PONZA ISLAND - RENT BOATS

Ponza

When from the sea the shape of an island appears, there it becomes a site of the soul... close to the shore, cliffts and overhanging rocks inspire us awe and woder... on the land, legends and tale of the inhabitants wake up the sailors heart...

The island of Ponza is situated 23 miles off southern coast of Latium and it is the largest of the Ponziane islands. This arcipelago is composed of two groups of isles placed from NW to SW which stand about 22 miles apart. The North-West group includes Ponza and the smaller islands of Palmarola, Gavi and Zannone. In the south-east group Lie Ventotene and the islet of S. Stefano. Rhe myth, the history and the klegend grow intertwined on this land in the middle of the Tyrrherian Sea and the people's fantasy, which echoes them, has picturesquely named all the plces. The island's periplus begins from the harbour, an old complex built during the period of the Bourbon's coloniztion, with its harmonious architecture that makes it one of the most beautiful landing in the Mediterranean Sea. Sailing southwards we immediately meet the signs of an old world: the Pilate's Grottoes, a moray pool hollwed out by the Romans about 2000 years ago. Today it is possible to visit the pools and explore the tunnels which comunicate among the different spots; opposte to this site are the Faraglioni della Madonna which protect the east side of Ponza roadstead. Going on with the tour, we meet the Parata beachand towards south the calzone Muto stacks and the Bagno Vecchio Beach, with its decorated cliffs of splendid white tuff. Punta della Guardia is the southern limit of the island, if you pass it the trip goes on along the enchanted west coast. Here the rocks along the cliffts present lost of shades of yellow, red blue, green and white, which make contrasts and complete themselves with the sea colours.

Ponza Island

Rising towards north we can see Punta del Fieno and the splendid Chiaia di Luna Beach with its sickle-shaped profile and a cliff rising out more than 100 meters reflecting its soft-yellow and grey colours into the sea. The beach is well equipped and can be reached directly walking from the center of the island through a tunnel of the Roman period. The bay where the beach is situated ends to the north with Capo Bianco, which is the beginning of an endless series of inlets and natural caves that bring to the memory old stories nowforgotten. The Faraglioni di Lucia Rosa, with a beach reachable just by sea, is one of the most impressive landscapes of the tour.Past Capo Bosco we find cala Feola and the Piscine naturali, natural pools created by the steady action of the sea , which evoke to the sailors spots of fantastic worlds. You can also walk to these.

Le Forna...

Places from the small village of Le Forna. Going on sailing round we find Cala dell' Acqua; Punta Papa, with a sixteenth century bourbon fortress standing on top; Cala Cecata; the cosy and charming cala Fonte, a little area of only rocks accessible directy from the main road of the island. Near Punta Beppe Antonio there is a corner of extraordinary wild beauty named Cala Felci. This represents the most northern limit of Ponza and its rocky walls have plenty of flourishing rare ferns. Here just a narrow passage separates the northern cape of the major island from the islet of Gavi. Coming to starboard, we start sailing the eastern coast up to cala Gaetano, a very beautiful rocky shore where you can walk down a stepped path in the cliff. sailing back to the harbour we notce landscapes quite differentfrom tjose of the west coast: on the other side large bays follows one another broken in their continuity by promontories which were named by the people's fantasy after the characters of old stories and legends.

Island of Circe

These natural beauties may be toured only by sea, starning from cala Schiavone, where in the middle of the bay stands in its charming stateliness the Arco Naturale, also known as Spaccapolpo, which comes out from a light blue depth, covered by very fine sand and posidonia bushes. Beyond the Aniello Antonio Rock and Punta Nera there is Cala Inferno, one among the most striking places of the island's perimeter with rocks of soft white tuff spotted with darker crests that evoke an old castel walls. Cala Core is an elusive gritty beach surmounted by a sheer cliff on qhich a rhyolitic bleeding heart is engraved. Along the southside of this bech are the Grotta degli Smeraldi, the Piana Bianca or Scoglio della Foca, a little promontory of white tuff that the wind and the sea have been esten away a big seal.

Beyond the Punta del Fortino, where a fortress to guard the entrance of the harbour was built on its top in the 18th century, is the large gritty sandy beach of Frontone, one of the most thronged places of all, connected to the harbour with a rapid and no-stop serviceof shuttle boats. It may also be possible to walk to this beach from the main road through a countryside path surrounded by coloured spots of orange rocksand green Mediterranean bushes, which give the place a sunny and loveable looking. The last part of the tour end with the two big cliffs that lead to thye Scoglio della Ravia and the Casocavallo Rock, which stabnd in front of the port to embrace the harbour roadstead, where the islander fishermen interwove myths and tales have contributed to the charm and mystery and wild beauty of the island of Circe.