Palmarola - 10 Things to Know Before Visiting

Palmarola is cliffy and mostly uninhabited island, located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the west coast of Italy. It is rather small, 3 kilometres in length and 300 meters in width. The coast of the island is extremely rocky, with clear waters and dotted with natural grottos, bays and crags. The island is primarily a nature reserve. There are a handful of ports where boats can land. Several restaurants open in the summer season to cater for tourists. Palmarola has only a few beaches.

To reach the island, you have to rent a boat from the nearby larger and more populated island of Ponza. Palmarola is about 6.5 kilometres away from Ponza. The island itself is unbelievably beautiful, with clear waters. The coast is full of coves, caves and spectacular rocky cliffs.

Palmarola is most notable for its part in the death of Pope Silverius.

Pope Silverius was bishop of Rome from 8 June 536 to his deposition in 537, a few months before his death. He had a rapid rise to prominence from a deacon to the papacy which coincided with the efforts of Ostrogothic king Theodahad, who intended to install a pro-Gothic candidate just before the Gothic War.

Pope Silverius was later deposed by Byzantine general Belisarius. He was tried by the wife of Belisarius, Antonina, who accused him of conspiring with the Goths. He was sent to exile on Palmarola island, where he starved to death in 537.

The best time to visit Palmarola is in the summer months. It is the popular month on the island so if you want to avoid crowds, visit on weekdays in the morning. You will be ready to leave in a few hours by the time most of the crows start to come in.

1. In its main beach, it is recommended to use diving shoes as there are numerous sea urchins.
2. In the summer months, the island will be packed with people.
3. Be very careful while exploring the rocky cliffs. It is dangerous and you do not want to fall.
4. Check the weather before you book any boats. If the weather is choppy, the captain will abandon the journey midway. And it is also not nice to explore the island in bad weather.

1. As per the famous French explorer and oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Palmarola is the most Beautiful Island in the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Pope Silverius - the bishop of Rome from 8th June 536 to 537 was exiled to and starved to death on Palmarola in 537.

It is worth spending a full day at Palmarola. The boat trip itself is incredible offering a spectacular view of the island. And once you are there, you can take a swim in the crystal clear waters and explore the coves around the island. The rocky cliffs of the island can also be explored.

From Ponza, Palmarola island is 6.5 kilometres away by boat. You will have to hire a boat to reach it. There are also scheduled shuttle boats (25€/30€) to Palmarola from Molo Musco in Ponza port but check with the locals to get more details.

Ponza is 110 kilometres away from the city of Naples. From the port of Naples, you can take the ferry to Ponza which will take about three hours of journey.

There is no fee to enter Palmarola island. But the boat from Ponza could cost you anything between 25 to 150 Euros depending on your luck.

Palmarola island is open 24 hours. The boat trips to the island will depend very much on the weather for the day.