Italy’s Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park in the Apennine Mountains, Abruzzo.The Canal du Midi in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, near the Spanish border.PHOTO: ALAMY

2. Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park: Mountain pursuits

When “Italy” and “mountains” are used in the same sentence, the jagged Dolomites and the rest of the Alps tend to come to mind. But there are also the Apennines, which extend down the Italian peninsula for more than 700 miles, dividing the country in two. This national park just east of Rome is the ideal spot to explore Italy’s “other” mountains. A simple route to become one with nature here is to paddle a canoe down the Tirino River, reputedly Italy’s cleanest waterway. A cooperative called Il Bosso near the small town of Capestrano provides canoes and guides (reservations required). Travel to take your choice of nearby hikes: One leads to the top of the 9,550-foot Corno Grande, the highest peak in the continental Apennines.

On Marettimo, a small island off the coast of Sicily, one of the key pastimes is boating around grottoes.PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

3. Marettimo: Secluded coves, translucent water

Hop on the hydrofoil in Trapani on Sicily and you’ll reach the island of Marettimo in just over an hour. At about 2 miles long and 3 miles wide, Marettimo offers salt-water-minded visitors limited options, most of which require a bathing suit. You’ll find no large beaches, but for a fee, locals will whisk you to one of the many secluded coves that can only be accessed by boat. Pastimes are simple: Snorkeling, scuba diving and boating around grottoes with translucent turquoise water. Or you can follow one of the many hiking trails in the island’s rocky, rugged interior.

FRANCE

Ile de Sein, among the most scenic of Brittany’s islands.PHOTO: ALAMY

1. The Brittany Coast: Elemental islands

The islands off Brittany’s shores in northwest France are hardly a secret, but they are plentiful and well spread out, which means that, even in July and August, visitors can avoid the summer crush (most of the time). Among the most scenic is petite Ile de Sein, travel only about 5 miles from the mainland. If you want to feel like you’ve reached Europe’s very edge, look no further. Another good choice is Saint-Malo, with its citadel and beaches that come and go with the tides. It’s considered a must-see, but the crowds can get intense (though not at the level of nearby Mont-Saint-Michel, farther up the coast in Normandy)

The Canal du Midi in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, near the Spanish border.PHOTO: ALAMY

2. Canal du Midi: Float around medieval villages

You can travel via barge down many canals in France, but this one in the southwest near the Spanish border is among the most picturesque. Along the way, you can stop to tour vineyards, bike along the path flanking the canal or visit medieval villages, prime among them the fortified town of Carcassonne. No license is required to pilot most of the barges. Or you can reserve a spot on a chartered barge with a captain, which removes some of the romance of floating freely down a 17th-century canal, but makes up for that with amenities.

Porte de Paris in the historic core of Lille. Ten miles from the border of northern Belgium, the city blends French and Flemish cultures.PHOTO: ALAMY

3. Lille: Beer and antiques

Blending French and Flemish cultures, this former industrial city, travel about 10 miles from the border of northern Belgium exudes a vibe you won’t find elsewhere in France. The colorful facades on many buildings in the city’s historic core will make you think you’ve crossed the border, as will one of Lille’s signature dishes—the distinctly Belgium classic moules-frites (steamed mussels and french fries). Beer and waffles also play a starring role, another reminder you could easily zip up to Belgium. The crowd-averse will want to ensure they leave Lille before the first weekend of September when the city is overwhelmed by the hordes arriving for the braderie,said to be the largest annual flea market in Europe. More social sorts will want to linger and be swept up in the pulsating energy surrounding the innumerable stalls, selling everything from vintage doorknobs to silverware dating back to the French Revolution.

SPAIN

Spain’s Cuenca, a 90-minute drive east of Madrid, seems to cling to the side of a steep rock face.PHOTO: ALAMY

1. Cuenca: Moorish relics, abstract art

This city, a 90-minute drive east of Madrid, offers a window onto Spain’s past that many foreigners miss, despite the vicinity to the capital. From a distance, Cuenca’s buildings, seemingly hanging precariously to the side of a steep rock face, recall Medieval towns in central and southern Italy. But as you get closer you see the added Spanish touches, including the Moorish architecture that mixes European and North African. A walk across the Saint Paul Bridge, which spans the gorge, will give you an appreciation for the prowess of the architects and engineers who built this town centuries ago. One of the best places to observe the bridge is from the nearby Spanish Museum of Abstract Art, which has works from the second half of the 20th Century. An excellent travel destination for the family!

Galicia’s Playa de las Catedrales (Beach of the Cathedrals).PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

2. Galicia: Wild beaches, great gardens

This region in northwest Spain is famous for its capital city, Santiago de Compostela, the arrival point of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrim route that covers 500 miles between it and the French border. Lesser known is Galicia’s varied coastline, marked by rock formations that plunge into the sea and secluded beaches that lend themselves to long walks. Playa de las Catedrales is among the most popular spots on the coast thanks to the rock formations that inspired the name. Come at low tide to pass under the natural stone arches on the beach or high tide to watch from above as the waves crash against the rocks. A perfect travel location!

The fortified town of Girona, one of the filming locations for HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’PHOTO: ALAMY

3. Girona: Ancient architecture, seaside glamour

A 40-minute train ride from Barcelona, Girona is a walled medieval town covered in cobblestone streets and so eerily atmospheric that it was used as a set in the HBO series “Game of Thrones.” You’ll want to spend a day or two just wandering slowly by foot. Among the chief highlights is the Jewish quarter, one of the best-preserved in Europe, with restored buildings, narrow alleyways and arches dating to before 1492 when the Spanish monarchs expelled the Jews from the country. Girona also makes a good base for exploring the region since it’s just 45 minutes or less by car from beach resorts on the Costa Brava and less than an hour from the French border.

The Wall Street Journal is not compensated by retailers listed in its articles as outlets for products. Listed retailers frequently are not the sole retail outlets.

For more reading please click here.