This more local-only Tuscan stay is the kind of place you hear about by word of mouth. Hidden on Giglio Island and only reached by boat, Pardini’s Hermitage is somewhere you go to stay put. Days revolve around salty swims, shade under the pines, and long, simple lunches – courgette tart, grilled fish – all part of a generous, family-run full-board set up that feels almost unreal in value. Rooms are pared-back because the sea is really the main focus.

Above the rocky coves of Monte Argentario, Torre di Cala Piccola feels wonderfully unchanged – the sort of place built in the 1960s when people understood the value of a good view and then wisely left it alone. The rooms are all terracotta floors, local stone, crisp white linens and handcrafted details, with the Tyrrhenian Sea never far from sight. Below, a cliffside beach club clings to the rocks, where ladders disappear straight into impossibly clear water, and the old watchtower still keeps its eye on the horizon. 

With spectacular views out onto the rich, green hillside Ristorante La Fontanina is a spectacular spot for some of the best traditional dining you could imagine. From a risotto con mela renetta and a healthy bowl of pesce azzurro whatever chef, Umberto Amato rustles up is sure to be glorious. What is more the veg is grown in their very own allotments, and the olive oil is made from their own groves.