Backroads adventures inspire treasured memories, but not every highlight happens on the trail. Our Italy trips feature hotels that feel like welcoming and elegant homes away from home, spots that tell the stories of Puglia, Tuscany and the Dolomites through delicious details. Here are a few of our favorite places to rest and reset after a day of adventure.
Il San Corrado di Noto, Sicily
In ancient times, Sicily’s southern coast was rumored to be the end of the world, a place beyond the imaginings of mortals. With its whitewashed villas nestled among olive groves and citrus trees, the quietly spectacular Il San Corrado di Noto still feels like a place outside of time. Originally the country estate of a nobleman, this masseria is an elegantly reimagined hotel where the orange-blossom-scented breeze ruffles the sheer curtains draping the four-poster beds, the 100-meter pool invites unhurried swims, and the hotel’s private beach club offers an enchanting mix of soft white sand and bright blue sea.
Stay here on our Sicily Bike Tour
Hotel Le Fontanelle, Tuscany
Were you to arrive with only a toothbrush and your summering-in-Italy daydreams, you’d still have everything you need at this welcoming Tuscan manor house. Windows frame the rolling hills of Chianti, cypress-lined lanes and the distant roofs of terra-cotta-crowned towns. Indoor and outdoor pools, pétanque, chaise lounges in all the right places, rooms full of books and a grand piano offer everything you need for an idyllic unwind after a day on the trail or in the saddle.
Visit it on our Tuscany Wine Country Bike Tour
Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti, Dolomites
A stay at Lefay is such a special experience we built an entire Home Base Hiking Trip around it. At this architectural marvel set high in the Dolomites, floor-to-ceiling windows invite in views of emerald meadows and silver peaks. The hotel feels like an extension of the trail built for recovery rather than discovery. Nowhere is this feeling more distilled than at its spa: 5,000 square meters of highly personalized wellness experiences. Circuits blending sauna time, water therapy, massage and facials, aromatherapy, meridian work and herbal medicine coax body and mind into deep rest and profound recovery.
Experience it on our Brenta Dolomites Home Base Hiking & Walking Tour
Masseria San Domenico, Puglia
Shaped by land and sea, the whitewashed Masseria San Domenico is a bougainvillea-draped oasis surrounded by the stark beauty of Puglia. Just steps from the Adriatic, this country estate revolves around a restored 15th-century tower built over caves that sheltered monks in the Middle Ages. Today, it’s a tribute to its surroundings: 250 acres of ancient olive trees provide the oil used at the hotel’s restaurants. And the free-form saltwater swimming pool and spa treatments like seaweed wraps and marine scrubs harness the healing power of the sea. Tennis courts, two beaches and a golf course offer plenty of ways to play.
Visit it on our Puglia & Basilicata Easygoing E-bike Tour
Romantik Hotel Turm, Dolomites
What could be better than a day spent trekking in beautiful countryside amid limestone giants? The Dolomites, Italy's picturesque mountains to the north, provide a rustic, timeless trekking escape that rivals any renowned hiking in the world. At Romantik Hotel Turm, Backroads guests see firsthand what a caffè corretto (espresso and grappa) and hot apple strudel can do for the soul after a long day in hiking boots. The hotel's old Tyrolean tower dates to the 13th century and was used as a fortress, courthouse and prison prior to welcoming Backroads guests. Be sure to visit the expansive spa, a favorite of which is the salt room carved into rock, where the sounds of birds chirping and the soft trickle of water lapping on the walls guide you to blissful relaxation.
Stay here on our Dolomites Hiking & Walking Tour
Auberge de la Maison, Italian Alps
This stunning hotel sits high in the Italian Alps and has all the warm ambience and old-world atmosphere of a classic mountain lodge. What really shines, though, are its views. The hotel sits at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. Surrounded by a picturesque meadow and near the centuries-old village of Courmayeur, it’s the perfect launch pad for an active adventure, with many of the Alps’ famous hiking trails and ski routes mere steps from the lobby. You’ll be enchanted by the landscape, one of Europe’s most iconic, and enjoy convenient access to the charming village and its many amenities. And it’s also home to a beautiful pool and a world-class spa—the perfect place to unwind after a long day of exploring the Alps.
Stay here on our French & Italian Alps Hiking & Walking Tour
Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita, Matera
To experience human history in one fell swoop, head directly to Le Grotte Della Civita in Puglia. Set within the Sassi settlement of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is your chance to spend a night in Italy's oldest human settlements: caves! A visit here is an opportunity to experience first-hand how humans lived 7,000 years ago, with a few modern upgrades of course. If you're hoping for something a little more "modern" during your stay, look no further than the breakfast dining room, set within a 13th-century cave church.
Stay here on our Puglia's Salento to Matera Bike Tour
