The gorgeous Ponza is the perfect destination for a couple of days away.  As it is midway between Rome and Napoli, Ponza is a popular holiday destination for Romans and Neopolitans. It is easy to reach from Rome via a 1 hour train to Anzio and following this a 1hr 20 min ferry. Visit Ponza for a weekend of good food, drinks, boat trips and relaxed nightlife. As it is an island there are lots of opportunities to get out in the water and explore other little islands – grande!

What to do :

As mentioned above boat tours are the best way to spend your days in Ponza. We went on a lovely tour to various islands including Isola Palmarola. The boat tours vary in price depending on the size of the group, length of the trip and the food & drink offered, so you can easily pick what is right for you. Trips start at around €25 for a whole day including your food and drink (it is Italy after all what do you expect no food?!). There is no need to book ahead as all the boat offices are situated on the coast so we bought tickets on the morning. Just make sure you don’t oversleep from too much partying as the latest tour leaves at 11am.

The other option of course is to go out on your own boat or make new friends who can offer you this choice 😉

 Where to Eat :

For the perfect breakfast ahead of your boat trip make sure to check out Pasticceria Gildo. With a vast selection of yummy pastries there is lots of choices to accompany your morning cappuccino.  Here I was introduced to sfogliatella (which translates as lobster tail) and strudel di ricotta. Ever since nothing has topped the ricotta filling for me. 

For dinner I highly recommend Oresteria which was so good we went twice. The restaurant was set up by TV star chef Oreste and his wife Valentina. The restaurant’s theme of fish is clear throughout, right down to the shell filled tables. Here we had an amazing plate of seafood tagliatelle (Tagliatelle ai frutti di mare).   

For dessert (dolce in Italian) the panforte and tiramisu are highly recommend at Oresteria. Of course dolce must be followed by an espresso and a digestif such as Limoncello or Amaro (usually digestifs are offered by the restaurant after paying your bill). If like me, you are a lover of Tiramisu I strongly advise you to sample one in each restaurant you visit as they can vary enormously from chef to chef. When in Italia!

Nightlife :

Le Terrazze Kibar at the Chiaia di Luna Hotel is a must visit for aperitivo hour. I highly recommend to order the Mojito Finocchio – an Italian twist on the classic Mojito replacing mint with fennel. This place has a relaxed vibe which gets livelier as the evening progresses.

Start the evening with your aperitivo overlooking the sunset whilst sitting on the comfy giant cushioned loungers. The entire bar is outside and built on a sloping hill so has different levels to it. The next level up is where the dance floor is and you know the party is starting when you hear Italian classics playing on the piano. Later on the bar turns into more of a club vibe with a DJ.

This is definitely a place where you can dress up a little. I wore a silk slip dress and flat sandals. A wrap dress would also make a very chic option.

If the mood takes you, you can head back to the centre for more cocktails at numerous bars including Bar Tripoli which is renowned on the island. If you are in the mood to dance then Blue Moon is the place to go as they have weekly silent discos.