When Italians want a quiet getaway, they get off the mainland and head to the country’s best islands. Spend enough time here and you start to follow their lead, skipping destinations such as Rome, Florence, and Venice to head for lesser-known shores (as well as storybook rural villages).
After years of traveling Italy’s coastlines, I’ve learned that the country’s most tranquil island escapes are as beautiful as its headline destinations, promising pristine Mediterranean coves, fishing villages tucked beneath active volcanoes, and idyllic escapes that range from polished glamour to barefoot simplicity.
Italy has more than 400 islands, and while Sicily, Sardinia, and Capri often get the spotlight, there are many more to explore. Here’s where to look for your next trip.
Designed by Ellie See
Sicily and its satellites
Italy’s biggest island, Sicily has nearly 650 miles of coastline and delivers some of the country’s most interesting and diverse culinary delights, vivacious cities (like Palermo and Catania), and hilltop hamlets and baroque towns.
Sicily is also home to world-class archaeological sites, such as the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, the Greek Theater in Taormina, and the temples of Selinunte and Segesta. But when you want to find a quiet sdraio (sun bed), look to the small islands off Sicily, such as Pantelleria, Stromboli, and the hiker’s paradise of Marettimo.
Pantelleria
If you’re chasing that Swept Away vibe—à la Guy Ritchie’s 2002 movie with Madonna and Adriano Giannini—Pantelleria is exactly that: a remote island set adrift in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
This tiny volcanic island lies 67 miles southwest of Sicily (and 37 miles east of Tunisia) and has long been a favorite getaway for the reclusively chic, like Truman Capote, Giorgio Armani, and Sting. The glamorous allure of the turquoise water is offset by a rugged coastline of jagged lava-rock formations, steaming fumaroles, and mud baths.
Reminders of the island’s millennia-long human history—from the Bronze Age, on through its Roman occupation, into its heyday as Arab outpost Bent el-Rhia, and to its inclusion in the Kingdom of Italy—are revealed in its ruins, historic architecture, and even its language. Some of Pantelleria’s dammusi (the island’s iconic white-washed lava-rock houses) have been transformed into luxury resorts like Sikelia, the most coveted.
Italians love Pantelleria not only for its remoteness but also for its world-renowned capers and for passito di Pantelleria, a sweet wine made from zibibbo grapes. The Phoenicians introduced this variety of muscat grapes, and its cultivation has been honored by an inclusion on the UNESCO list of instances of intangible cultural heritage.
Where to stay: Sikelia Luxury Retreat
A small spa, a curving outdoor pool, and rooms occupying historic white-washed buildings built using volcanic rocks await at the elegant, adults-only Sikelia.
Stromboli is one of the seven Aeolian Islands.
Photo by Federico Di Dio photography/Unsplash
The Aeolian Islands
Every Italian knows that summer in the south of the country isn’t complete without a giro in barca alle Eolie, a ritual of hopping from island to island, chasing coves, currents, and volcanic horizons. Few locations are better for the tradition than the UNESCO-protected Aeolian Islands, just off the northeastern coast of Sicily. The seven-island archipelago comprises Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi, and Alicudi.
Of the seven, Vulcano and Stromboli have rich green landscapes punctuated by active volcanoes, which can provide epic backdrops for nature lovers on hiking, kayaking, and diving adventures. Lipari is the liveliest and most easily accessible of the Aeolian Islands, while Panarea is the most exclusive: Limited to pedestrian traffic, it’s a perfect place to tune out and recharge. Can’t pick one? No problem: Island-hop via ferries that run between all seven islands.
Where to stay: Principe di Salina
Expect to dine family-style on fresh seafood during a stay at the sea-facing Principe di Salina. The intimate, 12-room hotel serves lunches and dinners of fresh fish,and local vegetables at one large, wooden table.
Sardinia (Sardegna)
More than 1.5 million island inhabitants still speak the historic Sardinian language.
Photo by Ivan Ragozin/Unsplash
Second only to Sicily in size, Sardinia sits at the center of the Mediterranean—and yet, despite its scale, it has long lived in the more famous southern island’s shadow. That relative anonymity is precisely what makes Sardinia one of Italy’s most rewarding islands to visit. It’s best-known stretch—the Costa Smeralda, the northeastern “Emerald Coast,” has long been an enclave for the rich and famous, but the island offers far more than a berth for mega-yachts.
Sardinia’s distinctive personality—insular and a bit secretive—makes the destination fun and filled with surprises. In addition to white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, the landscape includes Gola di Gorropu, the largest canyon in Europe; UNESCO-protected Su Nuraxi di Barumini, a defensive structure from the second millennium B.C.E.; and the Dunes of Piscinas, sand dunes that reach 200 feet in height.
Two diverse off-island adventures are also available: From the north coast, the seven-island Maddalena Archipelago boasts beaches, lagoons, and uninhabited islets. And off Sardinia’s southwestern coast, tiny San Pietro is a throwback to 19th-century island living at the charming fishing town of Carloforte and the lighthouse at Capo Sandalo.
Where to stay: Sardinia
Make tracks to boutique hotel Faro Capo-Spartivento to stay in a former lighthouse on Sardinia’s southern coast, check in at Hotel Le Dune Piscinas for a secluded night along the island’s Costa Verde, or pick the beachfront Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel to explore the historic, epic luxury of the Costa Smeralda.
The Tuscan Archipelago
Rocky Elba is best known as the site of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile.
Photo by Bjorn Agerbeek/Unsplash
Yes, Tuscany has islands. Between the novel-ready villages and cinematic hills, there’s also a clutch of gorgeous islands where Italians disappear to dock their boats and slip into clear water for a summer of snorkeling.
Elba
Six miles off the Tuscan coast, Elba is the most recognizable of the Tuscan islands, forever tied to Napoleon Bonaparte’s brief exile in 1814. You can discover the island’s ties to the French emperor and trace his time on the island at the National Museum of Napoleonic Residences in Portoferraio.
But the key to enjoying the best of Elba is getting away from the peak summer crush: The island is as much about what lies inland and underwater—marine reserves, trekking routes, and hidden coves—as it is about its beaches. Visit in shoulder seasons, and explore away from the coastline.
Where to stay: Villa Ottone
Occupying a 19th-century villa on a private beach, Villa Ottone pairs classic Italian hospitality with rooms that brim with original architectural details. Skip staying in the 1970s annex, and instead book one of the villa suites, which feature ornate ceiling frescoes, highly polished furnishings, and cool terra-cotta-tiled floors.
Giglio
Wild vegetation covers more than 90 percent of Giglio’s landscape. Look beyond its beaches and you’ll find the island to be an all-out elemental experience, with steep trails winding along dramatic cliffs, featuring panoramic views of the Tyrrhenian sea at every turn. If you’re hiking around here, keep an eye on the waters to spot dolphins and whales.
The island’s highest peak rises to nearly 1,600 feet, and its rugged coastline drops sharply into a series of caves and hidden coves. For a moment of quiet perspective, look out from the west coast on a clear day: You may see Montecristo, the island made famous by Alexandre Dumas in his novel The Count of Monte Cristo.
Where to stay: La Guardia
With a number of rooms carved directly into the island’s granite cliffs, the 29-room La Guardia promises some of the best views on Giglio. The hotel makes the most of its impressive location with a daily aperitivo hour, where guests can enjoy spritzes and local antipasti on a terrace that has 180-degree views of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Giannutri
Nine miles south of Giglio, crescent-shaped Giannutri, at one square mile, is the least populated island in the Tuscan Archipelago. Diving and snorkeling are the draw here. The seafloor is rich with coral and Posidonia seagrass meadows, and you’ll find Roman- and Etruscan-era shipwrecks off Punta Scaletta and the Bay of Spalmatoio.
Where to stay: Giannutri
There are no hotels on the island, and rental properties are scarce. Instead, base yourself in Porto Santo Stefano on the Tuscan mainland, from where you can get the ferry across to Giannutri for a day trip.
Ponza
Ponza is Rome’s best-kept island escape. Only an hour’s drive from the Eternal City, followed by a ferry from Anzio, it remains blissfully off the typical Italian travel circuit. The island centers around a small, charming harbor where you can hire gommoni (dinghies), the preferred way to explore the island’s famously “moon-like” beaches and coves. Ponza has managed to stay refreshingly unfussy and largely untouched by mass tourism—although note that in July, you might encounter waves of Roman high schoolers swinging through.
Where to stay: Ponza
The quirky furnishing choices and jewel-like color palette of Villa Laetitia provide clues as to who owns it: Anna Fendi Venturini, of the Fendi couture family, pulled together the stylish bed-and-breakfast’s interiors herself. For a more contemporary feeling stay, check in at Hotel Chiaia di Luna, the only hotel to overlook the island’s famous Chiaia di Luna bay. Note that the cliffside beach is currently closed to the public due to rockfalls.
The Campanian Archipelago
Skip Capri and head instead for Procida, a volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples.
Photo by Vincenzo De Simone/Unsplash (L); photo by Ovidiu/Unsplash (R)
Almost everybody knows Capri, but what if Capri were a little less, well, Capri-like? The Campanian Archipelago also includes Ischia and Procida, two much more laid-back Italian islands that enjoy far fewer crowds.
Ischia
The archipelago’s largest island, Ischia is also its greenest. Its volcanic landscape shapes it entirely, from the natural thermal springs that line the coastline—long the foundation of the island’s wellness culture—to the hiking trails that wind up Mount Epomeo, the highest point on Ischia, rising some 2,500 feet. The island also holds a special place in literary circles as a key setting in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels.
Alongside its reputation as a spa destination, Ischia has a quietly notable wine tradition, with vineyards across volcanic slopes. The island’s main hub, Ischia Porto, is home to the imposing Aragonese Castle and a lively waterfront of shops and restaurants, while towns like Forio, Leccamano and Sant’Angelo offer a slower, more lived-in pace and are easily reached by boat or water taxi.
Where to stay: Ischia
With its 128 rooms, three restaurants, a thermal spa, a private marina, multiple beaches, and old-school sunbathing platforms, grande dame family resort Regina Isabella retains its 1950s charm. Alternatively, the newly renovated Hotel San Montana is a spa lover’s dream, with 11 thermal pools and a wellness program rooted in the island’s endemic flora.
Procida
Film buffs will find plenty to love in Procida. At two square miles, it’s the smallest island in the Campanian archipelago and arguably the most picturesque, with pastel-hued fishing villages and intimate harbors like Marina di Chiaiolella and Marina di Corricella. Its cinematic charm hasn’t gone unnoticed: both Il Postino and The Talented Mr. Ripley were filmed here.
Overlooking the island and the Bay of Naples, the medieval village of Terra Murata is Procida’s fortified historic center, adding a layer of depth to its postcard-perfect looks.
And while nearby Capri is all dramatic cliffs and rock, Procida’s scenery is softer, with sandy stretches of coastline such as Chiaia and Chiaiolella. An easy 40-minute hydrofoil from Naples, Procida is ideal for a day trip or an overnight stay—and is entirely walkable. Come for the views, and stay for the food: spaghetti ai ricci di mare (sea urchin pasta) is the local specialty, best enjoyed at sunset.
Where to stay: Maresia Procida
Accommodation on Procida tends toward small, family-run hotels and guesthouses, such as the sea-gazing (and intimate) Maresia Procida. Surrounded by pine trees, the hotel has a small pool and coastal-themed rooms.
The five Tremiti Islands in the Adriatic are part of a protected national park.
Photo by Paolo Barelli/Shutterstock
The Tremiti Islands
Italy’s eastern coast often gets overlooked. But just off Puglia, right above the heel of Italy’s boot, is the country’s most off-the-radar archipelago: the Tremiti Islands of San Domino, San Nicola, Capraia, Cretaccio, and Pianosa.
These lesser-visited isles in the Adriatic Sea promise limestone bluffs plunging into turquoise water and secluded rocky coves. Each time I visit, I’m struck by how timeless and unchanged the islands feel. For centuries, they were not only defined by isolation, but also political strategy: In 8 B.C.E., Emperor Augustus exiled his granddaughter Julia the Younger on one of the islets for licentious behavior; in the 20th century, Mussolini interned gay men on San Domino.
Today, the islands tell a different story as part of Puglia’s Gargano National Park. Visitors come for hiking, exploration and diving, and the small islands are easy to explore by foot and best visited via boat—whether a personal rental, a water taxi, or a tour boat. But note that there are few hotels and restaurants.
Where to stay: Hotel San Domino
Back-to-basics Hotel San Domino is one of the few hotels on the islands. The family-run stay is a little dated, but sits only an eight-minute walk from a sandy beach.
This article was originally published in August 2019 and was most recently updated on April 3, 2026, with current information.
