Italy Travel Recap - Lake Garda, Tuscany, Capri, and Positano
- Sally Rychlak
- Jul 13
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 21
by Sally Rychlak
It's well known that, beyond the wine and food, one of the best parts about Italy is how different every region feels. You can drive a few hours and suddenly you're in a completely different landscape, eating completely different food, and wondering why you didn't book another three nights.
This trip took us to Lake Garda, Tuscany, Capri, and Positano. I would happily go back to all four.
Lake Garda
We started in Sirmione and stayed at Villa Cortine. We were there for a wedding, so our schedule mostly revolved around the wedding festivities, but we still had plenty of time to wander through Sirmione while white knuckling our way through the jet lag.
Before the trip, I had never heard of Lake Garda, but it was described to me as a laid-back Lake Como (as if I knew my way around Lake Como). It felt like somewhere people actually live, not just somewhere people visit. It was beautiful, relaxed, and never felt overrun with tourists.
We booked a boat tour that ended up getting cut short because of lightning. So naturally, we spent the morning dodging the rain with gelato at 11 a.m. (which felt perfectly reasonable considering our bodies still thought it was 4 a.m.).
If anything, I wish we'd planned another day or two here. Lake Garda ended up being one of those places that deserved more than the quick stop we gave it.
on lake garda 
sirmione - villa cortine 
lake garda 
sirmione
Tuscany
The drive from Sirmione to Tuscany took a little over three hours, but we broke it up with a stop in Modena. If you aren't familiar, Modena is known for two things: balsamic vinegar and fast cars. Naturally, we made time for both, with a balsamic tasting followed by a visit to the Ferrari Museum.
ferrari museum 
modena smells like balsamic (positive) 
lunch in modena
The next official stop was Radda in Chianti, where we stayed at Borgo Vescine. This ended up being an unexpectedly favorite part of the trip.
We spent our days doing exactly what you're supposed to do in Tuscany. Wine tastings, a cooking class, truffle hunting, long dinners, laying by the pool, and one communal dinner at the hotel where we ended up making friends.
One afternoon we visited Castello di Brolio for a private tasting. The views were incredible, but honestly my favorite part was wandering down the hill afterward and finding a tiny aperitivo spot that probably would've never shown up on a "Top 10 Things to Do" list. Two glasses of rose and a bowl of peanuts for five euro.
One thing worth knowing before you go: Tuscany is not where I'd order seafood. This is beef country. Potatoes, steak, pasta, red wine.
I'd go back here in a heartbeat.
borgo vescine 
borgo vescine 
borgo vescine 
borgo vescine 
Castello di Brolio 
borgo vescine 
borgo vescine 
borgo vescine 
tuscany 
cooking class at borgo vescine 
sally rychlak in tuscany 
borgo vescine 
borgo vescine
Capri
Capri was probably the biggest surprise of the trip.
I knew to expect luxury shopping, expensive hotels, and beach clubs, which all exist, but I wasn't expecting how much we would be able to take advantage of the hiking. We hiked Monte Solaro and spent quite a bit of time walking around Anacapri, and I kept wondering why more people weren't doing the same thing.
If we go back, I'd probably stay in Anacapri instead. It's quieter, the sunsets are better, and it felt more like somewhere I'd actually want to spend several days.
We stayed at Hotel Mamela and really liked it.
Capri Restaurants
Caesar Augustus was probably our favorite dinner of the trip. The food was great, but it's hard to compete with that view.
caesar augustus 
caesar augustus 
caesar augustus apertivo 
caesar augustus 
sunset at caesar augustus 
sunset at caesar augustus 
Le Grotelle was another favorite. Family owned, built into the hillside, and good enough that we went back.
Il Riccio is worth it for sunset, although you're definitely paying for the location.
La Fontelina is a great lunch after a boat day, but I felt underdressed. Learn from my mistake and throw on something besides a swimsuit.
Villa Margherita would be a great lunch or early dinner spot if you're mostly there for the view.
Capri Things to do
A boat day feels mandatory, which is exactly what we did.
We also loved Anema e Core for a night out, drinks at Quisisana, sunset aperitivos at Caesar Augustus, and hiking Monte Solaro.
One random tip: the Funicular (cable car) down to the ferry is incredibly easy. Don't waste money on a taxi if you're just trying to catch your boat.
da adolfo 
goat hike 
monte solaro hike 
caprese ravioli 
la fontelina 
monte solaro hike 
anacapri sunset 
anacapri 
hotel sirenuse
Positano
We stayed at Buca di Bacco, and the hotel itself was great. The staff couldn't have been nicer.
That said, next time I'd probably stay somewhere a little quieter. Positano is beautiful, but it's busy from the moment you wake up until you go to bed.
Also, there are stairs, many stairs. You'll eventually stop reacting to them because you have no other choice. And it makes the pasta taste better when you worked for it.
Boat day was once again one of the best days of the trip. We also spent plenty of time shopping for ceramics, leather bags, and custom sandals that somehow felt like necessities in the moment.
Positano Restaurants
Rada Beach Bistrot was a great lunch.
Da Adolfo absolutely lived up to the hype. You can rent a chair and spend the afternoon at the beach afterward, or have the boat take you back to Positano.
Da Vincenzo was one of my favorite dinners. Family owned and worth getting a reservation.
La Tagliata is worth the drive for the views alone. The family-style dinner is one to remember, and they serve you an insane amount of food.
Don't Worry Bar is a fun stop for a drink.
One thing I wish we'd done differently was getting a reservation at La Sponda well in advance. Learn from my mistake.
Also, Positano isn't really a sunset town. I don't know why I assumed it would be, but it isn't. If sunset is important to you, Capri is the better bet.
Final Thoughts
I think my favorite thing about Italy is that nobody seems to be in much of a hurry. Dinner takes three hours and no one is trying to hand you the check. People order another bottle of wine because they're enjoying the conversation, not because they're trying to keep the table.
Some of my favorite memories weren't the "big" moments. They were driving through Tuscany with the windows down, finding random little aperitivo bars, talking to people we'd just met over dinner, and realizing halfway through the trip that every place we visited deserved at least another day.
Italy has a charm that makes you promise to visit annually. Now, as I document the travel recap nearly a year later, I find myself questioning why I'm not writing to you from Italy today. Hmm...
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