Visiting Giglio Island

[ElizabethM]

My family of five, (children ages 10, 13, & 15) are planning on visiting Italy for the first time next June. I read about Giglio Island in my husband's stand up paddle board magazine and since then have investigated it further. We are planning on renting a beach apartment there for severaldays. If anyone has been there themselves I would love to hear how long they would recommend staying on the island. This will be our last stop in Italy after visiting the very popular Rome, Venice, and Tuscany. I love finding places a bit off the beaten path and this location seems more down to earth then many other coastal options.

 

[Jeniekrag]

Ciao Elizabeth,

It is really good that you have opted Giglio Island. The place is really worth visiting. You will enjoy a lot here just surrounded by natural beauty. It is good idea to rent a beach apartment to explore the place fully. I think 4 to 5 days are quite enough to relax and see the surrounding places. Hope you will a nice journey.....ENJOY!!!

 

[Lourdes]

Ciao Elizabeth,

Giglio is a great choice for a place off the beaten path. I've only been there once and it was as a day trip while staying in nearby Orbetello. So while my experience is limited, I can tell you that we really enjoyed the island and would love to return.

It is a small island, with basically 3 small towns, one of the east side which is where the port is (Porto), then another at the top of the island where the castle used to be (called Castello) and another on the west side of the island (Campese). It would be a great place with kids and for just relaxing, soaking up the Italian sun. It is a great idea to put it as the last part of your trip, since you'll definitely want some days to just lounge around and not do much The main attraction, and certainly very beautiful, is the sea and the beaches. Snorkeling is wonderful, as is diving. Hiking is also another activity you could do - we walked from Porto to the castle and then down to Campese - beautiful but very tree cover so we got a lot of sun!

Since you know your kids better you'll be able to determine how long they'll be fine with these activities - you might consider something like 3-5 days total.