Ponza, the largest of the Pontine Islands, is my favorite weekend escape. Located just 2 hours from Rome, Ponza walks the line between remoteness and accessibility and offers a watery respite from the city’s summer heat. You can read more about Ponza in this weekend’s NYT Travel section here. My article is beautifully illustrated by photographer Nadia Shira Cohen.

Photo credit: Ed Anderson for Food of the Italian Islands.