Bellissimo! (at last we can go)
Italy has just dropped its quarantine requirements — but forget the obvious hotspots and head for one of these gorgeously unspoilt lesser-known islands
THE Italians are generous with sharing their homeland with the five million of us who fly in each year. But when it comes to some of their islands, they would really like to keep them a secret. And who can blame them?
We all know of Sardinia, Sicily and Capri but there are more than 350 islands scattered off Italy’s 4,600-mile coastline.
Some are buzzy and chic, others are Lost World atolls that function at a snail’s pace. But on all of them, you will struggle to find a neon sign, multinational hotel or tacky souvenir store.
As Italy becomes quarantine-free for vaccinated Britons — as of last Wednesday — here are our top ten secret Italian islands.
1. PEACEFUL PALMARIA
JUST 33 residents occupy this 0.6 sq miles island off the coast of Cinque Terre.
Unlike its busy neighbour, there are no cars or crowds, but many beautiful hiking trails including the 510, which circles the island and takes you up towering white cliffs, through forests which are home to 500 species of flora and fauna and past pretty coves. DON’T MISS: Its 5,000-year-old forts, including Umberto. HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Genoa (Ryanair returns from £39) and take a 22-minute ferry from the port of Portovenere. There are no hotels on the island but doubles available at Relais Santa Caterina
Pastel-painted cottages line the pretty harbour, where bobbing boats can be rented by tourists to explore hidden
coves and beaches
in Portovenere from £115(relais-santa-caterina-portovenere.hotelmix.co.uk).
2. JUST A GIGLIO
LEGEND has it that when Venus, goddess of beauty, emerged from the depths of the Tyrrhenian sea, seven g emstones f ell f rom h er t iara and turned into the islands of the Tuscan archipelago: Gorgona, Capraia, Elba, Pianosa, Montecristo, G iannutri a nd G iglio.
A s pike o f g ranite 1 1 m iles o ff t he coast of Tuscany, Giglio has been drawing h ikers, d ivers a nd a nglers for generations, thanks to its w ildlife-rich landscape. DON’T MISS: Seafood restaurants at the sunset-facing portof Campese. HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Rome ( Ryanair returns from £40) and
catch the 50-minute ferry from Porto Santo Stefano. Doubles at
La Guardia Hotel from £125 (laguardiahotel.it).
3. MADDALENA MAGIC
THE a ntithesis o f i ts s howy s ibling
Sardinia, L a M addalena h as s ome of t he c leanest a nd c learest w aters in Italy, as well as magnificent beaches that feel more Caribbean than Mediterranean.
The island is connected by a small bridge to the wild island of Caprera, w hich t he a stute m ilitary commander Giuseppe Garibaldi made his home for the last 27 years o f h is l ife, p artly i n e xile. Y ou can visit his former house, now a small museum. DON’T MISS: Take a b oat t o S pargi and explore the Cala Soraya, a pristine b each b acked b y c olourful fragrant shrubs. HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Alghero,
S ardinia (easyJet returns from £92) and catch a 20-minute ferry.
A partments at AHR Residence Leonis L a M addalena f rom £ 48 p er night (leonislamaddalena.com).
4. PONZA PARADISE
KNOWN a s t he I talian H amptons,
Ponza plays host to Rome’s wellheeled residents during the summer,aswellasin-the-knowcelebrities such as Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé.
The f ive m ile-long s trip o f j agged white rocks, pastel-coloured clifftop villages and rolling hills is best a dmired f rom t he s ea, s o h ire a boat from the harbour.
DON’T MISS: The island’s wine, Fieno di Ponza — its vineyards are so small that almost all of it is
c onsumed on Ponza. HOW TO DO IT: F ly t o R ome ( Ryanair returns from £40) and take a 90minute b oat f rom t he p ort o f A nzio. Doubles at Hotel Chiaia di Luna from £77 (hotelchiaiadiluna.com).
5. PRETTY IN PROCIDA
ISLANDS don’t come much p rettier — or colourful — than P rocida. T he s mallest i n t he B ay o f Naples at only 1.5 s q miles, it is famous for its fragrant lemons which grow as big as fists on trees between buildings dripping with b ougainvillea.
A tangle of houses painted in p astel tones of pink, yellow, blue and green tumble down to the
t raffic-free h arbour, w hich c an o nly be reached by stairs in passageways through the houses. DON’T MISS: The view from Terra Murata, the old town, with its c obbled s treets l ined w ith b utchers, bakers and chandlers. HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Naples
( Ryanair returns from £45) and catch a 40-minute hydrofoil. D oubles at La Suite Boutique Hotel from £140 (lasuite resort.com).
6. STROMBOLI SPARKLE
NICKNAMEDthe‘lighthouseofthe Mediterranean’ thanks to its volcano’s t owering g low, S tromboli rises nearly a half a mile above sea level. Its volcano is one of the world’s most active, having r umbled, grumbled and spewed bursts of lava almost continuously for nearly 2,500 years.
Eruptions have blackened much of the landscape, but the northeastern c orner i s i nhabited, a nd i t’s herethatyou’llfindtheisland’sfamous black beaches and the
attractive main village sprawled along the volcano’s lower slopes.
In safe conditions, it takes three to f our h ours t o w alk t o S tromboli’s summit,mostbeautifulatnightwhen blazing ‘fire fountains’ sear into the darkness.
DON’T MISS: The wonderful fresh fish at Ristorante da Zurro, across from the harbour. HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Catania (easyJet returns from £53) and catch a 7 0-minute f erry. D oubles a t Aquilone Residence from £52 per night (aquiloneresidence.it).
7. ESCAPE TO PANAREA
A SPECK off the coast of Sicily,Panarea’s 300 or so residents are joined by Europe’s elite in the s ummer, including the likes of
designer Stefano Gabbana and Kate Moss. Giant yachts fill the island’s tiny harbour, which picks up at dusk when Italians embark on the passeggiata (stroll) and tourists begin gathering at bars.
Lines of white-washed buildings with freshly-painted blue doors and immaculate gardens dot the meandering streets leading down to the sea. Don’t expect any cars. The streets are far too small. Golf buggies reign supreme here, save for the odd Vespa. DON’T MISS: Join the A-listers for an Aperol Spritz on the rooftop at Hotel Raya, adored by celebrities, royalty and oligarchs.
HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Palermo (Ryanair returns from £34) and catch a 1½ h our ferry. Doubles
at Da Francesco from £62 ( dafrancescopanarea.com).
8. SLEEPY SALINA
LOCATED 25 miles off the northeast of Sicily, Salina comprises six dormant volcanoes (the last e ruption was 13,000 years ago), which rise, surprisingly green, out of the deep blue sea.
Five tiny charming towns are strung around its coast, including Malfa, o verflowing w ith b right p ink bougainvillea a long c obbled s treets with white, cubed houses.
Dishes are served delightfully
salty owing to the island’s production of capers, considered among the world’s best. These grow freely by roadsides.
Parts of the Italian-language film Il Postino (The Postman), set in the 1950s, was filmed here. But it hasn’t let fame go to its head and remains wonderfully sleepy. DON’T MISS: Morning lemon granitas and brioche buns at Da Alfredo cafe on Lingua’s waterfront (the family have been dishing out the same secret granita recipe for decades). HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Palermo (Ryanair returns from £34) and catch a 90-minute ferry. Doubles at Principe di Salina from £146 (principedisalina.it).
9. FAB IN FAVIGNANA
WILD swimmers are drawn to this sleepy bow-tie pasta-shaped isle, home to some of Italy’s bluest water and best gelato. Once the heart of the Sicilian bluefin tuna industry, it lies within Europe’s largest marine reserve, in the Egadi archipelago off the coast of Sicily. Most choose to explore the island on two wheels, be that bike or scooter, stopping off for cooling dips along the way. DON’T MISS: The Bue Marino is one of the best spots for a swim; towering rocks, caves and a kaleidoscope of blue. HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Catania (easyJet returns from £53) and take a 25-minute hydrofoil from Tapani. Doubles at Tempo Di Mare from £68 (hoteltempo dimare.it).
10. TINY PANTELLERIA
CLOSER to the African coast than to Europe, Pantelleria is a tiny volcanic outcrop with a unique Italo-Arabic feel thanks to its Moorish architecture. Numerous hot springs, natural sea spa baths and a heartshaped lake in a volcanic crater known as the ‘Mirror of Venus’ form parts of the rugged and sparsely populated landscape. Slather on the mineral-rich mud at the lake and rinse off with a swim to the centre. Although the island was the location of the 2015 film A Bigger Splash, starring Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson, it remains blissfully quiet. While beaches are limited, the island is packed full of little coves to explore. DON’T MISS: Sample the sweet passito wine which is made from the island’s zibibbo grapes. HOW TO DO IT: Fly to Catania (easyJet returns from £53) and take a two-hour ferry from Tapani. Rooms at Sikelia Luxury Retreat from £340 (sikelia pantelleria.com).