Tailormade Italy

The Apennine Mountains stretch the length of Italy and provide a refuge for much of Italy’s most interesting natural history. The Abruzzo National Park, in the rural heart of the central Apennines, was established in 1923 by royal decree in recognition of the wildlife importance of the area. Extensive Beech forests harbour healthy populations of Marsican Brown Bear and Apennine Wolf, along with Wild Boar, Red and Roe Deer. Abruzzo Chamois and Alpine Chough inhabit the higher mountain slopes, where limestone peaks tower above valleys with fast-flowing streams, and attractive medieval villages cling to the hillsides. This is a working rural landscape of traditional sheep and cattle farming, where the local indigenous Maremma sheepdogs still protect the flocks (often in the absence of shepherds). May and September are considered the best months for viewing the region’s plethora of mammals, with dawn and dusk usually proving the most successful for sightings. Birds, too, are plentiful, with the forests being home to a number of species including Goshawk, Common Crossbill and the rare Lilford’s subspecies of White-backed Woodpecker, whilst the mountainous areas support Golden Eagle, Alpine Accentor and Red-billed Chough. Migrant species, too, are abundant, providing much variety, and butterflies and plants are also well represented; Abruzzo’s wild flowers are stunning and one of the highlights of a visit during late spring/early summer. It is possible to find 25+ orchid species during a week’s stay in the park, from the striking Adriatic Lizard and exotic-looking Lady's Slipper Orchids to the more subtle, yet delightful, Coralroot Orchid.

Combined with delicious traditional cuisine and aromatic local wines, a natural history holiday to Abruzzo offers a thoroughly well-rounded Italian experience, far from the tourist crowds.

Tuscany is, in so many ways, the very essence of Italy. The name alone conjures up the vivid images so beloved of painters: those rolling landscapes outlined by dark cypress trees and enlivened by vibrant splashes of red poppies bathed in wonderful light. Olive groves, vineyards and magnificent hill-top towns nestle alongside some of the most famous artistic and cultural treasures in Europe. The modern Italian language was born here from the famous works of Dante and Boccaccio, whilst the region also witnessed the birth of the great Renaissance period. The centre of it all was Florence, where important works of art testify to the genius of the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

The region, too, supports a fantastically rich natural history, from the Regional Park of Maremma - the last virgin coastal habitat on the Italian peninsula - where a wide variety of colourful Mediterranean birds can be viewed against a backdrop of coastal marshes, cliffs, pristine sandy beaches, maquis and forested hills; to the WWF reserves at Orbetello (a Ramsar Site on account of its strategic importance during bird migration), Bosco di Patanella and Bosco Rocconi. Botanists, too, will relish time spent on the Argentario promontory, an area second only to the Gargano Peninsula when it comes to abundance of orchids within Italy. Some 42 species have been recorded here including Yellow Ophrys, Small-flowered Tongue, Naked Man, Green-winged, Pink Butterfly, Dense-flowered, Man and Monkey Orchids. A visit to the picturesque Giglio Island, surrounded by crystal clear waters, offers superb opportunities to view a colony of Audouin's Gulls; one of the rarest gull species in the world and a Mediterranean endemic.

A visit to Tuscany is the perfect chance to combine Italian cultural wonders with rich natural history, and also provides wonderful opportunities for extending your holiday with a visit to magnificent Florence and/or Pisa.

Located in north eastern Italy, many believe the Dolomites landscape to be amongst the most beautiful in the whole of Italy. The mountains take their name from the predominant mineral — dolomite — from which they are formed, a type of crystalline magnesium limestone. The range is characterised by towering pinnacles and castellations, with constant changes in colour as rock crystals catch and reflect the light. Here, one can follow in the footsteps of the turn-of-the-century alpine botanist, Reginald Farrier, exploring this fascinating landscape, which is home to some fabulous alpine specialities. Rich valley meadows, magnificent spruce forests, high pastures and rocky terrain are home to spectacular and varied displays of alpine flora, especially in spring, with some exciting rarities. The orchid list includes the Military, Dwarf, Marsh and Scented Orchids, with other flora including fine Pedicularis species, Pulsatillas, Lilium bulbiferum var. croceum, the ‘King of the Alps’ Eritrichium nanum, and many other flowering herbs besides. These, in turn, attract a vibrant array of Alpine butterflies and birds.