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Tucked away one hour off the coast of Tuscany, is a hidden gem of an island where time seems to stand still. Still mostly undiscovered by tourists, and with only a handful of hotels on the island, Giglio is an idyllic must-visit for anyone searching for a slower pace of life, crystalline waters, and excellent food.
Giglio as seen from the ferry
Isola del Giglio came to a spot of infamy a few years ago when the cruise ship Costa Concordia crashed against the rocks near the port of the island. The wreckage of the ship is now gone, and life on the island has returned to normal.
Perhaps the reason for it's relative lack of popularity amongst tourists is the journey needed to get there - and the hurdles with finding accommodation on the island if you go out of season. I went in early April this year, just after Easter, and there was only one hotel open on the entire island, The Hotel Castello Monticello. Rates were very reasonable, with a double bedroom for 6 nights (breakfast included) costing £204. Most other hotels don't open until late April, when the weather is warming up - but we had wonderful and sunny 20°C for the week we were there, and even dipped our toes (or, if you're me, more than that) in the chilly Mediterranean waters.
Enjoying the chilly Med waters with a glass of Prosecco in hand
Getting to Giglio is straightforward if you have a car: it's a 2-hour drive from Rome's Fuimicino airport to seaside town of Porto Santo Stefano, where the ferry then finishes off the trip to Giglio. During summer months, particularly August, the number of cars allowed on the island is restricted so cars may need to be left at Porto Santo Stefano. This is because the paved roads on Giglio are small and not designed for an influx of holidaymakers.
If you don't have a car, it will require a train from Rome - you can pick one up either in main terminal Termini or from the airport with a change at Trastevere - going to Pisa. Hop off the train at Orbetello Monte Argentario station, where you'll board a bus (line 001) to Porto Santo Stefano. The bus stop is directly outside the station and will drop passengers off in the port where the ferries leave from. Train tickets cost around £7 and the bus ticket was another £1 in each direction. You can also fly into Pisa and take the train in the opposite direction, going to Rome. This takes about half an hour longer than coming from Rome.
If you are flying into Rome in the afternoon, I recommend spending a night in Rome (we stayed at the Starhotels Metropole which is within walking distance of the station) and getting a late morning train out from Roma Termini. We timed it so we were on the 10:12am train, which got us to Porto Santo Stefano around 1pm - perfect time for a relaxed lunch at Osteria La Terrazza before boarding the ferry.
There are two ferry operators that run regular ferries to and from Giglio: Maregiglio and Toremar. They each have their own schedules and prices, though the variation in price between them is minimal. It's always worth checking ferry timetables in advance, especially during low season, as they don't always run every hour and can stop quite early in the day.
Giglio Porto
Once on Giglio, there are three main settlements:
Campese beach
Getting between each settlement can be done on foot if there are keen hikers in the group, and indeed there are more hiking trails than paved roads on the island. But Giglio is a mountainous island so if you prefer a more relaxed and less strenuous mode of transport, there are regular buses that stop at each settlement - and other request-stops along the way, including Hotel Castello Monticello. Tickets can be bought via contactless card payments on the bus of via the AT-bus app. You can also rent scooters or bikes from the port.
As a lot of the island was still shut when we visited, we had almost the entirety of Campese beach to ourselves. Over the weekend, a group of intrepid hikers descended from Rome into the only beach bar that was open, Lo Scoglio, sending the owners into a frenzy. As we were in no rush, it made no difference to us as we enjoyed our wine and the fabulous tomato and mozzarella sandwiches - they were so good, we kept going back there for more of those sandwiches!
Life on the island isn't for those keen on nightclubs or bar-hopping, though the port has a lively nightlife with all its bars and restaurants overlooking the promenade and sea. But for those in search of a slower way of life, Giglio has that to offer in spades, along with friendly people and fantastic food.
Views from Castello
Much like the rest of the region, Giglio restaurants and bars will often bring snacks and a bite to eat for free when drinks are ordered. We were pleasantly surprised by this, and greatly missed the tradition when we got back home!
For unparalleled views out over the sea and neighbouring islands, Bumbabar sits atop the mountain, but outside the Castello so you get sweeping views from the drinks terrace. For equally amazing views (if more hidden away behind small castle windows) and fabulous food, Ristorante Da Maria is a staple on the island and was a Michelin-starred restaurant for two consecutive years. Most places don't have their own websites, but you hardly need them - in such a small island, you'll be sure to wander into the places if you spend long enough meandering the streets and alleyways.
One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the Castellari vineyard. They are one of the smallest vineyards on Giglio, but the only one - so far - who invite visitors to their site, providing a wine tasting and stunning views of the sunset.
Sunset views from Castellari vineyard, with branded glass
In fact, one of the joys of visiting Giglio was getting to try the local white wine, Ansonica. The name comes from the grape variety, Ansonia, which is low in acid. The acidic and rocky granite soil of the island, along with the salt air give the wine structure and a mineral "edge". The grapes are also grown in Sicily, known there as Inzolia. There are 4 different vineyards on Giglio, each bringing their own touch to the grapes and it is well worth a taste test of each whilst sitting in Porto, watching the boats come in (the ferries provided endless entertainment as we watched the nose open to allow cars to disembark without the need for it to turn around in the narrow port), or enjoying the sunset in Campese. The bottles are hard to find outside of Giglio and even harder outside of Italy, making it a unique experience for the island.
Senti Oh! are the biggest producers on Giglio
In the end, despite the fact that many places were still shut, it was a wonderful holiday. I was celebrating a milestone birthday, and couldn't have asked for a better place to do so. The fact that we had no need to make dinner reservations each evening, and didn't have to worry about securing a good spot on the beach, or being able to catch the bus, made for a very relaxed trip. And Giglio itself stole all our hearts...