The islands of Italy — More than Sicily and Sardinia

Sicily and Sardinia may dominate the map, but scattered through the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas are smaller places that hold their own stories — volcanic landscapes, pastel harbors, and communities shaped by wind and water. Each island feels distinct, not just in geography but in rhythm.

To travel among them is to see Italy in fragments: self-contained worlds that share the same light and language, but express both differently.

Elba — Napoleon’s Short Kingdom

Elba, the largest of Tuscany’s islands, sits just an hour by ferry from Piombino. It’s best known as Napoleon’s place of exile in 1814, but to the locals, that’s a footnote. The island’s true personality lies in its blend of beaches, forested hills, and clear, mineral-rich waters.

The port town of Portoferraio, with its pastel façades and curved harbor, is still the island’s center. Napoleon’s former residence, Villa dei Mulini, overlooks the bay — small, elegant, and surprisingly modest for an emperor. Beyond the town, winding roads lead to Capoliveri and Marciana Marina, where cafés spill onto cobbled lanes and fishermen still mend their nets by hand.

Elba’s size makes it easy to explore in a few days, but its variety encourages you to linger. Beaches change from pebble to sand, cliffs to coves, and every turn seems to reveal another quiet viewpoint. Some cycling holidays in Italy itineraries include Elba as part of longer coastal routes, combining its quiet hills and sea views with visits to local vineyards and fishing villages. It’s the kind of island best discovered slowly, one curve and scent at a time.

The Aeolian Islands — Fire and Stillness

North of Sicily, the Aeolian Islands rise from the sea like dark punctuation marks on the horizon. Each of the seven has its own mood — Stromboli burns with volcanic energy, Lipari hums with daily life, and Salina rests in quiet confidence, its hills covered in capers and vines.

Stromboli is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and its eruptions have been constant for millennia. At night, you can watch small bursts of fire arc against the sky — a natural spectacle that feels both distant and intimate. The beaches here are black with volcanic sand, the air warm and faintly metallic.

Lipari, the largest, offers balance: museums, lively piazzas, and ferries to the rest of the archipelago. Salina, by contrast, is slow and green, its twin peaks rising above terraced fields. Its wines, especially Malvasia delle Lipari, capture the island’s mix of salt, heat, and softness.

The Aeolians are a lesson in contrasts — raw geology and deep peace coexisting side by side.

Ischia — Thermal Waters and Green Hills

Closer to Naples lies Ischia, often overshadowed by nearby Capri but arguably more authentic. Larger and more lived-in, Ischia blends spa culture with island agriculture. Its volcanic soil feeds vineyards, gardens, and lemon groves, while underground springs heat the famous thermal baths that have drawn visitors since Roman times.

Forio and Sant’Angelo are the prettiest of the towns, full of narrow streets and sea views. The Castello Aragonese, rising from a rocky islet linked by bridge, anchors Ischia’s history — a fortress turned monastery, prison, and now museum.

Despite its popularity, the island’s interior still feels rural. Trails climb through chestnut woods and terraces of vines, opening onto sudden views of sea and sky. It’s easy to see why writers and painters came here for solitude; Ischia’s rhythm remains unhurried, even when the ferries arrive full.

Procida — Italy’s Smallest and Most Colorful Island

Tiny Procida, also near Naples, measures barely four square kilometers but feels complete. It’s the kind of island where time seems to fold — fishing boats painted in primary colors, laundry swaying across narrow alleys, church bells echoing from pastel domes.

The harbor of Marina Corricella is the most photographed spot, a cascade of houses in pink, yellow, and blue reflected in still water. Yet behind the postcard view is an island that lives quietly: families gathering for lunch, fishermen returning at dusk, students walking home along the sea wall.

Procida was Italy’s Capital of Culture in 2022, a recognition of how authenticity can outlast fame. There are no grand hotels or luxury boutiques here, only an easy rhythm and the soft smell of salt.

The Egadi Islands — Bare Beauty

West of Sicily, near Trapani, the Egadi Islands — Favignana, Levanzo, and Marettimo — form one of Italy’s least altered archipelagos. Their waters are part of a marine reserve, clear enough to see fish and rock patterns from above.

Favignana, the largest, is known for its flattened shape and its tuna heritage — once home to one of the Mediterranean’s most important fisheries. Today, visitors cycle around the island on quiet roads lined with prickly pears and dry stone walls, stopping at small coves with turquoise water.

Levanzo and Marettimo are wilder still, little more than mountains rising from the sea. They attract divers, walkers, and travelers looking for solitude. Nights here are dark, the stars sharp, and the sound of waves constant.

Pantelleria — Between Continents

Far closer to Tunisia than to mainland Italy, Pantelleria feels like another world. Its lava fields, stone terraces, and dammusi houses — white-domed dwellings made from volcanic rock — speak of a landscape shaped by endurance.

The island produces capers and sweet passito wine, both rooted in its dry, windy climate. The coast is dramatic, with natural arches and hot springs bubbling in seawater pools. There are few beaches, but endless places to swim — black rocks meeting transparent water.

Pantelleria is a place for reflection rather than recreation. You come here to walk, taste, and watch the horizon blur between Africa and Europe.

A Different Kind of Italy

Italy’s smaller islands remind travelers that beauty here isn’t about scale. They lack the fame of Sicily and Sardinia, but offer something more subtle — connection. Each island reflects a part of the country’s identity: Elba’s mix of history and nature, Ischia’s wellness, the Aeolians’ raw power, Procida’s simplicity, Pantelleria’s isolation.

They also share a sense of self-sufficiency. The sea both separates and protects them, preserving traditions that mainland progress sometimes forgets. Food, language, and rhythm change from one island to the next, but all feel unmistakably Italian — confident in their differences, content in their pace.

For travelers willing to slow down, the smaller islands are not detours but destinations — places where Italy’s essence condenses into light, air, and the sound of waves against stone.