Isola del Giglio – Giglio island – is a gorgeous island off the coast of Tuscany. It is not particularly well-known to international visitors to Italy, and is a lovely little secret for those who like village charm, blue seas, sandy beaches and hill walks. The name is pronounced Jeel-yo.
How to get to Isola del Giglio
Giglio is reached by ferry from Porto Santo Stefano, a small port town on Monte Argentario, a large picturesque headland in southern Tuscany. Combining Monte Argentario with Giglio in a two-centre holiday gives variety and allows you to break the journey down more manageably.
The island can be reached from Rome or Tuscan airports by public transport. I flew to Rome from London, travelled by train to the station Orbetello-Monte Argentario, then caught a bus to lovely touristy Porto Ercole, the jewel of Monte Argentario. By evening I was enjoying an aperitivo overlooking the harbour. After a couple of days exploring Monte Argentario, I caught a bus to Porto Santo Stefano, then the ferry to Giglio. You could skip the Porto Ercole part of this trip and take the bus or a taxi directly from Orbetello station to Porto Santo Stefano.
Giglio – what to do and see
The first time I saw Giglio was from an aeroplane, with the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia lying on its side close to shore. The tragedy of this infamous 2012 shipwreck, in which thousands were rescued but 32 people lost their lives, was a sad way for this welcoming island to have its name known worldwide. Today the wreckage is long gone and the waters have been cleared up. There are monuments remembering the disaster, its victims and rescuers.
While the Costa Concordia won’t ever be forgotten here, the island has settled back into a lower-profile existence, where it is a holiday destination for those in the know and travellers prepared to make the journey over land and sea. Giglio has all the usual Italian island attractions: boat trips, secret coves, rocks, restaurants, lighthouses and beaches. As a bonus, it has a little Tuscan hill town of its very own in the upland centre of the island. And even better, for those of us who love combining island trips with hikes, it has good, well-organised and signposted footpaths.
Around the island of Giglio
Giglio Porto is where travellers arrive, and also the most practical place to stay. This is the picturesque village clustered along the shoreline and around the island’s port, on the eastern coast. You’ll find picturesque lanes and rocky inlets, tourist boutiques and a choice of places to eat. Buses run from Giglio Porto to the island’s other two settlements.
Giglio Castello is the old fortified hill town in the centre of the island. It has a wonderfully authentic historic atmosphere, with alleys, lanes and views. You’re further from the sea, which is a bus ride or downhill hike away, but it must be a very atmospheric place to stay overnight. Giglio Castello is a good starting-place for walks, especially when the weather is too hot for much uphill hiking; catch the bus up here (or stay here) and you’ve already gained a lot of altitude and can take footpaths which head downhill to the sea, or contour along the higher levels of the island’s hills.
Giglio Campese is on the north-western coast of the island and boasts the island’s largest and most developed beach, as well as a beach-resort type settlement. I walked down footpaths from Giglio Castello to arrive at Campese, cooled-off on the beach, and took the easier option of a bus back to Giglio Porto afterwards.
Three other beaches are on the same coast as the port and can all be reached on foot (if you’re energetic and enjoy scenic mule paths along the coast). I made several visits to the Spiaggia delle Cannelle, a short road walk (or taxi ride) from Giglio Porto, and very charming, fairly unspoiled though popular. Further south, Spiaggia delle Caldane can only be reached on foot or by boat; nevertheless gets busy and lively. And north of the port is the Spiaggia dell’Arenella. Each of these beaches is small, has some sunbeds for hire as well as some free beach (spiaggia libera) and each has its own character.
Ideally a stay on the island will be long enough to let you explore the island’s various beaches and settlements and pick your own favourites. I found it a hospitable and delightfully varied place to stay. I could relax on a beach in the morning, catch a bus uphill for a hike, enjoy a picnic or restaurant lunch, visit another beach before the evening passeggiata, when I could enjoy a village aperitivo before a harbourside meal.
I visited in the middle of September, when the weather was still almost too hot for tough hikes, but ideal for beach time. I picked little island blackberries to eat on a walk, along with figs from an abandoned cultivated area. As a fantastic bonus, I was on the island for the extended celebrations of the Festa di San Mamiliano (15th September). There was a colourful procession through the lanes of Giglio Castello bearing the saint’s relics, accompanied by a marching band, and there was a party with folk dancing for all just outside the town walls.
Where to stay on the island of Giglio
As I’ve said above, Giglio Porto is the most practical place to stay. It’s easy, as you can walk to your accommodation straight from the ferry. Three of the island’s lovely beaches are on this side of the island. And you can catch the bus (or take a taxi) up to Giglio Castello or over to Giglio Campese. The harbour town has a good choice of places to stay and it’s a scenic spot with the most to do by day and night.
For a relaxed beach holiday, Campese may appeal to some visitors. And Giglio Castello can offer great atmosphere and views as well as footpath access.
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- Isola del Giglio accommodation: hotels, B&Bs and apartments – a complete search for the whole island.
- I stayed in the excellent B&B La Rosada on the upper slopes of Giglio Porto; a very convenient place to stay.
