Ponza, Italy
Wow, I cannot believe I have not posted about Ponza sooner… although maybe I was wanting to keep it our little secret. We are back in Australia now so who knows when we will return!
Back in 2018, I was searching for somewhere to visit near Naples as we had bought cheap return flights for a Summer trip. We didn’t particularly want to do the Amalfi coast as it wasn’t really our vibe, as stunning as it is. Ischia looked beautiful but then as I searched on Google maps, I saw a little island called Ponza. This is the largest of the Pontine Islands which are off the coast of Rome and Naples. I did a bit of investigating and turns out this is a local gem that not many non-Italians visited (it may have changed now!).
After after in Naples and eating delicious pizza for lunch, we hopped on a ferry to see what this small island had to offer for a long weekend.
Stay Here.
The three hour ferry ride over flew by as we were so excited for our little island getaway. Arriving into the harbour you are greeted by the colourful buildings of the old town.
We had a short 10 minute walk up the cobble stone streets to our hotel, Hotel Torre dei Borboni. Emerging through the front gate to the reception, you immediately notice the pool area and the view looking out to the bay. We booked the double room with a sea view which was small but comfortable and, thankfully, air-conditioned. The outside pool area was the perfect way to start/finish the day.
Visit Here.
Boat Hire.
When you visit Ponza, it is an absolute must to hire a boat and cruise around the island for the day. Make sure you hire one with a shade and a cooler box so you can enjoy maximum relaxation throughout your day with a beer or two, jumping off the boat whenever you feel the need.
We stopped at Piscine Naturali for a lunch stop and a swim in the beautiful cove. Continuing around the island, we came across this incredible white rock formation, which I think is called Punta Bianca.
The boats are easy enough to drive however just be cautious of the rocks below as they may be shallower than you think.
It was an unreal day and a really fun way to explore the island.
Don’t do what I did though and book the boat for the wrong date! Thankfully we walked along the water front and found someone who had a boat with a shade available for hire. Highly recommend pre-booking or going to the boat hire huts early in the day to secure one.
Day trip on the Alma Ole.
We met an older couple from New York who were staying at our hotel. They have been visiting Ponza for years and they suggested we had to book onto the Alma Ole for a day trip. So thankful we met them as this was a real highlight.
I recommend you go to the boat first thing in the morning to check avails as these trips book up quite quickly. We were really lucky as there was a big family booked on for the day but the Captain managed to squeeze us on. Not a huge amount of English was spoken but the Shaka is universal language… and saying “Meow”.
Upon boarding, we were served a platter of fresh fruit and were taken to Palmarola Island where we could explore its edges and jump off the boat to swim. Lunch was a delicious fresh seafood and salad buffet with unlimited Peroni beers. The family we were on board with also kindly gave us birthday cake as dessert.
It cost us 40 Euro and it was amazing value for money. The Captain and his wife were fantastic hosts so I highly recommend this tour if it is still running. If not, try and find another operator as it’s a great day out exploring Palmarola.
Eat Here.
We were here for two nights so I’m not going into much detail of where we ate. There were a range of different restaurants as you walk along the port and main pedestrian street. The ones we went to served delicious Italian food plus a lot of fresh seafood given you are on an island! Plus I am not entirely sure what is still open or not over the past few years.
Naples.
We were only in Naples for about a day and one night so I cannot make any true comment about the city. I would have loved to have come back to eat my way around all of the pizza shops to be honest because pizza is my one true love (sorry G).
Segue to funny story… I was on a quest to get to Gino e Toto Sorbillo pizzeria before it opened as I had read about how amazing the pizza is and how busy it becomes. We arrived at what we thought the pizza joint and were surprised at how there was no-one else waiting for it to open. We ate a delicious margarita then noticed a crowd forming at a pizza shop about 100m up the road… turns out that was the actual pizzeria and we had visited Pizzeria Antonio Sorbillo. To be fair, it was still bloody tasty so I was not disappointed. Maybe one day I will go back and do a proper pizza tour. A girl can dream.
In Ponza, the Summer season is generally when a lot of the hotels and restaurants are actually open so check this before booking anything.
The ferry takes close to three hours and, similar to flights, ferry prices fluctuate depending on demand but also how early you book. We booked the ferry online at Direct Ferries.
We visited in July and it was beautiful temperature.
