Palmarola island has been defined by many as the most beautiful island in the world.
It’s an uninhabited island and, perhaps, this makes it even more appealing to those who wish to explore it and admire its beauty.

Palmarola island is the kingdom of myth: here the Greek hero Odysseus on his way back home from burning Troy was seduced by the sirens’ songs and had to plug his ears and tie himself to the ship mast to resist falling into the seductive clear waters.

The clarity of the water and the charm of its coast, sculpted by the sea and the winds, will capture your attention and you will remain fascinated.

It is a place that is noted for having many natural grottos and cliffs, you’ll feel like Indiana Jones exploring a new world with a prehistoric scenery.

Time seems to have stopped at the Jurassic age: Palmarola has lush vegetation, fluorescent blue waters, grottoes and massive sea stacks.
The best way to explore Palmarola is by a boat trip from Ponza(the island is just over 7 miles away from Ponza).

During the boat tour you will be able to see many cavities and caves and the boat will stop a few times to allow passengers to go for a swim.

You will admire the Rocks called Fucili (Rifles), which in the past formed a natural arch, collapsed after a violent storm; the Faraglioni di Mezzogiorno, amongst which there is the largest one that has an enchanting cave inside, approximately 20m high, in which you enter by boat and then come out on the other side.

Next, you will find the famous rock face called Cattedrale (Cathedral), formed by a basalt rock in the shape of columns. The secular wind erosion that took place in this part of the island resulted in a spectacular formation of tufa rocks.

On top of the mountain you can see a small colony of palmettos.
Did you know? There’s just one restaurant open during summer on the main beach, where boats are allowed to anchor.

There is no regular ferry service to Palmarola, but if you’ve rented a boat to putter around Ponza, it’s easy enough (as long as the sea is calm) to motor over to Palmarola yourself.

Otherwise, there are regularly scheduled shuttle boats (25€/30€) to Palmarola from Molo Musco in Ponza port, which make it easier to explore Palmarola’s island if that’s of interest to you. The tours are offered by Cooperativa Barcaioli Ponzesi.

Best time to visit Ponza, Ventotene, Palmarola islands

The best time to visit Ponza, Ventotene and Palmarola is from May to September, avoiding August as the island can become pretty crowded by day-tourists. September is a beautiful time to visit the islands and without the blazing summer heat, the walks are truly a pleasure.