Essential: Western Australia – Il Grande Sud

Perth rises on the banks of the Swan River, the sunny and laid-back capital of Western Australia and Australia's most isolated city, yet surprisingly cosmopolitan. The green heart of the city is Kings Park, one of the largest urban parks in the world, which from the heights of Mount Eliza offers sweeping views over the skyline and the river. Along the waterfront, Elizabeth Quay enlivens the riverside with restaurants, bars and art installations, while the centre blends modern skyscrapers with colonial buildings and historic arcades. A short distance away, the historic port of Fremantle preserves a bohemian atmosphere of markets, microbreweries and Victorian architecture facing the Indian Ocean. The urban beaches of Cottesloe and Scarborough, with their golden sand and surfer-loved waves, set the pace of the relaxed local lifestyle. Offshore, Rottnest Island invites visitors to explore turquoise coves by bicycle, in the company of quokkas, the small marsupials that are the island's symbol. Inland, the vineyards and cellars of the Swan Valley round off the food and wine scene, with tastings, artisanal produce and seafood cuisine. Perth reveals itself slowly, beneath clear skies, amid open spaces and the Indian Ocean ever on the horizon.

Hyden is a small rural settlement in Western Australia, famous for nearby Wave Rock, a spectacular granite formation around fifteen metres high that resembles a giant petrified wave. Surrounded by the vast wheat plains of the Wheatbelt, the town draws travellers captivated by this geological wonder shaped over time. Among ancient rocks and endless horizons, Hyden offers an authentic taste of the Australian outback.

Esperance stretches along the southern coast of Western Australia, facing a turquoise sea and an archipelago of granite islands, the Recherche Archipelago. It is renowned for some of the whitest beaches on the continent: the dazzling sands of Lucky Bay and Twilight Beach, where kangaroos are often seen resting at the ocean's edge. Nearby, Cape Le Grand National Park alternates crystalline bays, rocky headlands and panoramic trails over the Indian Ocean. From here, excursions set out towards the legendary Lake Hillier, a lake of astonishing pink hue. A perfect destination for those seeking unspoilt nature, secluded beaches and the authentic atmosphere of Australia's coastal outback.

Albany guards Western Australia's oldest European settlement on the state's southern coast, set on King George Sound, a sheltered bay of deep waters. Its spectacular beaches, such as Misery Beach and the dazzling white sand of Frenchman Bay, alternate with cliffs battered by the Southern Ocean, where natural formations like The Gap and the Natural Bridge offer dramatic views. The town preserves colonial stone buildings and a moving ANZAC memorial, from where troops set sail during the Great War. Between July and October whales travel along the coast, while the surrounding vineyards produce fine wines. Albany blends history, wild nature and the briny air of the ocean.

Walpole and neighbouring Nornalup guard one of the most evocative corners of Western Australia, where the ocean meets ancient forests of tingle trees and giant eucalypts. The Walpole-Nornalup National Park shelters trees soaring over forty metres, crossed by the famous Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, a suspended walkway that lets you stroll among the canopy. The rivers and inlets of the Nornalup Inlet invite canoe explorations, while the rugged coastline offers solitary beaches and wind-battered cliffs. It is an ideal destination for those seeking untouched nature, silence and the primordial charm of the Australian bush.

Margaret River lends its name to one of Western Australia's most seductive regions, where award-winning vineyards meet surf beaches and forests of towering eucalypts. A few hours south of Perth, the area is famous for its wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, sampled at cellar doors set in lush greenery. The coast offers legendary waves for surfers and coves of white sand, while inland lie limestone caves carved by time and some of the world's tallest karri forests. Between craft breweries, chocolate workshops and local producers, good food is everywhere. Margaret River is the ideal retreat for those seeking wine, nature and ocean in a single journey.