Idyllic Maratea - Italy’s seaside secret

The pretty seaside towns of Maratea might just be Italy's "best-kept secret", says Benji Lanyado in the Guardian. Frank Sinatra and Princess Diana both sought refuge among them – and this idyllic stretch of the country's southwestern coast remains "a hideaway for the moneyed and the pestered".

Since nearby Amalfi draws the mass of the region's tourists, the roads that wind among the carob trees, pines and oaks on Maratea's "rugged, parched hills" are empty; you'll pass as many goatherds as cars.

And while immense yachts moor in the harbour at Porto di Maratea, the town, like its neigh-bours, remains "distinctly southern Italian – unpolished, mellow and charming".

Long Travel (01694-722193) offers seven nights b&b at Villa Cristiana in Maratea from £453pp per week, incl. flights. ·