8 of the best

6

Cycle through Baroque excess in Lecce

A youthful university city overflowing with exuberant Baroque architecture, Lecce in Italy’s heel is known as the ‘Florence of the South’ for its compact historic core. The buildings in the old town were all built in the 17th century and exhibit the same florid style — the soft local stone was carved into seemingly endless cascades of stone gargoyles, gremlins, flowers, fruits and chubby-cheeked cherubs. The style is so distinctive that it’s been given its own designation — Barocco Leccese.

The central area is largely free from cars, and it’s easy enough to wander along the narrow streets on foot. But to take in the most impressive examples of the ostentatious stonework, we recommend a guided cycling tour (with an olive oil and wine tasting to end). You’ll be able to cover more ground and thus able to see all of the city’s best-known sites, including storied balconies that are associated with romantic myths of love lost and won.

8

Float over Teotihuacán in a hot-air balloon

Located in a mountain-ringed valley north of Mexico City, Teotihuacán was once a major religious capital of Mesoamerica, earning it the modern nickname ‘City of the Gods’. The two biggest structures in the complex, the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, rival the pyramid at Giza in size. Because they’re built on a scale suitable for a deity, it can be hard for mere mortals to grasp the sheer enormity of these weighty structures. Because of this, we suggest making time to enjoy the site from a more heavenly point of view.

The quiet stillness of a hot-air balloon, drifting slowly over the ruins just after dawn, gives you the space and perspective to appreciate Teotihuacán’s majesty. As the name suggests, the Pyramid of the Sun was dedicated to a sun god, and there’s something deeply fitting about watching the low-angled morning light throw the stepped sides into sharp relief. Baroque style in Lecce

START YOUR JOURNEY…

Request a brochure

Written by our specialists, our destination brochures are not only designed to showcase the countless beautiful places you can travel to, but also to help narrow down the many choices you’re faced with when planning a trip.

Ask your travel agent for a digital copy.

Speak to your travel agent

Simply provide your travel agent with a few starting details and they will contact our specialists to help craft your next Audley adventure.

AITO Membership

Audley is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. Audley abides by the Association’s Code of Conduct and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter.

Travel aware

Audley Travel is a proud partner of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Travel Aware campaign. This campaign is part of the UK Government’s efforts to help people prepare themselves for safe and healthy travel abroad.