Dreaming of the Island of Ponza

AKA The Roman Capri…

These beautiful almost summer days have me dreaming back to days on the island of Ponza, aka The Roman Capri…The 7km squiggle off the coast of Lazio may look minor on the map,…

but Ponza has long been a major summertime paradise for pleasure-seeking Romans. Its port is one of the most enchanting in the Mediterranean, where travelers can hop on boats for rides around a dramatic rocky coastline, stopping to sun and swim at dreamy beach coves and indulge in fresh seafood at rustic eateries.

Unlike Capri and so many other popular Italian summertime destinations, Ponza remains truly Italian, folksy, and budget-friendly. Spicey history adds to its allure: Homer wrote that Circe lived here and seduced Odysseus to stay for a year, Pontius Pilot bred moray eels in the island’s caves, and it was a place of exile for naughty empresses and Fascists, including Mussolini.

My traveling pal Luisa and I reached it by ferry boat from the Lazio port town of Formia, (www.laziomar.it — Slow boat takes 2–1/2 hours, fast boat = 1 hour 20 minutes). Close to the harbor was the charming Piccolo Hotel Luisa…