In the southernmost tip of the Italian boot, Salento is a pocket of coastal goodness with clear blue waters and a relaxed attitude to match, just over four hours by car from Naples. The region is at its busiest in August, when locals and tourists make the most of its picturesque olive groves, enjoy locally caught seafood straight from the Adriatic Sea and soak up that boundless Puglian sunshine.

_{Image credit: Massimo Virgilio}