HomeTravelItaly’s Prettiest Islands 

Italy’s Prettiest Islands 

Off the coast of Sicily, Aeolian islands are dotted with jet-setters, while Sardinia is known for its foodie culture.‍

Levanzo

A guided tour of Grotta del Genovese in Dinky Levanzo, west of Sicily, allows visitors to see Neolithic cave paintings. The port is surrounded by whitewashed houses, from which divers explore Roman shipwrecks.

Panarea

It is also the most exclusive of the Aeolian islands, where Milan’s stylish set flocks for the summer. The harbour fills up with glitzy yachts during high season, and it’s known as the party island. Inky oceans can be accessed from rocky inlets, but beaches are not as beautiful as they are on other Aeolian islands.‍

Capri

In the Sorrentine Peninsula, Capri is one of the most famous islands in Italy. In the 1960s, Jackie Kennedy visited the island, making it famous for its flashy hotels and jet-set history – but it has a wilder, more remote side as well. Visit off-season (we recommend autumn) and get lost exploring the old town.

Aeolian Islands

An archipelago of seven UNESCO-protected specks of land, the Aeolian islands are found off the coast of Sicily and are known for their raw beauty. While Lipari is the largest and Salina has some of the best hotels, Alicudi and Filicudi keep tourists coming back. They are the least visited and the wildest of all the islands.

Sardinia

There are pretty villages on the mountainous mainland of Sardinia, but on its north-east coast, Costa Smeralda, a luxury resort for billionaires, jet-setters and Russian oligarchs, is a foodie’s paradise.

Ischia

This quieter sister of Capri is just off the Amalfi Coast. You’ll find beaches that aren’t overcrowded and vast landscapes to explore. The serenity of the island inspired WH Auden to write a poem about its beauty. It has dozens of natural hot springs and thermal pools that are perfect for relaxing.‍

Elba

Elba, an island in Tuscany located further north, is famous for being the island where Napoleon was first exiled. Today, it is quiet compared to most of Italy’s coasts, with a wealth of coves and bays along the coast, including Marina di Alberese, which is often empty.

Caprera

There are hiking trails leading to deserted coves and gin-clear sea on Caprera, an island off Sardinia’s north coast that is part of the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park

Ponza

There are six Pontine Islands in Homer’s Odyssey, including Retro Ponza, which is where Romans visit on holidays. It lies halfway between the Eternal City and Naples. It’s just an hour by boat from the mainland, but few tourists visit, making it quieter and more relaxed than on some of Italy’s more popular islands.

Budelli

Mauro Morandi, the lone resident of this one-mile-long islet in La Maddalena Archipelago National Park, has been protecting its fragile ecosystem for more than thirty years. The best way to visit Budelli is by boat – its most famous beach, Spiaggia Rosa, is closed to visitors, but there are countless other coves you can explore, and most boats get close enough to Spiaggia Rosa for you to see its pink sands.

Giglio

Off the Tuscan coast, Giglio is an 11-mile-long dot attracting swimmers and divers. Most of the island is covered in wild plants and inhabited only by free-roaming wildlife. A candy-coloured fishing port adorns the many beautiful beaches, while Giglio Castello, the ancient village, is surrounded by fortified walls.

Lampedusa

About 105 miles from their nearest Italian neighbour, the Pelagie Islands are closer to Tunisia than Sicily. One of the largest islands, Lampedusa, attracts a lot of summer visitors due to its beautiful beaches (its southern shore is a protected marine reserve).

Burano

The Venetian lagoon has a handful of islands, such as Burano, which is known for its brightly coloured houses and its exquisite lace and linen stores.

Borromean Islands

An island cluster stands on the shore of Lake Maggiore, which lies between Italy and Switzerland between the Alps. Bella, Madre and Superiore are some of the most beautiful of the four Borromeans. They have all been owned by an aristocratic Milanese family since the 1600s, but are now open to the public

Procida

There are fewer places to stay on tiny Procida compared to Capri or Ischia, so it retains its authentic, lived-in feel even in high season. It offers fewer accommodations than its neighbours and is mostly inhabited by locals. The island’s technicolour fishing villages also played a major role in The Talented Mr Ripley.

Trending