Tiny, charming island offers taste of pure Italy

The charm of Ventotene is apparent the moment you spot it from the boat transporting you to its shores. Sitting there like a lonely sponge cake protruding from the surface of a clear blue plate, the island’s sheer size — or lack thereof — promises something not only special but personal.
Arriving on this tiny island off the west coast of Italy, you enter the port built into the side of the volcanic island by the ancient Romans and only recently developed and expanded to provide for heavier traffic. The fishermen’s boats lining the harbor along with pizza and scuba shops give the island that quintessential small-town Italian feel.

CNN Travel
6 Ottobre 2008