8 Italian Islands You Have To Visit
Lazing around on a catamaran under the heavy heat of the afternoon sun, hopping from island to island, before stopping off at a secluded seaside restaurant for a polpo all’insalata with a side of sea breeze? Idyllic. Salty hair from diving into the sparkling shallows of the Mediterranean over and over again? I’ll take it. Has anyone ever needed convincing to holiday on an Italian island? Probably not, especially to popular islands such as Sardinia, home to some of the most crystalline and swimmable shores in Europe. Venture away from the beaten path to lesser-visted islands such as Elba in the Tuscan archipelago and you might just find that you have it all to yourself. Here are 8 Italian islands you need to visit, some that many Italians don’t know about themselves.
Sardinia: The star of the show
Sardinians live longer than almost any other group of people in the world – the secret to their extended lifespanbeing their unhurried pace, their oil rich diet, their consistent inclined walks (thanks to the mountainous terrain of the landscape) and community and family traditions. One of the world’s five blue zones, Sardinia is unlike anywhere else in Italy. Stretched for miles along the eastern coast is the dramatic Costa Smerelda (Emerald Coast), broken up by rugged sandy coves hugging shallow, turquoise inlets. On the northern shore of the island, before you hit the most southerly point of Corsica, lies the Maddalena Archipelago, where you can find some of the most translucent water. With over 60 islets, a pink sand beach and water switching between sapphire and cerulean depending on how the sun hits, La Maddalena is a delightful location to hire a boat and spend the afternoon.
Image by Ivan Ragozin
Sicily: The nonconformist one
Think of Sicily as Sardinia’s more rugged and rebellious little sister. Whilst it is able to boast that it is Italy’s largest island, many Sicilians would be offended to be grouped in as ‘Italians’, it being one of five autonomous Italian regions. With the popularity of the hit series White Lotus, many are flocking to the island to stay at the newly-coveted Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina, though more rural stays such as Zash Country Boutique Hotel & Spa or Villa Igiea in the palm-studded Palermo have just as much charisma and a slightly friendlier price per night. A stay in Sicily will have you exploring remnants of ancient Phoenician ruins on one day, and standing at the base of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, on the next.
Image by Ruth Troughton
Ponza: Italy’s secret Capri dupe
Every summer, Romans and Neopolitans escape the dense heat of the city and holiday in teeny tiny little Ponza, an island just 21 miles off the west coast of Italy. , you’d be forgiven for thinking the Italians made this Mediterranean narnia up. Once inhabited by Odysseus for a year, the island oozes Greek energy — it’s easy to see how the landscape of volcanic rocks that make up the Pontine Islands would serve as inspiration for stories of Greek gods and goddesses. Google Maps hasn’t quite reached here yet, but A-listers, Italian holidaymakers and those-in-the-know have, making Ponza an increasingly desired option for a weekend-break. Though ferries run from Naples and Rome more frequently between June and September, this is a local island, chaste from the main tourist wave of the mainland. Hotel Chiaia di Luna is one of Ponza’s best all-round and exclusive stays, but the island’s charm is more concentrated in smaller, less curated villas.
Image by Ferhat Denis Fors
Capri: Summer in retro-glam
The initial rows of tacky souvenir shops you’re met with when you land in Marina Grande are no reflection of the Capri’s jetset age glamour found across the island. Awash with luxurious hotels overlooking the dramatic coastline, Capri is the ultimate symbol of the Italian dolce vita. Wind up in the quieter town of Anacapri in a vintage convertible, walk the hairpin turns on Via Krupp down to Marina Piccola, and take the chairlift to the summit of Monte Solaro, where views extend out onto the Bay of Naples and Mt Vesuvius one way, and over the Faraglioni the other. Cool off at Da Luigi’s or the at La Fontelina, both entirely sandless, virtually inaccessible, yet utterly classic, must-visit Capri beach clubs.
Image by Will Truettner
Procida: The island over the rainbow
A bag of Skittles has never been more metaphorically alive than in Procida, and a boat from the Port of Naples to this kaleidoscopic island takes a mere 45 minutes. Procida’s colourfully-hued buildings distract you from how tiny this little island is. Determined to step out from the shadows of Capri and Ischia, Procida has had an influx of visitors since she was announced as Italy’s Capital of Culture in 2022, where it was once simply a holiday spot for Neapolitans in summer months. A day trip to Procida will suffice, though locals would encourage you to stay an extra day and experience a slower pace of life on this fishing island.
Image by Charles Devaux
Ischia: The small and elegant one
The final of the big three, Ischia had long been overlooked in favour of Capri, yet Ischia owns its own elegant spots, and many locals have never even been to Capri, because why would they? The medieval Castello Aragonese on the islet across the causeway will catch your eye instantly, but perhaps you’d rather take a day off from sightseeing and relax in Ischia’s mineral-rich thermal springs at Sorgeto, an ancient Roman practice that locals have carried on. The island is not short of exquisitely designed hotels like the stylish Mezzatorre Hotel just east of Spiaggia di San Montano, which is equal parts elegant and fun.
Image by Samuel C.
Elba: The Tuscan one
Not many people outside of the north-west of Italy know about the beautiful Tuscan island of Elba. Yes, there are seven islands that make up the Tuscan Archipelago, of which Elba is the largest. Set off for Elba from Piombino on the mainland, where about an hour later, you will approach the shoreline of one of Italy’s most hidden islands. Once the home of Napoleon Bonaparte, Elba’s rugged green landscape with inviting white-sand beaches, gorgeous hilltop towns such as Capoliveri and pastel-toned towns sat on the edge of the sea like Porto Azzuro drive you to wonder how the third-largest island in Italy has been kept such a secret.
Image by Roland Schmitt
The Aeolian Islands: If Sicily had babies
A volcanic archipelago made up of seven islands – Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi and Alicudi – the Aeolian islands lie northwest of Sicily. Lipari, as the largest of the islands, is its pearl, with curated hotels — locals are in agreement that Case Quattrocchi has the most beautiful view of the island. venture north of Lipari to watch Stromboli’s active volcano spout lava every 20-minutes, a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Retreat to Panarea, the most polished of the islands, and a celebrity hotspot, though you’ll find more local charm on Salina.
Image by Maia Crimew