PONZA
ITALY
If it’s good enough for Beyoncé
and Jay-Z (whose mega-yacht
made a stop here last year),
then it’s good enough for us.
At just 7.5 kilometres-squared,
this tiny island is part of the Pontine
archipelago between Naples and
Rome, and has yet to be invaded
by overseas tourists. With white
sandy beaches, unbeatable
seafood and inexpensive prices,
Ponza is as close to paradise
on a budget as you can get.
Stay near the main drag
of Piazza Carlo Pisacane
in Ponza’s town for the best
restaurants (think swordfish
carpaccio and enormous crayfish),
then hop on a fishing-boat tour of
the island’s many sea grottos,
snorkelling spots and moon-like
rock formations.
All that making you thirsty? Nab
an Aperol spritz for approximately
$5 (we’ll take two) at Bar Tripoli,a tiny bar by the port which is
always packed with tanned locals
straight from the beach – so no
need to go back to the hotel to get
changed. Come evening, beeline
for restaurant and hotel Pensione
Silvia (pensionesilvia.it), which
occupies the guesthouse where
Mussolini was briefly incarcerated
in 1943. The food is anything but
prison-like: the simple but heavenly
clam spaghetti, with a bottle of fine
Satrico white wine, won’t set you
back more than $40 for two.
In the island’s south,
the Grand Hotel Santa Domitilla
(santadomitilla.com) feels modest
and authentic, with two impressive
seawater pools surrounded by
bougainvillea and orange and
olive trees, while the Chiaia di Luna
L’Hotel (hotelchiaiadiluna.com)
is the only in Ponza overlooking
the incredible green-hued bay it
gets its name from, and is west-
facing, guaranteeing super
Instagrammable sunsets.ITALIAN JOB:
Snooze off a pasta lunch
in the blissful Chiaia di Luna
hotel suites (also below)