Looking for advice on photo opportunities or other tips while touring in Sicily and Southern Italy. We will have an apartment near Taormina on the East coast as a base for day trips for the first week. We will have another four or five days touring North to return home from Rome. We will definitely include a day or two on the Amalfi penninsula. Not really interested in spending time in Rome. We have been to Italy several times before and 'covered' Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Umbria, Cinque Terra , Lake Como etc. Loved them all and will return some day but not this trip. I am well used to driving in Italy including through the center of Rome, mountains, narrow villages etc and often just follow a 'hunch'. However, I have never been south of Naples and to be honest, Naples terrified me. I know Southern Italy is totally different to Northern Italy, but I am hoping it is not all like Naples.

In particular looking for good potential landscapes between Reggio Calabria on the 'Toe' and Amalfi. I would like to see the “Trulli” of Alberobello, but it would add 3 hours driving compared to the direct route up the 'shin' of Italy. Anybody have any knowledge of the landscape, things to see, places to stop etc along the southern 'sole' of Italy or the more direct route along the west side? Really love little hill towns and villages.

Looking for advice on photo opportunities or other tips while touring in Sicily and Southern Italy. We will have an apartment near Taormina on the East coast as a base for day trips for the first week. We will have another four or five days touring North to return home from Rome. We will definitely include a day or two on the Amalfi penninsula. Not really interested in spending time in Rome. We have been to Italy several times before and 'covered' Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Umbria, Cinque Terra , Lake Como etc. Loved them all and will return some day but not this trip. I am well used to driving in Italy including through the center of Rome, mountains, narrow villages etc and often just follow a 'hunch'. However, I have never been south of Naples and to be honest, Naples terrified me. I know Southern Italy is totally different to Northern Italy, but I am hoping it is not all like Naples.

In particular looking for good potential landscapes between Reggio Calabria on the 'Toe' and Amalfi. I would like to see the “Trulli” of Alberobello, but it would add 3 hours driving compared to the direct route up the 'shin' of Italy. Anybody have any knowledge of the landscape, things to see, places to stop etc along the southern 'sole' of Italy or the more direct route along the west side? Really love little hill towns and villages.

Looking for advice on photo opportunities or other tips while touring in Sicily and Southern Italy. We will have an apartment near Taormina on the East coast as a base for day trips for the first week. We will have another four or five days touring North to return home from Rome. We will definitely include a day or two on the Amalfi penninsula. Not really interested in spending time in Rome. We have been to Italy several times before and 'covered' Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Umbria, Cinque Terra , Lake Como etc. Loved them all and will return some day but not this trip. I am well used to driving in Italy including through the center of Rome, mountains, narrow villages etc and often just follow a 'hunch'. However, I have never been south of Naples and to be honest, Naples terrified me. I know Southern Italy is totally different to Northern Italy, but I am hoping it is not all like Naples.

In particular looking for good potential landscapes between Reggio Calabria on the 'Toe' and Amalfi. I would like to see the “Trulli” of Alberobello, but it would add 3 hours driving compared to the direct route up the 'shin' of Italy. Anybody have any knowledge of the landscape, things to see, places to stop etc along the southern 'sole' of Italy or the more direct route along the west side? Really love little hill towns and villages.