Instead of Capri: Ponza, the Pontine Island That Needs No Celebrities

Ponza: an island the Romans already knew

Capri is beautiful, but it has become a theme park for hit-and-run tourists: ferries disgorging thousands of visitors a day, water taxis at 200 euros for a trip around the island, luxury boutiques where an ice cream costs as much as a full meal. Yet in the Tyrrhenian Sea there is an island just as spectacular where the only luxury is the sea itself: Ponza, the largest of the Pontine Islands.

An island of tufa and blue water

Ponza is a volcanic island of barely 7.5 square kilometres, with cliffs of white and yellow tufa plunging into a sea of impossible colours. The port, with its colourful houses arranged in a semicircle, vaguely recalls Procida but has an even more intimate atmosphere. The island lives on fishing and tourism, but a tourism still on a human scale — Romans who come for the weekend and connoisseurs who prefer it to more fashionable destinations.

What to see and do

- Chiaia di Luna: Ponza's most famous beach, a crescent of white sand beneath a 100-metre tufa cliff. Reachable through a Roman tunnel cut into the rock (check accessibility: the beach is sometimes closed due to rockfall risk).

- Natural pools of Cala Feola: natural basins carved into the lava rock where the water is warm and transparent. Perfect for children.

- Grotte di Pilato: a complex of sea caves carved by the Romans to farm moray eels, the favourite fish at imperial banquets. Reached by boat.

- Boat trip around the island: the best way to discover Ponza. Hire a gozzo with a skipper at reasonable prices (80–120 euros for half a day, split among the group) and explore coves unreachable by land.

- Palmarola: the uninhabited island opposite Ponza, called by Folco Quilici "the most beautiful in the Mediterranean". Half-day boat excursion.

The flavours of the island

Ponza's cuisine is pure seafood cooking. Linguine all'astice is the signature dish: lobster caught the night before, cherry tomatoes and a thread of chilli. The zuppa di lenticchie from Ventotene (the other Pontine island, reachable by ferry) is a Slow Food Presidium. For street food, try the panini con il polpo at the port's take-away kitchens. In the evening, aperitivo is taken on the quayside watching the sunset with a glass of local wine.

Getting there

Ponza is reached by ferry or hydrofoil from several ports. From Formia (the most convenient from Lazio) the ferry takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, the hydrofoil 70 minutes. In summer there are also connections from Anzio, Terracina and Naples. Formia is served by high-speed rail (Roma Termini–Formia in 40 minutes with Italo). Book the ferry well in advance at summer weekends.

When to go

May–June and September are the perfect months: warm sea, the island lively but not congested. July can already feel busy; August is the peak month (higher prices, packed ferries). Avoid the middle weeks of August if you are seeking peace. In late spring the island is almost deserted and the colours of the flowering Mediterranean scrubland are extraordinary.

The comparison with Capri

A room in a decent B&B in Ponza in high season costs 100–150 euros; in Capri, the same standard starts at 250 euros. A complete fish lunch in Ponza rarely exceeds 35 euros per person; in Capri, expect to pay twice that. But the greatest gap is in experience: in Ponza you sit at the harbour, chat with fishermen, swim in coves shared with four or five other people. In Capri, you queue for the Blue Grotto and dine staring at other tourists. Ponza is the Italian island that every mindful traveller deserves to discover.