPA LOVERS
MARONTI, ISCHIA

Maronti found fame in the novels of Elena
Ferrante, who set parts of her My Brilliant Friend
series here. But those in the know have been
coming to Maronti since Roman times, not only
for its sandy beach, but for its thermal powers.
On the western side of this actively volcanic
island are steaming fumaroles shooting out
of the ground, as well as an area of searingly
hot sand, warmed by the thermal activity.
Some areas (clearly marked) are no-go, but in
other parts you can bask on volcano-warmed
boulders or, outside of peak season, get a
sabbiatura (sandblast), where you’re buried
in hot sand, said to be excellent for the joints.
Don’t miss lunch at Ristorante Emanuela, where
chicken and octopus are cooked under the sand.
In a gorge halfway up the beach are the thermal
pools of Cavascura, popular since antiquity.
Where to stay: Villa Egidio, overlooking Maronti
in the tiny town of Sant’Angelo, has supremely
comfy rooms and knockout views. From €80
(£69), B&B. T: 00 39 339 219 8470. booking.com

Feel free to imagine

Take in the lines of the frescoes that decorate
the vaulted ceilings and gaze out into the peace
and quiet of the extensive centuries-old grounds.
Villa Abbondanzi Resort will spoil you.

villa-abbondanzi.com
Hotels . SPA . Restaurants
Faenza Italy

BEAUTYITNHE
BALANCE

An Eden for Africa’s most famous species,
Botswana’s Okavango Delta offers
unrivalled safari experiences, even in
its dramatic rainy season. And with the
ecosystem threatened by climate change,
wildlife-monitoring projects are proving
vital and offer travellers the chance to
work alongside conservationists — all
while camping under the stars

WORDS: JOE SILLS

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IMAGE: CHRISTIAAN WINTERBACH

SEPTEMBER 2022 89

B O T S WA N A

Bouncing with the updrafts in the back of a
single-engine Cessna, I watch the slim shadow
of our aeroplane dance across the marbled expanse
of the Okavango Delta, some 500ft below.

“If we go down out here,” shouts the pilot, for me and another incoming volunteer Previous pages: A herd IMAGES: JOE SILLS; MELANIE VAN ZYL
mischief in his voice, “you’ll be near the bottom with a four-wheel-drive. We have a three of elephants playing
of the food chain.” We swoop over swamplands hour, 50-mile trip from Maun into the bush in a shallow pan during
and lagoons concealing half-submerged ahead of us. As a donkey-strewn tarmac road the Okavango Delta’s
crocodiles and hippos, as the pilot whips the crumbles into a rutted, sandy track outside wet season
plane into a series of ever-steeper banks and town, the welcome spiel quickly segues into
turns. This makes the flight less like the scenic chatter about the stark realities of my visit. Clockwise from top: Guide
aerial cruise advertised and more like riding a “The picture for Botswana is this: the mean Keitopetse Petros Kagande
crop duster through a storm, which, in many temperature is going to rise by 1.5-2C over navigates a mopane grove
ways, proves a fitting introduction to my the next 40 to 50 years,” warns Christiaan on the outer Okavango
fortnight in northern Botswana. Winterbach, an often-shoeless wildlife Delta, while voluntourists
researcher who has been working in the look out for wildlife; a ‘spoor
Revived by recent rain showers, the Okavango Delta since the 1990s. chart’ allows for quick
Kalahari Desert’s shallow clay pools and identification of animal
braided waterways reflect the passing clouds Though Christiaan specialises in lions, he’s tracks; one of the canvas
as keenly as quicksilver; the palms and plains participated in projects that have painted a tents for volunteers at the
are electric-green. It’s a version of the Delta climate map of the area dating back more than research camp at Mankwe
that few travellers see, as most safari guests 1,000 years. By studying core samples taken
choose the country’s arid months over this, the from ancient baobab trees and combining
tail-end of the long rainy season. We fly lower. the information with his decades of expertise
Beneath one wing of the bobbing aircraft, a about the region’s apex predators, Christiaan
herd of giraffe ambles towards a vast watering has been able to connect the dots between
hole; beneath the other, wildebeest sprint water and wildlife. “Rainfall in the Angolan
across emerald brushland. Feeding this oasis Highlands is predicted to be about 40% of
is the Okavango River, slicing southwards from its current level in the next three decades,”
Angola, quenching these thirsty lands with he explains, painting a future where wild
myriad tributaries destined to finally peter out animals, livestock and humans will compete
and soak away into the sandy earth. En route, for water resources. Conservation data
the water serves as lifeblood for a menagerie collected in the field will play a critical role in
of African species that have earned this region striking a new balance.
a reputation as one of the richest wildlife
enclaves left on Earth. Time to get to work

Despite the hypnotising tranquillity of Four canvas tents. Two porcelain toilets. One
the landscape from on high, the reality for makeshift stove powered by propane. We’ve
conservationists at ground level is more arrived at our home for the next two weeks.
fraught. All this beauty balances on a “That’s a Mozambique spitting cobra,” booms
knife edge. Rising global temperatures are the voice of our guide, Keitopetse Petros
threatening the stability of both natural Kagande, by way of a greeting as we pile out of
ecosystems and community life in the the four-wheel-drive. He’s pointing to a patch
Okavango. Researchers in Botswana need to of grass through which thin, jet-black coils
know which animals live where, how those are rippling. “We almost never see snakes out
populations interact with people, and where in the open like this. This is very lucky,” he
potential pressure points are going to appear. insists sincerely as we walk the short distance
And with state-sponsored conservation to my bunk.
funding in short supply across the region,
they’re increasingly relying on paying Our research base sits on the grounds of
voluntourists to help with the manpower Mankwe, a luxury safari lodge on the eastern
needed for data collection. fringe of the Delta that’s partnered with ACE
to provide a base camp for voluntourists
Back on the ground at Maun International working with Christiaan. Although guests at
Airport (a generous label applied to a large Mankwe have access to typical luxury resort
collection of sun-soaked, single-engine air amenities, our camp is more spartan. We cook
safari planes and a handful of regional jets), our own food. We take cold showers. We bake
a team from voluntourism outfit African our own bread in a fireside hole dug into the
Conservation Experience (ACE) are waiting soil. In contrast to the plush cabins at the main

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B O T S WA N A

lodge, our outpost has no wildlife fence — and The arrival of the annual flood in
definitely no swimming pool. Keitopetse takes the Okavango Delta causes river
great pride in telling me we’re the only people channels to burst their banks,
camping in an area of 1,300 square miles. saturating floodplains and creating
deposits of white sand
The 42-year-old professional guide grew
up in this area, but took a serpentine route to
end up in Christiaan’s research team. When
a schoolyard bully forced him out of the
educational system, Keitopetse was sent to
work on a cattle post. Unable to benefit from
a traditional education, he learned English in
order to translate his bush knowledge, passed
down from his parents and grandparents, to
Western tourists on safari. The combined skills
were enough to enable him to put more food on
the table for his family and get his foot in the
door with research projects.

Keitopetse is the leader of our seven-
person crew: there’s me, Christiaan, two
British voluntourists, a Latvian documentary
filmmaker and Tembos Seyamba, a Botswanan
tracker who’s Keitopetse’s right-hand man.
Our mission is to travel along the rugged roads
of the outer Okavango Delta, inching across
the terrain while recording animal sightings
and predator tracks. Typically, this is done
with Keitopetse shouting at us through the
open back window of a Toyota Land Cruiser as
Tembos keeps a keen eye on the landscape.

It only takes a few days to settle into the
routine. At dawn, we fill a lunchbox with
apples to snack on and drive to a designated
section of dirt road where our data collection
begins. With the two Botswanans on point,
the rest of the team ride in the back of the
truck, learning how to use a rangefinder,
identify prints and log data. Key to the
mission is a tablet equipped with GPS and
logging software that connects our findings
with those of the rest of Christiaan’s team.
As we drive, the GPS tracks our location. We
manually input the species or predator tracks
we see. I have a gift for spotting guinea fowl, it
transpires, but little else.

Today starts out like any other. While
driving along a grass-lined fire road, we spot
a secretary bird eating a puff adder, giraffe
heads popping up over vegetation, tracks
from a long-gone leopard and a wildebeest
careening through a shallow pan of glassy
water. All animals are logged and will be
built into population-map models that help
conservationists inform their research.
At each sighting, we learn more about the

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IMAGE: JAMES GIFFORD

SEPTEMBER 2022 93

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B O T S WA N A

IMAGES: JOE SILLS; MARGARITA SAMSONOVA Clockwise from top left: animals and plants that make this part of the we have to get close to the ground for Keitopetse
A yellow-billed hornbill Okavango Delta unique. We eat native plants. to teach us how to identify prints. I snatch
searches the sands of We learn the logic behind the behaviour of up the tablet to log the place where lion paws
the research camp for every animal, and we start to understand how recently lingered. GPS coordinates, estimated
cicadas and invertebrates; ‘transecting’ — making observations along a age and gender, and time of the sighting are all
tracker Tembos Seyamba predetermined, straight route — is different swiftly uploaded via satellite.
(foreground) and from your average safari, which has no
Keitopetse Petros Kagande scientific control applied to its movements. As the rest of the team trace the lions’
teach the team how to log activity into the tree line, I’m left alone to
a fresh set of leopard prints; Although animal encounters are plentiful, marvel at the scale of prints — each as large
a herd of impala, among Keitopetse refuses to promise us glimpses of as my own hand. This is the pay-off for hard-
the many animals logged Africa’s Big Five — the combination of lion, working voluntourists; the fruits of a slow
when spotted on transect; leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino that safari, where science takes the front seat.
volunteers learn how to use many travellers look to tick off. At high-end
binoculars and rangefinders safari lodges, teams of guides work together, “At any sighting on a traditional safari, it’s
to identity individual using radios to swiftly ferry tourists between highly likely that you’re going to have another
species and their genders major sightings, but our group works alone truck there, if not another four or five,” says
in the bush. And, unlike a conventional fellow voluntourist Julie Reynolds, a veteran
safari trip, our guides are not tasked with of luxury safari experiences in Kenya and
manufacturing wildlife encounters for us. The South Africa. “Here, we’re getting moments
research comes first, and what we don’t see is like this to ourselves. We can also move
as important for the data as what we do see. around to get whatever angle we want. We can
take as long as we want to really watch and
As we crunch through another box of absorb the animals.”
breakfast apples, Keitopetse slows the Land
Cruiser to a halt on a sandy stretch of road Keitopetse and Tembos deduce that the
lined by low mopane trees. “Here,” he says, group of lions here were fully grown and
pointing. “Lion tracks.” For days, we’d scoured rested in the road for a while before
massive swathes of brushland in search of making their way into the mopane groves.
signs like this. “They’re fresh.” We track the pride’s trajectory for a few
miles in the Land Cruiser before finding
The sight of recent prints is enough to send ourselves completely surrounded by
our crew into an uproar. The voluntourists dozens of excited, grazing elephants
bound out from the back of the Land Cruiser; gorging themselves on the trees.

SEPTEMBER 2022 95

Your dream adventure in Iceland

Book online at www.hotelklaustur.is
E: [email protected]
P: +354 487 4900
Klausturvegur 6, 880 Kirkjubaejarklaustur, Iceland

B O T S WA N A

IMAGE: MARGARITA SAMSONOVA Above: Wildlife researcher An encounter with a herd this size is entirely between farmers and wildlife,” he tells me,
Christiaan Winterbach new for me and, going by Keitopetse’s glee, a as the African sunset begins to burn orange
illustrates the size of a rare occurrence. It’s a 360-degree panorama over our canvas kitchen tent. As usual, our
lion print to voluntourists of running, trumpeting pachyderms. While conversation has turned to the issues facing
onboard the Land Cruiser. I scramble to retrieve the tablet, the herd the Delta. “Farmers sometimes kill lions
Sand roads like this make rumbles past, shaking the earth and the trees. that break into corrals and eat their cattle.
ideal locations to spot and Thankfully, our presence is inconsequential to Elephants destroy fields planted for food.
log predator tracks in the them, a small detail that helps steel mine and When they do, children have to come home
Kalahari Desert Julie’s nerves as we quell our adrenaline and from school to help fix things and they miss
document each elephant. out on learning in class.”

Today’s observations will have significant The expert guide is not only a spearhead of
scientific value for Christiaan. When building Christiaan’s wildlife monitoring effort, he’s also
population maps, it’s important not only a rancher with his own contingent of cattle and
to note the location and time of a sighting, goats. When water shortages affect the region,
but also animal behaviour. Are the animals he’ll be one of the first to feel the impact. And
wary of vehicles? Are they aggressive or he knows all too well the ways wildlife can
ambivalent? Do they react to human presence? impact local livelihoods: although a fence
Our impressions will, hopefully, inform the separates the wild Okavango from the nearby
routes that safari lodges are encouraged or farming plots, Keitopetse recently lost most
discouraged from driving in the future. They of his livestock to a clan of hyenas. In a rapidly
may also help the government decide where modernising nation with a growing population
livestock grazing areas are allocated. like Botswana, it’s easy to see how some would
regard wildlife as an obstacle to enterprise.
My memories of this day will occupy my
daydreams for years to come; they’ll take pride Christiaan whips out a laptop to elaborate
of place among my dinner party anecdotes on the issue. Lions, he explains, are in the
and flash upon my inner eye during dreary crosshairs: 90% of human conflict with lions
commutes. But of far greater and more lasting occurs within 10 miles of conservation areas,
value is the simple information we collected, where the big cats roam beyond fences to find
data that could have implications for the cattle. Few get further before they’re killed.
survival of generations of animals to come.
“In Botswana, two of the main ways of
Conflict and confluence making a living are through livestock and
tourism linked to wildlife,” he says, kicking
Back at camp, Keitopetse pokes at a dubious off his sandals and inviting the group to
stir-fry thrown together by myself and another gather around a PowerPoint presentation on
member of the team. “Yes, there’s conflict his screen. “For rural people, livestock and

SEPTEMBER 2022 97

B O T S WA N A

A herd of zebras graze in the Okavango 50 Miles
Okavango Delta. During the wet
Okavango MANKWE
season, animal sightings like
this typically occur through Delta Maun

dense, verdant brush

B OT S WA N A

BOTSWANA

climate change are going to create competition radiant beast only by the open side of a pickup GETTING THERE & AROUND IMAGE: MARGARITA SAMSONOVA. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
for water, but if we can start planning now, we truck, our team calmly gather the tablets and British Airways and Virgin Atlantic
can alleviate some of that problem.” do what we have been trained to do. We log offer direct flights from Heathrow to
its location, we measure its distance from the Johannesburg, from where Airlink
Christiaan’s data seeks to provide the road. We send the information to researchers. offers daily flights onwards to
people of Botswana with a roadmap to Then, star-struck, we move on. Maun International Airport. ba.com
economic solutions before conflict arises. As virginatlantic.com flyairlink.com
he clicks through slides, years of research Weeks pass and I’m driven back to Maun. Average flight time: 14h.
unfold before us. Botswana, I learn, is home In the hundreds of miles I’ve travelled Airlines including Kenya Airways,
to two of the 10 remaining mega populations during my stay with ACE, we managed to KLM, Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines
of African lion. And lions, it so happens, are add an incredible array of wildlife to the offer indirect routes to Johannesburg
a key indicator of the health of the entire log. We never did find any more lions, but via their respective hubs.
ecosystem. “If there’s a disruption in the we did see honey badgers, caracals, leopard kenya-airways.com klm.com
food chain, lions are one place where you can tortoises and wild cats. By putting ourselves emirates.com ethiopianairlines.com
pick up the response very quickly,” explains to work for the wildlife, we were able to get Self-driving tours of the Okavango
Christiaan, his voice weighted by the gravity boots on the ground in a way that drenched are permitted, with vehicle hire and
of work ahead to save the species. “As lions go, these encounters in meaning for me — more guides available in Maun from outfits
so goes the ecosystem.” so, I believe, than any curated sighting would including Travel Adventures Botswana.
have done. traveladventuresbotswana.com
A night plagued by dreams of barren
grasslands and embattled big cats gives way At Maun’s Dusty Donkey Cafe, a smattering WHEN TO GO
to a glorious dawn. While we’re out driving of researchers, property developers and June to August is peak season for
in the relative cool of morning, a glimmer of miners are dining nearby, all percolating tourism, when the weather is dry,
gold catches my eye in the rain-soaked grass with ambitions of saving wildlife, building average highs are around 25-30C and
as we bump over a verge. “Lion!” I stutter wealth or expanding their portfolios in this animals are easier to spot as they flock
through the open back window, slapping my far-flung corner of Botswana. A few hundred to dwindling watering holes. The early
hand on the roof of the Land Cruiser. “Right yards away, the single-engine Cessna that months of the year, however, hold a
there, 11 o’clock!” As Keitopetse pumps the introduced me to the Okavango awaits another special beauty — average highs exceed
brakes, I realise I’ve finally spotted something cluster of tourists searching for a private 30C and there are some downpours,
that isn’t a guinea fowl. It’s our team’s first glimpse of the Delta from the sky. but crowds are sparse, pans are full and
lion, a large adult male — the first lion I’ve wildflowers are in bloom.
ever seen in the wild. My understanding of this paradise has
evolved over the weeks spent working PLACES MENTIONED
The cat glows. Its presence triggers a alongside ardent conservationists and wildlife Mankwe Bush Lodge.
primal reaction in my bones, a feeling of trackers. What I discovered was a slice of mankwe-bush-lodge.com
both awe and fear. In this moment, I begin to wilderness in desperate need of a helping Dusty Donkey Cafe.
understand what Christiaan feels is at stake hand — one that anyone who has the time and facebook.com/dustydonkeycafe
in the Okavango Delta. Separated from this determination can provide.
WHERE TO STAY
Maun Lodge. From £60.
maunlodge.com
The Old Bridge Backpackers. From £10.
maun-backpackers.com

HOW TO DO IT
African Conservation Experience
arranges voluntourism ventures
to northern Botswana as part of
the Okavango Wilderness Project,
in connection with Christiaan
Winterbach and Mankwe, for £2,685
for 14 days, excluding flights.
conservationafrica.net

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| PAID CONTENT FOR VISIT ZAGREB

FOUR TO ATTEND SEPTEMBER
ARTUPUNCTURE
Zagreb events Artupuncture promotes Zagreb’s art
scene by envisioning the capital as a
The Croatian capital is hard at work to grow into a year-round living organism, with a flow of energy
platform for creativity. We take a look at some of its top events that accumulates in certain locations.
Inspired by acupuncture, the annual
taking place in autumn and winter. Words: Jane Foster event figuratively taps into these hotspots
with installations by contemporary
IMAGES: JULIEN DUVAL; MARIJA GAŠPAROVIĆ artists, hosted in various galleries around
the city. The aim? Placing autumn in
Zagreb firmly on the cultural calendar.
artupunktura.hr

OCTOBER
ZAGREB FILM FESTIVAL
This is one of the country’s largest film
festivals, with showings at cult venues
including Cinema Europa (Croatia’s oldest
active cinema), Cinema Tuškanac and the
striking Museum of Contemporary Art. It
promotes independent filmmakers, both
from Croatia and abroad, and serves as
a stepping stone for many art house film
directors. A popular side programme is
The Big 5, which focuses on outstanding
alternative films from France, Germany,
Italy, Spain and the UK. zff.hr

NOVEMBER
ZAGREB JAZZ FESTIVAL
This tribute to jazz music is hosted at
Lisinski Concert Hall, the capital’s top
music venue. Previous performers have
included US trumpeter and composer
Ornette Coleman and singer Dee Dee
Bridgewater. It’s so popular that it’s
grown, with pop up concerts around the
capital, plus additional summer events in
Pula and Rovinj. zgjazzfestival.com

DECEMBER
ADVENT ZAGREB
This city-wide, month-long event is a
three-time winner of European Best
Destinations’ ‘Best Christmas Market’
award — the maximum number of times
a single place can receive the title. More
than 25 individual markets liven up the
capital’s main squares and promenades:
try Christmas specialities such as štrukli
(dumplings) and sarma (cabbage rolls
filled with meat and rice), and keep an eye
out for hand-carved wooden toys from
the Hrvatsko Zagorje region — a craft
listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural
Heritage List. adventzagreb.hr

For more information, visit infozagreb.hr

SEE MORE ONLINE AT NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

THE SPR AWLING, HUMID PANTANAL WETL AND SUPPORTS ONE OF THE HIGHEST IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; ALAMY
CONCENTR ATION S OF WILDLIFE IN SOUTH A MERICA AND THE WORLD’S

GRE ATE ST DEN SIT Y OF JAGUARS . AIDED BY CON SERVATION PROJECTS , THE BIG
CAT’S NUMBERS ARE INCRE ASING, M AKING SAFARI EXPERIENCES IN THI S WILD,

WESTERN CORNER OF BR A ZIL EVEN MORE REWARDING

WORDS: SARAH MARSHALL

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