THREE MORE Island escapes

ELBA, TUSCANY

Napoleon couldn’t wait to get off Elba; he was exiled there in May 1814 and escaped nine months later. You might wonder what his problem was — the island’s beaches, miles of hiking trails and thermal springs beloved by the Romans would keep most people happy for a lifetime. If you’ve only a few days, don’t miss the crescent-shaped beach at Marina di Campo; snorkelling in the clear water at Capo Sant’Andrea; and the Medici Fortress at Portoferraio. As for Napoleon, he spent part of his exile at Villa San Martino, which is now a gallery, home to Canova’s Galatea sculpture.

PONZA, LAZIO

Set in the Tyrrhenian Sea between Rome and Naples, this is one chic escape, with candy-coloured houses along the shorefront that are the stuff of postcards. Equally photogenic are the flaming sunsets behind neighbouring island Palmarola, the seawater pools at Cala Feola — and Frontone disco beach, where a DJ plays after dark. The largest of the Pontine islands, Ponza serves up plenty of history, too, including the Roman necropolis etched into the white cliff above Bagno Vecchio beach and, nearby, the now-uninhabited island of Santo Stefano which used to house a prison — Italy’s answer to Alcatraz.

TREMITI ISLANDS, PUGLIA

There are five islands in the Tremiti archipelago, 14 miles above Puglia’s wild Gargano peninsula, the spur of the Italian boot. If you like history, head to San Nicola, with its 11th-century abbey of Santa Maria a Mare; while San Domino’s coastal caves are a paint chart of blue and green waters. Uninhabited Capraia is great for scuba diving (look out for the Roman wreck), while Cretaccio — a semi-eroded outcrop — is where afternoon swimmers pull up in little boats. But you’ll have to admire the isle of Pianosa from afar — it’s an offlimits nature reserve.