Among Sparkling Waters

Come to Italy for an island getaway combining cultural riches with sun-kissed sands. Local writer Erica Firpo is our guide for four of the most enchanting isles

Italians know that the bel paese has the best of everything: incredible art and archaeology, delicious food, beautiful towns, and passionate people, but it also has a spectacular collection of enticing islands, which make for perfect getaway destinations. Luckily for us all, Italy has more than 400 islands, each with its own unique personality and allure. From the dolce vita of Capri to the unspoiled charm of southern Sardegna, a visit to any of Italy's enchanting islands is an odyssey into unparalleled magic. Each is an immersive adventure into its own nature, culture, and history.

Kicking off the toe of Italy is Sicily, the biggest island in the Mediterranean, whose vast hills and valleys produce almost everything Italians love. Sicily enjoys its status as one of Italy’s 20 regions while being unattached and independent from the rest of the country in location and personality. The island boasts a beautiful coastline of 650 miles, hills, mountains, and Europe’s most active volcano, Mount Etna.

From coast to coast, Sicily is dotted with captivating cities like Palermo and Catania, and picturesque hilltop hamlets drenched in Baroque elegance. Its thousands of years of history have created an incredible melange. From Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans to the Saracens, Normans, Bourbons, and Aragons, Sicilian culture is a beautiful tapestry.

Palermo is a vibrant whirlwind of a port city that pulses with layers of history, architecture, and culture spanning from ancient Phoenicians to avant-garde artists. Its centro storico was once the epitome of Sicilian opulence with decadent Baroque palaces and busy street markets such as the Vucciria and Ballarò. And it still is today, with must-see sites including the historic cathedral and contemporary art centers such as ZACentrale in the Zisa neighborhood.

When Palermitani want a perfect getaway, they need only venture a short trip west to Mondello, a turn-of-the-century seaside village; or east to the charms of Cefalù, a beachside town at the foot of the promontory of Hercules, a monumental rock rising to a height of 885 feet.

Dividing the island is Etna, Europe’s most active and tallest volcano whose volatile nature splits the island’s temperament. Whereas Palermo is kinetic, Catania and the towns like Ortigia (a tiny peninsula of Baroque architecture) and hill town Taormina are calm and relaxing, as if completely unaware that they sit next to an active volcano. The beaches on the southeastern coast are charming and tiny, and the verdant hills are vineyards and fruit groves – perfect for wine tasting.

Inland, Sicily’s hamlets and hill towns seem lost in time. The Val di Noto is an enclave of cities like Noto, Modica, and Ragusa, decorated in delightful Sicilian Baroque architecture where each seems to step out of a fairy tale. Chocolate lovers will want to stop at Modica, a city built into a gorge with a maze of streets, home to Sicily’s chocolate, a protected product whose tradition hearkens back to 16th-century Spanish rule.

The second-largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardegna is a region of Italy in its own right. A gorgeous expanse of beach towns, hidden villages, wild dunes, and rocky hills and mountains, it is home to fascinating archaeology, artisans, gastronomy, and millennia of culture.

The fine white sand and rich turquoise blues of La Pelosa Beach in Stintino is a natural paradise, while just off the northern coast is the seven-island Maddalena, a beautiful and protected archipelago.

Costa Smeralda, the island’s northeast coast, is known for its emerald waters, stylish villages, and mega yachts. But to fundamentally understand the natural beauty of the Gallura region, you need to venture away from the beach clubs. The northern coast gives way to small towns like Arzachena, a historic artist’s enclave, and hidden architectural treasures such as La Cupola, director Michelangelo Antonioni’s dome-shaped home.

Inland, Sardegna has a completely different personality. The rugged and mountainous landscape is home to natural landmarks, archaeological history, and storied culture, including gastronomic delights such as Fiore Sardo DOP cheese, carasau bread, and roast suckling pig, su porceddu. Here is where you find some of the most magnificent landmarks, including Europe’s deepest and most monumental canyon at Gola di Gorropu. 

Sardegna’s southern coast is distinctly different, with millennia of history and, in Molentargius-Saline Natural Park, one of the most important breeding grounds for flamingos in Europe. Trail the coastline west to Nora, an 8th-century BC Phoenician outpost and seaside archaeological park with a Roman amphitheater, and further to Chia, which boasts the island’s most beautiful and untouched beaches.

Sardegna is inherently and geographically offbeat, which means that the best (and easiest) way to explore is by car. Train lovers will enjoy the Trenino Verde, five beautiful sea-to-inland routes, while locals will insist that the most efficient and prettiest exploration is best done by boat.

Azure waters, rugged cliffs, and charming villages, the Campanian Archipelago has been beckoning travelers since Odyssey was wooed by the sirens. Comprising five islands, the showstopper is Capri, while Ischia is a local favorite.

Capri has been the destination for la dolce vita since it was first put on the map as a hallowed luxury getaway by Emperor Augustus, who named it “the island of sweet idleness.” Everyone from emperors to American royalty and film stars have made it a point to take time out on Campania’s most famous island. Emperor Tiberius even relocated the Roman Empire to Capri during his rule.

At just four square miles, Capri is an easy island to explore. Book an excursion via an iconic Ape Calessino (a tuk tuk) or scooter for a dolce vita photo shoot, but the island is perfect for pedestrians and hikers. Two mountains, Monte Tiberio and Monte Solaro, create the camel-hump shape of Capri, and the island’s main towns, Capri and Anacapri, are located on their slopes. For a little fun and to help you catch your breath, Capri offers a funicular, which ascends the isle from Marina Grande (main harbor) to the Piazzetta in Capri town, while in Anacapri, there is a breathtaking chairlift that ascends to the top of Monte Solaro (1,932 feet).

People watching is a favored pastime in both Capri and Anacapri, as their picturesque piazze, high-end shops, and artisanal boutiques draw in the international glitterati year after year. You can hire a local gommone (dinghy) to explore the beaches. Note that you can still visit the Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto), but you need to make a reservation.

For a glimpse of history, take a walk back in time through the Villa Jovis, Emperor Tiberius’s imposing cliff palace on the eastern part of the island, and Villa San Michele, a beautiful villa on the site of Roman ruins with gardens and a museum. Finally, idle through the Gardens of Augustus, an early 20th-century botanical garden.

When visiting Capri it’s impossible not to admire the Faraglioni, three ancient and monumental coastal rock formations. For a closer look, make reservations at Fontelina or Da Luigi ai Faraglioni, two beach restaurants with front-row seats to the rocks.

The greenest of Italy’s volcanic islands is Ischia, Campania’s secret destination. Legend has it that under the verdant rock is Typhoeus, a rebellious titan on whom Zeus threw a mountain to quench his antics. Typhoeus’s disruptive nature gives way to craters, fumaroles, and thermal baths and have made Ischia a wellness retreat since antiquity.

With an area of 18 square miles, Ischia is divided into six municipalities, each unique with traditions, celebrations, dialects, and personality. The best and most charming way to explore each of these areas is by water taxi or private boat. The island is dotted with seaside villages with ports, beach clubs, restaurants, and boutiques.

Highlights not to be missed include Castello Aragonese, a 15th-century castle on a promontory in the sea, with gorgeous views, exhibitions, and its own film festival. In the Cartaromana neighborhood, restaurant Giardino Eden has beautiful castle views and you can arrive by boat. 

In Lacco Ameno are the incredible botanical gardens Giardini la Mortella, a terraced tropical paradise, and the Museo Pithecusae, an archaeological museum which showcases the ancient story of the island. But wellness is the biggest draw for Ischia, and the island has several thermal baths and hidden thermal coves. A favorite is Negombo complex with various thermal pools, or the free hot springs of Fumarole, and the baths of Sorgeto near Sant’Angelo.

Nature-seekers will want to head inland for hikes and volcanic treks around the craters of Mount Epomeo, while wine lovers will enjoy a stroll around the island’s fertile vineyards. But to fully understand Ischia’s incredible topography, grab snorkels and fins and hire a boat for a circuit of the whole island.