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Ponza![]() Ponza is a small and hilly island off the western coast of central Italy, between Rome and Naples. A picturesque and low-key holiday destination, it is popular with Italians, especially Romans or celebrities keeping a low profile, and also visited by a few adventurous foreigners. If you like pretty fishing villages, island atmosphere, boats, the sea, and exploring, Ponza is an ideal stop on a tour of Italy, or a base for a relaxing break. The largest and most varied of the Pontine islands, Ponza is relatively straightforward to reach, but on arrival it feels a long way away from modern Italy. > Pontine Islands tourist information and accommodation Ponza tourist informationIn Roman times Ponza was one of the Empire's prison islands, used to house illustrious exiled figures including members of the Imperial family. Later, monks inhabited the island, before repeated raids by Saracens led to its abandonment. In the 18th Century, under Bourbon rule, the island was re-populated with colonists from the island of Ischia. Interested visitors can seek out several traces of Ponza's history. Unfortunately, as the island's tourism is mostly summer-only and not especially cultural, its heritage is rather neglected and not much of a 'feature' of Ponza's tourism offering. But boat tours will point out the ruins of the Roman clifftop villa, of caves and of an aqueduct running through the cliffs. Adventurous explorers can scramble along a path to see ancient tombs carved into the cliffs, while a visit to the beach can be combined with a dip in an old Roman fish-pond dug in the rock. A Roman tunnel connecting the island's two shores was still used in modern times to access the famous moon-shaped Chiaia di Luna beach, though more recently tunnel and beach have been closed for safety reasons. Boating is one of the most popular activities with Ponza's annual Italian visitors. You can hire small boats to go fishing, tour the coastline or visit nearby islands. One of the classic Italian island activities is to join an organised boat tour, and Ponza offers a choice of these, including circuits of the island and trips to the smaller islands of Palmarola and Zannone. Palmarola is beautiful and fascinating, its bay thronged with pleasure boats in summer, while Zannone is a nature reserve. Boat tours head out from Ponza for day-long trips including swimming opportunities and pasta on board.
Practicalities: where to stay on Ponza, how to get there and how to travel aroundPonza is long, thin and hilly. The island's main town and port, just called Ponza or the Porto, is at the southern end of the island, facing eastwards towards the Italian mainland. Other dwellings and settlements are scattered to the north, and a regular little bus runs up the length of the island and back (very frequent in summer). It isn't recommended to bring cars to the island at all, and non-resident cars are banned in summer, though tourists can hire small vehicles. The best place to stay on Ponza, for most purposes, is the main town, within reach of the port. The town is picturesque, with a historic harbour front and nucleus, and is convenient for ferries, buses, eating and other services. If you want to see a bit of island life, go on boat excursions, enjoy bars and restaurants and save hassle with transport connections, this is by far the easiest area to stay in. Some of the lodgings in town are in an elevated position with splendid island views. For a break that is more 'getting away from it all', it may be worth considering booking a villa or B&B in a more remote part of the island, and then just staying put - or relying on taxis, hire vehicles or the bus if it stops nearby.
Ponza has fairly good ferry connections to the mainland. Most connections are to the port of Formia, a town on the railway line between Rome and Naples, with a few seasonal services to Anzio, Terracina and to Naples (via the islands of Ventotene and Ischia). For most of the year, depending on timetables, the easiest way to reach the island is to fly to Naples or Rome airports. From Naples, unless there is a convenient ferry from Naples on your day of travel, take a bus to Stazione Centrale and a train to Formia. From Rome Fiumicino airport take the Leonardo Express train to Stazione Termini and a train to Formia. The port in Formia is around 10-15 minutes walk downhill from the railway station. Ponza is in a group with the smaller islands of Zannone, Palmarola and Gavi. Gavi is privately owned but Palmarola and Zannone can be visited on boat excursions. The other two Pontine islands are further south. Ventotene is a lovely place to stay, with a picturesque village, a Roman harbour and villa ruins, and a pretty beach. Santo Stefano is a small ex-prison which can be visited from Ventotene on fascinating tours. There are direct ferries from Ponza to Ventotene but they are not always conveniently timed, so check ferry timetables beforehand if you want to visit both islands; you may find you have to return to the mainland inbetween. > Read about the Pontine Islands ![]() |
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