Why Islands? As Thurston Clarke said in his popular book about islands, "an island not worth a visit is inconceivable". Islands can be an alluring retreat from the modern world. They are magical places that conjure up an exotic image of sun, sand, sea and palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze. All islands hold a mysterious fascination and the Italian Islands are no exception.

Why the Italian Islands? Italy is one of the world’s most popular destinations for its ice-cream, its delicious and internationally renowned cuisine, its beautiful countryside, and its picturesque old hilltop towns, not to mention its art, history and culture. Whilst the Italian Islands all have a distinctly Italian flavour, each is an individual world with so much to be discovered. Italy’s islands are a favourite holiday destination with the Italians themselves and they have understandably done their best to keep these beautiful gems a secret. For the most part, the islands are still not mainstream tourist destinations yet offer wonderful holidays off the beaten track. The Italian islands really do have something for everyone, whether you want amazing beaches, clean and clear seas, mountains, volcanoes, spectacular natural scenery, a wide variety of flora and fauna, vibrant underwater worlds, health spas, archaeological sites, historical monuments, fashionable boutiques, great restaurants, organic produce, fresh fish and seafood, or a range of sporting activities like golf, tennis, horse-riding, windsurfing, scuba diving and hiking to name but a few.

Although you may have heard of Sardinia, Sicily, Capri and Elba (the latter thanks to Napoleon!) and possibly a few others, there are many more smaller islands, each with its own character, culture and culinary specialities. There are archipelagos off the coast of Naples, Rome and Tuscany and there is even a small group of islets in the Adriatic Sea. The largest islands, Sardinia and Sicily, have their own offshore islands too, some of which are closer to Africa than mainland Italy! Along with the Sardinian and Sicilian mainlands, we currently feature properties in the Egadi Islands off the west coast of Sicily and the Sulcitan Islands off the southwest coast of Sardinia. We invite you to discover these treasures for yourselves and try to decide on your own favourite island.

Why Italian Islands Ltd? Italian Islands Ltd is a family-run independent holiday letting agency. We pride ourselves on our personal service as well as our intimate knowledge of the properties we offer and the areas they are located in. We keep in regular contact with the Italian property owners and work together to ensure that standards are maintained. We have visited each and every property ourselves and try to revisit them as often as we can to keep our knowledge up-to-date.

The Managing Director, Shirah Hiely-Rayner, has had a long love affair with Italy. She is fluent in Italian, has a first-class honours degree in French and Italian and has lived in Tuscany. She has travelled around much of Italy and is keen to holiday in the islands as many times a year as she can – she chose to spend her honeymoon in Sicily, Lampedusa, Procida and Ischia! After several years experience working in Italian travel she decided to set up this business to introduce to others these wonderful islands that she has fallen in love with. She works together with her co-director and father, John Adey, who has recently taken early retirement from a lengthy and rewarding career in teaching. John and his wife enjoy holidaying in the Italian Islands and particularly like visiting the many historical and archaeological sites as well as indulging in the excellent wines! They are ably assisted as and when required by Shirah’s husband Matieu, also an Italophile, and her brother Jamin, who designs and maintains the website.

We specialise in accommodation and are keen to help you find the property that best suits your needs, on the island of your choice. We have a range of properties to choose from no matter what type of holiday you are looking for, whether it be your main family vacation, a short break for two, a week away with friends, time off by the beach, a sightseeing trip, a special occasion or a completely new and different holiday experience. In terms of self-catering accommodation we have villas, country cottages, and good-value apartments in great locations. We also have a small selection of hotels and farms (agriturismi) where you can choose to stay half or full board. Our collection gives you the opportunity to really make the most of the location by experiencing firsthand the local way of life in the different islands.

Our aim is to offer our honest opinion on the properties in our collection and it is important to us that you make the right choice. So please do read our Italian Islands Insight section at the end of each property description and feel free to ask us if you have any more questions. To help you in your decision each property has its own gallery and the whole website is packed full of images that really speak for themselves.

If something is particularly important to you, such as having a sea view or being within walking distance of a restaurant, then please let us know. We do not want to make a sale at any cost nor embellish properties beyond all recognition - if we think a property is not suited to your needs we would rather tell you than let you go and be disappointed. As a small family business, we rely on word of mouth and would much rather that you have a great holiday and come home happy and ready to tell your friends, neighbours and colleagues all about it.

We do not arrange package holidays so you are free to take advantage of the many great deals available with low cost airlines and in many cases you are not obliged to go Saturday to Saturday, when flights tend to be at their most expensive. We can however offer some advice on flights, ferries and car hire if you do need any help. We will also do our best to help book any little extras you may require like additional cleaning or a cot.

Once you have got to know these idyllic places, we are sure that like us you will soon develop an insatiable appetite for the Italian islands.

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon.