Combing the Italian Waters for Mediterranean Gems: Giglio, Ahoy!

"After a thoroughly satisfying day of gamboling through Giglio's jasmine, lavendar and orange tree-laced hills, I stared in serenity at its turquoise and royal blue waters..." 

Red Lighthouse, Giglio Porto.

Cypresses at Giglio's Heights.

Read more below...

Giglio. Friends had spoken of it, and until I was offered the opportunity to visit this hidden Italian gem one balmy Sunday in early April, I considered Giglio to be special merely because it was another gorgeous island among the dozens that Italy already has on offer. I imagined that, like Capri, Giglio was one of those names one could coolly bandy about in the office on Monday morning and then forget. I was so wrong.

Giglio is part of the Tuscan archipelago that also includes the legendary islands of Elba and Monte Cristo. The lesser-known Giglio and even smaller Giannutri sit about 45 minutes away from Southern Tuscany.

Giglio is a living, breathing, old world community that stretches around its relatively untouched coast. It does not host anything akin to the touristic droves that flood Capri; instead, pockets of life and a handful of tourists steadily make their way up to one of the mountainous island’s highest peaks, where one will find the old borgo, the medieval town that surrounds Giglio Castle.

The whole of the scene of Giglio is quiet and truly picture-perfect, with innocent, colorful boats gently floating in the shallow lapping waters, and the aroma of herbs and Mediterranean flowers wafting serendipitously over the senses. Cliches aside, the villages of Giglio are made up of normal people going about their quotidian lives.

Giglio Castle attests to the island’s long history of dealing with the corsairs of the Barbary Coast: while Giannutri was a hide-out for the pirates of the Middle Ages, and the large swathe of the Tuscan and Laziale coasts known as the Maremma were raided time and again, Giglio was sufficiently fortified and armed to withstand most attacks; it rarely suffered any truly grim defeats by the Turkish and other sea marauders of the day, and its inhabitants were witting enough to turn attempted sackings to their advantage, selling to the corsairs much-needed foodstuffs born from the land.

There is little sign of pirate attacks today of course, although one will notice the slits cut into the castle from whence inhabitants could spy, hide from and deter the approach of enemies. Still, all you will find in 2011 are a few very good restaurants, hanging laundry, and every now and then a chain of keys left in the locks of front doors - the evidence of not only a friendly population, but a very trusting one at that.

Speaking of restaurants and the fruits of Giglio and its pristine coast, lunch was truly a treat, for the hedonist and the merely hungry alike. Ristorante da Maria, set in one of the nooks and crannies of the castle walls, offered up views of the sea and primi plates of strangozzi - short, thin and spindly noodles normally served by the staff with shrimp and zucchini, but with which I ate a generous quantity of exceedingly large and delicious clams. For the secondo, a mixture of delicately-fried seafood was the order of the day, with fresh calamari and prawns the perfect reward for having made the upward and winding journey to the borgo - even if admittedly that journey was made by motorbike and not by foot.

Although at lunch I ran into a few of my fellow ferry passengers, for most of the afternoon I think I encountered four or five other souls as I was transported via scooter to Campese, the second harbor town on Giglio, which boasts a scuba school, as well as several motels and summer homes for rent.

Leaving Campese, my guide drove daringly through rough, rocking and rolling trails; given that we were on our rented motorbike, I kept imagining that these routes, in actuality meant for trekking and mountain biking, would have us tumbling head over wheels down to the bottom of Giglio’s spiraling and bumpy landscape. Fortunately, we returned our scooter safely and on time, and then proceeded back to the port, where we took in the early evening sun and wandered the docks and piers, gazing at heaps of fishing nets and bold-colored lighthouses, and examining the wares of various shops and merchants.

In the days of yore pirates and corsairs aggressively scoured this part of the Tyrrhenian – for the supposed treasures of Monte Cristo, and for their regular rations of bread and olive oil provided by the Gigliese. As fortune would have it for the islanders of Giglio, they did not have much in the way of riches to defend, although the next best commodity for their would-be-captors were the Gigliese themselves.

Nevertheless, every time I return to Giglio, I rediscover the plunder of which no sixteenth-century scalawag could ever have robbed it. Standing at Giglio Porto at sunset, after a thoroughly satisfying day of gamboling through its jasmine, lavendar and orange tree-laced hills, I stared in serenity at its turquoise and royal blue waters, feeling as if I had just found a share of the jewels and golden coins of Monte Cristo.

When to go: May and June are the best months to go to Giglio, just before high season. April is lovely as well, as visitors will find much of the island to themselves. July and August are the hottest (but refreshing in any case, as the sea is all around you) and when you will encounter the most tourist traffic (N.B. tourists at Giglio are Italians for the most part, as very few foreigners other than expatriates have heard of it). Whenever you decide to go, you can spend a weekend or even a week there. Access to the mainland is easy and frequent, but you won't want to leave Giglio - whether you want to stay active or just be, the island truly accommodates a variety of vacation styles.

How to get there and get around: The best way to get there is to take a ferry for 11 Euro from Porto Santo Stefano, one of the port towns that nestle cozily in the promontory known as Monte Argentario (or L’argentario for those who refer to it familiarly as their weekend home away from home). Ferries run all day but frequency varies from month to month. Visit www.maregiglio.it.

If you feel competent enough to drive a scooter up and down the by-turns steep inclines and sharp curves of Giglio’s dramatic terrain, you can rent them from several outlets near the port for, on average, 50 Euro for four hours. Otherwise check the island’s bus lines, or just as good, grab a map and find the best routes for walking.

Where to stay: If you decide to overnight it on Giglio, you can find all types of recommended lodging at Giglioinfo.com.

What to eat:

Ristorante Da Maria

Cucina tipica
Via Casamatta 12, Giglio Castello
Tel. 0564 806062
Web: www.ristorantedamaria.it


If you’re looking for a quick meal or snack, Porta Via (Take Away) has a large variety of pizza, olive all’ascolana, and several other Italian fast food items.

Porta Via
Ristorante, Pizzeria, Rosticceria, and Take Away
Via Umberto, Giglio Porto
Tel. 0564 808006