Travel Journal · Li Galli
Li Galli by Boat: the Islands of the Sirens
Three islets where, legend says, the Sirens sang to Ulysses — and one of the most enchanting stretches of sea between Positano and Capri.
From the helm
Off Positano, on the way to Capri, three small islands sit alone in the open sea. From the coast road they're a distant silhouette. From a boat they grow closer and closer — cliffs, an old watchtower, a villa among the rocks — until the water around you is so clear you can see the seabed. This is Li Galli, the archipelago the ancients called the Sirenuse: the islands of the Sirens.
The islands of the Sirens
Li Galli are three islets: Gallo Lungo, the largest, long and curved; La Castelluccia; and La Rotonda. Ancient writers placed the Sirens here — the creatures of Homer's Odyssey whose song lured sailors onto the rocks, and which Ulysses heard only after having himself tied to the mast. In Greek myth the Sirens were half woman, half bird, and the islands' name — galli, "roosters" — is said to remember those birds. Positano's most famous hotel, Le Sirenuse, takes its name from them.
Dancers, villas and a private archipelago
In the 1920s the Russian choreographer Léonide Massine bought the islands and built a villa on Gallo Lungo, turning the old watchtower into a place to dance. In the late 1980s they passed to Rudolf Nureyev, perhaps the most celebrated dancer of the twentieth century, who owned them until his death in 1993. They are still privately owned today.
Can you land on Li Galli?
No. The islands are private and lie within the Punta Campanella marine protected area: landing isn't allowed, and boats can't moor right by their shores. But the best of Li Galli was never on land. You see the islands as the Sirens' sailors did — from the water, rounding them slowly: the long back of Gallo Lungo, the villa among the rocks, the cliffs of La Rotonda and La Castelluccia rising straight out of the sea.
Swimming near Li Galli
The sea here is open, deep and astonishingly clear — the kind of blue that makes everyone reach for their swimsuit. When the water is calm, your skipper picks a spot nearby where you can stop and swim within the rules of the protected area, with snorkelling gear on board to look at the rocks below. Then look back towards the mainland: Positano on one side, the Sorrento Peninsula on the other and, on a clear day, the outline of Capri.
How to include Li Galli in your day
Li Galli lie on the way to Positano, so our Amalfi Coast tour from Sorrento passes right by them, and from the Positano pier they're a short ride away — see our boat tours from Positano. The complete Amalfi Coast & Capri day takes them in too. Every tour is private, so if a swim near the Sirens' islands is what you want most, just tell your skipper. Further along the coast, don't miss the fjord of Furore and the Emerald Grotto and our guide to Positano by boat.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the Li Galli islands?
Off the Amalfi Coast, a few kilometres from Positano, between Positano and the tip of the Sorrento Peninsula. By boat they're a short ride from Positano.
Can you visit Li Galli?
You can't go ashore: the islands are private and lie within a marine protected area. You can sail around them and, when the sea is calm, stop to swim nearby.
Who owns Li Galli?
They're privately owned. In the past they belonged to the choreographer Léonide Massine and then to Rudolf Nureyev, who owned them until his death in 1993.
Which tour passes Li Galli?
Our private Amalfi Coast tour, from Sorrento or from Positano, and the Amalfi Coast & Capri full day.
Want to sail where the Sirens sang?
Tell us your dates — we'll plan your private day around Li Galli and the Amalfi Coast.