Ristorante La Marina – Ponza

It’s not easy to get to one of my favorite beaches in Ponza. And I certainly would never had made my way there if my friend Gillian hadn’t pointed the way. Last summer I was staying in the port and Gillian was staying on the other side of the Island, in Le Forna. So I got in a taxi (there are six I think on the island) and headed up and over the hill to meet her for a pre-beach cappuccino.

The taxi driver of course knew exactly where I was going. And as we got closer to the bar he even said ‘There’s your friend.’ Ponza is that small.

After our iced cappuccino we walked past a few buildings and then down what can only be described as a kind of goat path. Actually, it’s a bit better than that, but barely. At certain points there are structures that kind of look like stairs. Creatively made stairs, each one a different height. Sometimes there was a wooden railing too.

What was constant, if you dared to look up from where your feet were? Views. Like amazing views waaaaaay down to the turquoise colored sea in what seemed to be a far away cove.

I’m exaggerating of course, but it is a hike. But a hike well worth it.  Because Cala Feola is one of the few beaches on the island that you can actually get to by land. Most of the small coves around this island are boat access only. So even though it is a hike? At least it’s a hike and not a boat ride.

After what seemed like 200 steps we made it to Cala Feola, and – since Gillian knows all about these things – we had made it early enough to get a beach chair in the first row of the stabilimento near the water. And their we parked ourselves for the entire day. Taking breaks to swim, or get cool drinks from the bar magically set up behind us.

At lunch time though we took another mini hike (more of a stroll) to far end of the beach where a weather-beaten shack was perched on the rocks. La Marina is one of those perfect beach side restaurants you only find in Italy.

First of all we ordered a bottle of rose’ made from local grapes. Which of course made everything look even better. For lunch we just ordered a bunch of small plates to split. Grilled sardines, fresh and briney; a mess of escarole sauteed with olive oil, tomatoes and olives. My favorite though was their version of parmigiana. In the summer every beach side restaurant serves a version of this iconic dish. Usually it’s eggplant. Sometimes it’s zucchini (a recipe for that is in my book) But La Marina wins the award for most original Parmigiana ever: cactus paddle. It was so fresh that we actually saw them come in with the basket of freshly harvested paddles and went back into the kitchen to watch them being cleaned.

We also amused ourselves by watching people come and go, by land and by sea. (We were hoping to get a sighting of Beyonce, who is rumored to have come here last summer off her yacht. ) When the last drop of rose was finished we strolled back to our lounge chairs and napped the rest of the afternoon away. Yes, we would have a hike back up the hill, but that’s the price you pay for perfect beach day.

For more advise on eating in Italy download my app EAT ITALY . Eat Italy is a free app, with in-app purchases for Rome, Venice and Florence. Other cities and regions (Milan, Torino, Umbria, Puglia, Naples, Amalfi) are completely free. Thanks to the miracle of digital publishing, I’ll be updating the content constantly. Once you download EAT ITALY you will automatically receive new updates. The app is available for both iTunes and Android.

For more about traveling around Italy, following your appetite to out of the way places , buy my book Eating My Way Through Italy. And if you’d like to recreate your own Italian meal at home, my book The Italian Table: Creating Festive Meals for Family and Friends, has all the recipes you’ll need (including an entire chapter on eating on the beach in Italy)

If you’d like to join me for a Week in Italy, exploring places like these, I’d love to have you! For my current schedule see my website. And for day tours in Rome and Puglia, contact my daughter Sophie