PONTINE ISLANDS

A FEW MILES FROM THE LAZIO COAST, THE ARCHIPELAGO OF THE PONTINE ISLANDS, DESPITE ITS EASY ACCESS (36 MILES FROM NETTUNO AND 21 MILES FROM SAN FELICE CIRCEO), IT HAS MANAGED TO KEEP NATURE AND THE SEA INTACT AND UNSPOILED. CONSIDERED, SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, AS SHOWN BY THE INNUMERABLE VESTIGES OF ROMAN AND PRE-ROMAN TIMES, ONE OF THE MOST SUGGESTIVE AND ENCHANTING OF THE WHOLE MEDITERRANEAN, IT IS FORMED BY SIX ISLANDS OF VOLCANIC ORIGIN WITH A VARIETY OF LANDSCAPES, BAYS AND INLETS OF EXCEPTIONAL BEAUTY. THEY CONSIST OF TWO GROUPS: THE FIRST FORMED BY FOUR ISLANDS TO THE SOUTH-WEST OF THE CIRCEO: PONZA, GAVI, ZANNONE AND PALMAROLA, AND THE SECOND SOUTH-EAST ORIENTED, COMPARED TO THE FIRST, FORMED BY VENTOTENE AND S. STEFANO.

PONZA

PONZA, IN ADDITION TO BEING THE LARGEST ISLAND, WHERE THE MARITIME AUTHORITIES ARE LOCATED, THE CARABINIERI, THE CLINIC, A SERIES OF SUPPLY AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES FOR BOATING (SHIPYARDS, FUEL DISTRIBUTOR, DIVING CENTER, REFILL AND SPECIALIZED SUPPLIERS FOR FISHING, ETC.) IT IS ALSO THE MOST FREQUENTED BY TOURISTS. THE PROXIMITY OF ITS PORT ALLOWS IN FACT A VERY FAST CONNECTION WITH THE COAST (FROM ANZIO AND FROM FORMIA ABOUT 1 H OF HYDROFOIL). ON THE WAY TO THE PHLEGRAEAN AND MORE EXACTLY 20 MILES FROM PONZA, HALF WAY TO ISCHIA, WE FIND S. STEFANO AND VENTOTENE. THE LATTER, IN ADDITION TO THE OLD ROMAN PORT (PORT NICOLA), WHERE ACCESS IS ALLOWED ONLY TO BOATS WITHIN 12 METERS, HAS THE NEW PORT ADJACENT (CALA ROSSANO). DURING CROWDED PERIODS, IT IS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE A ROADSTEAD, BETWEEN THE GENNARINO JETTY AND THE RAVIA ROCK. GROUND SERVICES INCLUDE: FUEL DISTRIBUTOR - SLIPWAY AND SLIPWAY - MOBILE CRANE AND STORAGE - ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL REPAIRS - REPAIR OF WOODEN HULLS AND VTR - MOORING AND DIVERS. THE WHOLE ISLAND IS BORDERED BY INLETS AND BAYS, WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO REPAIR DEPENDING ON EXPOSURE TO WINDS:

CALA INFERNO AND ANSA DELLO SCHIAMONE, SHELTERED FROM SW TO NW. FROM CALA INFERNO IT IS POSSIBLE TO REACH, THROUGH A STAIRCASE CARVED IN THE TUFF, THE VILLAGE OF LE FORNA, WHICH OVERLOOKS THE WEST COAST AT THE HEIGHT OF CALA DI FEOLA, WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO FIND VARIOUS TYPICAL RESTAURANTS.

CALA DI FEOLA AND DELL'ACQUA, SHELTERED FROM THE WINDS OF THE 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD QUADRANTS. ON THE SOUTH-WEST SIDE IN THE CALA DI FEOLA, THERE IS A SMALL MARINA OR YOU CAN ANCHOR IN THE HARBOR OF THE MARINA. SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE PLACE ARE THE POOLS, TUBS DUG OUT OF THE SEA FROM THE TUFF. IN THE CALA DELL'ACQUA IT IS POSSIBLE TO FIND PROTECTION TO THE MISTRAL REDUNDANT BEHIND THE PUNTA DEL PAPA.

CALA DI LUCIA ROSA, SHELTERED FROM THE WINDS OF THE 1ST AND 2ND QUADRANTS, THIS PARTICULARLY BEAUTIFUL STRETCH OF COAST IS CHARACTERIZED BY A SERIES OF CAVES AND FARAGLIONI.

CHIAIA DI LUNA, EXCELLENT SHELTER FOR THE EAST AND FOR THE OTHER WINDS OF THE 1ST QUADRANT, GOOD THE SANDY BOTTOM FOR ANCHORING. FROM THE BEAUTIFUL BEACH YOU ARRIVE THROUGH A TUNNEL DUG BY THE ROMANS TO THE TOWN OF PONZA.

PALMAROLA

A WILD AND UNINHABITED ISLAND, IT IS THE WESTERNMOST OF THE ARCHIPELAGO: ITS COASTS ARE SURROUNDED BY NUMEROUS DANGERS, BUT YOU WILL FIND EXCELLENT ANCHORAGES THERE. IT OFFERS BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC VIEWS, ESPECIALLY AT SUNSET. ONE OF THESE IS THE FARAGLIONE DI MEZZOGIORNO, WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH A CAVE: ONCE INSIDE YOU WILL BE DAZZLED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE LANDSCAPE AND THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE WATER, YOU WILL NOT RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO TAKE A DIP. IN CALA DEL PORTO IN SUMMER YOU CAN FIND A SMALL RESTAURANT ON THE SHORE, ONE OF THE FEW BUILDINGS ON THE ISLAND. WE RECOMMEND A VISIT TO PUNTA TRAMONTANA, FROM WHERE YOU CAN ADMIRE A BEAUTIFUL COVE CALLED "THE CATHEDRAL", FOR THE SHEER CLIFF THAT REACHES THE SEA AND THE LARGE INLETS THAT RECALL THIS IMAGE. ANOTHER CAVE, AMONG THE NUMEROUS, TO VISIT IS THE GROTTA DEL GATTO, WHICH HOUSES A SOURCE OF FRESH WATER INSIDE.

VENTOTENE

STARTING FROM PONZA AND HEADING FOR THE FLEGREE, THE ISLANDS OF VENTOTENE AND SANTO STEFANO MEET AT ABOUT 22 MILES. THE OLD PORT OF THE ISLAND OF VENTOTENE, PORTO NICOLA, WAS DUG BY THE ROMANS IN THE TUFF, AS WELL AS THE BOLLARDS AND THE PORTICO ALONG THE WHOLE QUAY, STILL PERFECTLY WORKING. AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PORT AND MORE PRECISELY AT THE BASE OF THE TUFF BLOCK WHERE THE LIGHTHOUSE STANDS, IT IS POSSIBLE TO RECOGNIZE THE ROMAN FISH MARKET FOR FISH FARMING, EQUIPPED WITH AN INGENIOUS SYSTEM OF WATER EXCHANGE THROUGH DUCTS THAT FLOW INTO TWO COVERED POOLS.

THE ISLAND HAS MANY OTHER WONDERFUL HISTORICAL TESTIMONIES INCLUDING: THE REMAINS OF A LARGE ROMAN COMPLEX TOWARDS PUNTA EOLO; THE BOURBON STAIRCASE AND THE FORTRESS. IN ADDITION TO THE OLD PORT, TO THE NORTH ADJACENT IS THE PORTO NUOVO (CALA ROSSANO) PROTECTED BY A QUAY OF BREAKWATER.

THE PORT OFFERS SERVICES SUCH AS: FUEL DISTRIBUTOR, WATER, ELECTRICITY, FOOD SUPPLY, ICE AND NAUTICAL SHOPS.

OTHER SAFE AREAS ARE:

· CALA PARATA GREAT FOR SHELTERING FROM THE EASTERN WINDS, ALTHOUGH IT IS THE ONLY NATURAL SHELTER FROM THE WINDS OF THE LIBECCIO, WE MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE ARE IN ZONE B OF THE MARINE RESERVE, THEREFORE ANCHORING AND MOTOR NAVIGATION IS FORBIDDEN.

· CALA NAVE AND PARATA DELLA POSTINA FOR THE SHELTER FROM THE WINDS OF THE FOURTH QUADRANT, ZONE C OF THE MARINE RESERVE, WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO ANCHOR OUTSIDE THE FOUR BUOYS THAT DELIMIT THE RESERVED AREA.