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Ventotene is a well-known birdwatching location as the island serves as an essential stopover point for large numbers of migratory birds. The bird observatory, which was founded in 1988, rings approximately 20,000 birds a year.
Feb 4, 2019 · The small Island of Ventotene is located in the Tyrrhenian sea, near the smaller Santo Stefano Island and between the bigger islands of Ischia, to the east, and Ponza, to the west, about 25...
- Is Ventotene Worth Visiting?
- Things to See and Do in Ventotene, Italy
- Practical Guide to Plan Your Trip
- Further Readings
Ventotene is only 3 km (1.8 miles) long and 800 meters (about half a mile) wide, but it offers enough attractions to please even the most diverse groups of travelers. Classical history buffs will love learning about its Roman heritage, naturalists can observe dozens of different migratory bird species, and if you just want to sit and enjoy the beac...
Villa Julia
Ventotene has been sporadically inhabited ever since the Neolithic, but the first permanent settlement dates back to Roman times, when Emperor Augustus ordered the construction of a sprawling holiday villa on the northern tip of the island. The Villa is named after Augustus’s daughter, who was exiled there after being accused of adultery. After her, the Villa housed four more exiled women, all of whom lived out their days in Ventotene. It is possible to visit Villa Julia on guided tours. Visi...
Ventotene Town
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Ventotene was uninhabited for over 1500 years, before being settled again by Ferdinando, the Bourbon king of Naples, who sent a group of inmates to build a village on the island in the 18th century. Many buildings of what nowadays is the island’s only town actually date back from that time. It’s a wonderful place to walk around – the main square is Piazza Castello, dominated by the yellow castle-shaped municipio (town hall), where you’ll find people hanging...
Roman Cistern
Ventotene Island has no water sources, so the Romans built a complex set of waterworks and cisterns to collect rainwater for the villa and its thermal baths. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the cisterns were emptied, and were used as temporary housing by people visiting the island – mainly sailors, smugglers and hermit monks. When Ferdinando decided to resettle Ventotene, the inmates were also housed in the cisterns, the only structurally sound dwelling on the island. For this reason, the...
How to get to Ventotene Island
Ventotene is too far from Rome for a day trip, but it’s perfect for a weekend break. To get there, hop on any Naples-bound train to Formia/Gaeta – there are hourly departures and travel time is approximately 75 minutes. The harbour is about 15 minutes walk from Formia/Gaeta station. Laziomar runs both slow ferries (2 and a half hours travel time) and fast hydrofoils (1 hour 20). We recommend the former if you are prine to seasickness. Visit the Laziomar websitefor info on the Ventotene ferry...
Where to stay in Ventotene Island
The choice of places to stay in Ventotene is somewhat limited, so if you decide to visit this lovely island make sure to book your room well in advance. Here are a few good options:
Where to eat
Il Giardino– Ventotene’s most upmarket restaurant, serving up a creative menu based on locally-caught fish and vegetables grown in the family farm. The highlight were the paccheri allo scorfano, pasta with rockfish, served tableside by the owner. Un Mare di Sapori– perfect for a dinner or aperitivo, this welcoming restaurant is right on the Roman harbor. The owners are farmers and lots of Ventotene-grown vegetables and pulses feature on the menu, and can also be purchased in the specialty sho...
If you are planning a trip to Rome and central Italy, these posts will be useful: 1. The Best Day Trips From Rome 2. How To Get From Rome To Florence 3. The Best Places To Visit In Tuscia
Jan 20, 2024 · Where is Ventotene? Ventotene is in the Tyrrhenian Sea, part of Italy's Pontine Islands. Sits right where Lazio meets Campania. Nearby spots? There's tiny Santo Stefano. Ischia's to the east, Ponza to the west. It's about 46 kilometers off Gaeta's coast. What's it like? An old volcano, long and skinny.
May 7, 2021 · Where is Ventotene? Ventotene is the southernmost of the Pontine islands. Geographically, it is part of the Flegree Islands even if administratively it is part of the archipelago of the Ponziane Islands, in the province of Latina.
Jun 24, 2022 · Ventotene is located 25 nautical miles from Formia/Gaeta, and roughly 20 miles from both Ponza, the largest island of the Ponziane Archipelago, and Ischia, an island in the Gulf of Naples. It is home to approximately 700 year-round inhabitants, but the population swells to 5000+ during the summer holiday season.
Ventotene can be reached from the Italian mainland and – depending on the ferry timetables – from Ponza. On the mainland, the main port for the islands is Formia (approximately two hours by ferry, one hour by catamaran), with seasonal connections from Naples and other ports.
