A little island.
Endless discoveries.

If you visit Giglio on a day trip, you will probably spend much of your time in this charming harbour town. To the right of the harbour is a small sandy beach called Scalettino. From there, you can continue on foot to a rocky beach, where the rocks are large and flat enough to spread out a towel. The harbour is a great place to browse souvenirs, including beautiful ceramics and handmade jewellery. There are also plenty of outdoor bars where you can stop for a coffee or a glass of wine before you leave.

An uphill road leads to Giglio Castello, which you can reach by taxi or bus. Keen walkers can also walk the roughly 3 kilometres from the harbour. This fortified medieval village stands at the island’s highest point. Its walls offer sweeping views over the turquoise Tyrrhenian Sea. There is also a Baroque church with important religious works, including a carved ivory crucifix. It is a pleasure to wander through the narrow stone streets. There are few shops or bars: the village is quiet and sparsely inhabited.

This is the island’s liveliest resort area. On the western side of Giglio, about 5 kilometres from Giglio Porto, Giglio Campese has the island’s largest sandy beach, set in a sheltered bay. Bars and restaurants line the beach. Beach clubs and private beach areas offer deckchairs and parasols for hire, alongside several free public stretches. The bay’s landmarks are the Faraglione, a single rock rising 20 metres out of the water on the left, and the fortified medieval Torre del Campese on the other side. Its west‑facing position makes it a wonderful place to watch the sunset.

The island offers dives for certified divers of different levels. Each dive, including some around offshore shoals, starts in shallow water at a comfortable depth.

For scuba divers, the island is a paradise, with abundant marine life and shipwrecks offshore. Most diving centres are in Giglio Porto. If you bring your own snorkelling equipment, you can explore the water almost anywhere. In calm conditions, you may soon find yourself swimming among sole and moray eels.

The island also offers plenty of opportunities to watch wild birds. Species range from small sparrows to gulls and birds of prey, including nocturnal hunters.

Trails cross the island and lead into its more secluded, wild corners, where a herd of goats may be your only company. The name Giglio comes from the Latinised Greek word Aegilion, meaning goat. Routes range from fairly easy walks to moderately challenging hikes.

At the southern tip of the island, the red‑and‑white lighthouse stands on the highest rock of the seaward‑facing slope. To reach this beautiful corner of Giglio, follow the scenic road south from Giglio Castello by car or scooter. At the end of the road, a dirt path leads to Punta del Capel Rosso, the island’s southernmost point. The path descends gradually through typical Mediterranean scrub. The walk takes about an hour and there is no shade. At the end, you reach one of Giglio’s most secluded and atmospheric places.

Giglio is more than the sea, beautiful beaches and underwater scenery. Visit the north‑western area around the Franco promontory to discover the island’s mining past and the stories of the farmers and fishermen who lived here.