The Italian islands are truly stunning! Stick around for our handpicked list of the best islands in Italy.
Italy is mainly surrounded by water and composed of great islands that you can visit if you want to escape the noise of the mainland.
From pristine Mediterranean coves to fishing villages near active volcanoes, these enchanting getaways off the coast of Italy can make your vacation dreams come true.
The country has more than 400 islands, but in this article, we listed 10 of the best Italian islands to visit that will surely satisfy your island beach cravings.
10 Best Islands in Italy To Visit
Here are the 10 top islands in Italy that you should visit at least once in your lifetime.
1. Sicily
Sicily is consistently ranked as one of the stunning islands in Italy that every traveler should visit. It’s the biggest island in the Mediterranean, about the same size as Luxembourg.
There are enough things to do in Sicily to make it worth a separate trip, not just a quick stop. Sicily has three ancient sites, two natural sites, and two architectural sites, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The best ancient buildings that still stand are temples, amphitheaters, and villas from the Greek and Roman cultures: Selinunte has one of the biggest Greek temples and Agrigento has one of the best-kept ones.
It also has several beautiful beaches. One of Italy’s best beaches, San Vito Lo Capo, has white sand and blue water.
2. Capri
A romantic island in the Bay of Naples.
That is the first thing that will pop into your head when you hear the word “Capri.”
It is one of those popular islands of Italy that many people visit eventhough its most famous landmark is hidden in the steep cliffs.
There are caves, arches, and the Faraglioni sea stacks around the island. Small boats can go into the Blue Grotto, where the water is blue because of how the sun shines.
Capri’s highlights are the mansion and gardens of San Michele and the Giardini di Augusto, which are high on the cliffs and looking out over Marina Piccola and the Faraglioni.
There are great views from the trails along the coast, or you can take a chairlift to the top of the island’s tallest mountain.
3. Sardinia
Sardinia is one the most famous Italian islands. It has its own language, culture, and food, separating it from the mainland.
People know Costa Smeralda for its famous white beaches and green oceans. Most of the island is covered with golden sand, and the beaches in the south and west are beautiful.
Many are surprised by how swiftly Sardinia’s hinterland rises to steep mountains, hiding centuries-old communities. Also astonishing are the island’s hundreds of prehistoric ruins, especially the nuraghi stone towers.
There are beautiful beaches with sand close by. Many are well-built, and you can go through passages and spiral steps from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Megaliths and carvings on the island make it even more mysterious.
MUST-READ: 14 Best Places To Visit in Sardinia, Italy
4. The Venetian Islands
Venice is made up of islands connected by bridges or distributed throughout the lagoon. Four “detached” islands draw vacationers, making it one of the beautiful islands in Italy.
The beach-lined Lido is Venice’s playground and Europe’s first beach resort, where royalty gathered at its lavish hotels. Today, it boasts a festive feel and Art Nouveau architecture. Lido is a favorite family destination in Venice.
Murano’s canal is dotted with glassblowers’ studios and businesses selling their work and foreign glass items. Visit the glass museum in the 17th-century Palazzo Giustinian to learn about the glassblowers and the island’s history.
Burano’s colorful waterways are reached by boat. It’s known for lace, yet many of the items in its shops are imported. Visit the Scuola di Merletti and its museum to witness actual lace.
Torcello, near Burano, was the initial site of Venice in the 7th century. The town’s 639 cathedral is the best-preserved example of Venetian-Byzantine architecture. Torcello’s 11th-century mosaics are excellent.
A must-visit in the region of Veneto, the Venetian islands are among the most beautiful islands in Italy.
5. Ischia
Ancient Greeks and Romans were drawn to Ischia’s hot springs, and travelers have since enjoyed its beaches and gard people rens. Spiaggia Citara has all three, with magnificent spa gardens overlooking the shore. Spiaggia dei Maronti, near Sant’Angelo, has three open-air thermal pools.
Summer beaches are crowded, so take a boat taxi to a private area. From Forio on the west coast, visit Giardini Ravino to admire succulents and cacti or La Mortella, designed by Susana and Sir William Walton.
You may take a boat from Naples or Ischia to Procida, a smaller, less-crowded island. Whichever you choose, you’re assured of the best experience only the islands of Italy can provide!
Also read: 14 Best Non-Touristy Cities and Towns in Italy You Must Visit Before They’re Crowded
6. Elba
Definitely one of the most famous islands in Italy, Elba is known for its vast miles of beaches and for being where Napoleon Bonaparte went to live in exile.
Elba is an island south of Livorno off the coast of Tuscany. It has more than 150 beaches. Long stretches of sand lead to coves with pebbles. Families can ski on Sansone’s gentle, shallow slopes. Off cliffs, people often go scuba diving.
Not everything here is a beach. Take the basket-like cable car up Monte Capanne if you like rides that make you dizzy.
Napoleon’s Villa dei Molini in Portoferraio and Villa Napoleone in Monte San Martino are renowned destinations.
7. Aeolian Islands
Cruise ships leave Sicily in the evening to view Stromboli’s nighttime eruptions. Seeing it from a cruise ship on a beautiful Mediterranean night is one of Italy’s most romantic experiences.
You never know what an uncorked hole in the earth may accomplish – it’s a live, active volcano. Stromboli blew off an entire island hillside in 2002.
Stromboli is one of Sicily’s Aeolian Islands, accessed by ferry from Messina or Milazzo. Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Filicudi, Alicudi, and Panarea rise from a 4,000-meter-deep seafloor.
The mild climate, fumaroles and thermal springs, old remains (people have lived here since the Neolithic age), trekking, and water sports make the islands one of Italy’s most popular destinations.
Vulcano and Lipari Aeolian Islands Daily Cruise from Messina visit Lipari and another Aeolian island. For a private boat tour, book here.
8. Borromean Islands
In the mid-1600s, Count Vitaliano Borromeo created a luxurious summer mansion and a terraced garden on the tiny island of Isola Bella outside Stresa on Lake Maggiore to incorporate every element of Italianate gardens into a minimal space.
Both produce a sensual overload of gilded flourishes, enormous salons, sculptures, trees, flowers, and even a shell-encrusted false cave.
It’s a lot of fun to see. Then you’ll enjoy a calm stroll around the adjoining Isola Madre’s extensive gardens and covered lakeside paths, which has its own more modest summer palace.
Stop for lake fish at the even smaller Isola Pescatori, a fishing community that completes the Borromean Islands trilogy.
You may easily visit all three in one day by boat on a Lake Maggiore Isola Bella Hop-On Hop-Off Ferry Tour from Stresa, spending as much time as you wish seeing the palaces and gardens.
For a boat tour of the three Borromean Islands, book here.
9. Ponza
The Pontine Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, between Rome and Naples, are small. Ponza, the largest, is under 8 square kilometers.
Ponza, where Homer’s Odyssey says Circe summered, is popular with Romans but rarely visited by foreigners.
The terrain is steep, so don’t bring a bicycle. The harbor is full of taxi boats and other boats you can rent to explore the island. Or you can also join a round-island cruise with beach and attraction stops.
Arco Naturale, Cala Feola, Roman caves, white cliffs, and sea caves are among these attractions.
Above the harbor, where there’s a promenade, is a botanical garden featuring Mediterranean and exotic flora.
Ponza can be reached via ferry from Naples or southern Rome’s Terracina. For private tours, check out deals here.
10. Tremiti Islands
The Tremiti Islands – tremiti meaning “earthquakes” – are a little-known archipelago in the Adriatic, north of the Gargano Peninsula and part of the largest park in Puglia called Gargano National Park. These are among the most beautiful islands in Italy.
The most populous is San Nicola, but San Domingo has the only sandy beach – Cala delle Arene. Uninhabited islands are Capraia, Cretaccio, and Pianosa.
The islands are a diver’s secret paradise. You can visit isolated coves and snorkeling places to observe the islands by boat. Under the sea are caves, rock formations, black coral, World War II aircraft, and a statue of Padre Pio – a local saint. Some underwater nature routes are suitable for snorkelers.
Water activities and walking routes dominate the Tremiti Islands. However, the towns provide a few attractions, including the Abbey of Santa Maria al Mare and a fortress on San Nicola.
For private boat tours, book here.