During all my research about places to see in Italy, I stumbled across the little island of Ponza. Ponza is an island off the coast of Italy, directly west of Rome. We took a day trip to the island for Matt’s birthday and it was one of the best parts of our summer. Ponza is well known by locals and is a popular summer beach destination for Italians, away from the other more touristy Italian islands. The island is also somewhat famous because Wes Anderson filmed part of the movie “The Life Aquatic” there. Ponza is a much less touristy, more beautiful Capri. During our day trip there we took a boat around the island and had so much fun swimming off the boat in different coves. The geography of the island is absolutely breathtaking and is unlike anything that I had ever seen before. The island is covered with these amazing different colored cliffs, bright white and then sparkling beige which just run smack dab into the ocean. The water is crystal clear and the most beautiful turquoise color. Ponza is also home to one of the world’s most beautiful beaches- Chiaia di Luna. Right now you can only access the beach by boat, because of recent concerns of landslides from the dramatic cliffs that surround the beach cove. At sunset the Chiaia di Luna beach is supposed to literally sparkle. We never got the chance to see the beach at sunset but I would so love to go back. The town in the center of Ponza is also filled with beautiful, upscale shops and restaurants. There were really great restaurant options. Unlike many of the more touristy Italian coast towns, the town is super clean and only filled with Italians! The whole island is totally enchanting and the perfect place to celebrate my most favorite human’s birthday.
