Ischia is the biggest island among those ones placed in the Naples gulf and it is 33,3 km far from Naples itself.

This territory is divided into 6 municipalities: Barano d’Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, Forio d’Ischia, Ischia, Lacco Ameno, Serrara Fontana. It is provided with two main ports: which one of Ischia and which one of Casamicciola Terme. Other minor ports are which ones of Forio, of Lacco Ameno, and of S.Angelo.

The Epomeo hill is the highest one in the island and in the past it was an active volcano: to reach the mountaintop you can go by car until the route is paved then you should go on by foot for more or less 3 km. Once there you will admire a wonderful landscape and the striking small church of San Nicola.

The island of Ischia has volcanic origins being also characterized by one of the richest thermal heritages in the world: in this territory there are many spas where you can cure particular illnesses or just rejuvenate your body and your spirit.

Visiting this beautiful island you will be fascinated by its mild climate, by its wonderful nature, by its culture and hospitality and by its unique smells.

Ischia is often described as the “Green Island” because of its lush green territory characterized by many rural small villages dominated by the Epomeo hill.

The Ischia municipality is placed on the eastern part of the namesake island. Its urban centre is divided into two parts: the most ancient one is called Ischia Ponte and the most modern one is called Ischia Porto. On the right side of this port there are several pubs, restaurants, night clubs, discos, craftsman’s laboratories and shops. The Roma Street starts exactly from this point to arrive until the Ischia Ponte historical centre made up of coloured small houses.

 

Visiting this island you will find many naturalistic oasis like:

The Spas

Visiting the National Archaeological Museum in Lacco Ameno you will admire some bas-relieves that testify the importance that these hot springs already had during the Roman Empire. To rejuvenate your body and your spirit you can take a bath in one of the several Ischia hotels swimming pools full of thermal water choosing then a customised treatment specific for your needs: thermal mud compresses, aesthetical massages, thermal vapours inhalations ideal to cure respiratory problems. Otherwise, if you would like to directly experience the beauty of the Ischia nature, you can also take a bath in one of the several natural basins where thermal water is mixed with which one coming from the sea.

 The Lacco Ameno “Mushroom“

In the Lacco Ameno thermal area, the smallest one in the island, you can admire a striking geological phenomenon connected to the dry land by a thin strip: this is a 10 metres height tuff stone block that is now shaped as a mushroom having underwent the water erosion.

The Botanic Park of the Mortella Gardens

This wonderful park is placed in Forio and it is part of the contiguous villa owned by the English composer Walton who commissioned an English botanist to create this garden that contains wonderful tropical and Mediterranean grasses.

The Faiano Pine-wood

Visiting the Barano village you can admire the biggest pine-wood in the island where you can be totally surrounded by nature: here, in fact, there are wonderful pines, chestnut and oak trees mixed with typical Mediterranean brushes and with stones formed by lava. You will discover how all these elements creates a real magic and mysterious atmosphere.

Staying in Ischia you can also admire an unique artistic and architectonical heritage made up by small Mediterranean churches and fortified castles.

You should visit for example the Assunta Church re-built according to the Baroque style: in this church there is a Renaissance baptismal font, a XIII century wooden crucifix and some paintings by Giacinto Diano.

Other interesting churches are which one of Sant’Antonio built during the XVIII century and which one of the Spirito Santo where you can admire the Madonna delle Grazie by Paolo de Matteis.

Other monuments that deserve your attention are:

The Soccorso Church

This picturesque white small church is placed on the striking little square of Punta Soccorso in Forio: from this point you can have a wonderful view of the crystal clear Ischia sea. This is a typical charming Mediterranean landscape.

The Santa Restituita Sanctuary

This church is placed in Lacco Ameno and its original structure dates back to the Early Christian age even if it was rebuilt during the year 1000 undergoing many transformations throughout centuries. Here there is the important Santa Restituita wooden statues created during the XVI century and kept in this church together with the Santa Restituita memorabilia.

The Aragonese Castle

This surely is one of the most ancient and distinctive castles in Italy: it is placed on a 113 metres height oxbow near Ischia Ponte accessible through a stone bridge. You can arrive on the oxbow going through  a mule track or through a modern lift. You can enter in the castle through a gallery and once arrived on the top of the fortress you can watch the ancient cathedral ruins whose crypt is still ornamented by the Giotto School frescos. Here there also are the Clarisse Convent with its panoramic terraces and its cemetery, the S.Pietro a Pantaniello church built during the XVI century and the political prisons where personalities of the Italian Risorgimento were imprisoned.

Once in Ischia you can also visit the following museums:

The Pithecusae Archaeological Museum

This museum is placed in the wonderful Villa Arbusto in Lacco Ameno and here you can admire archaeological finds the recollect this island history starting from the prehistory to the Roman Empire. The most important find is the famous Nestore Cup quoted by Homer in its Iliad.

The Sea Museum

This museum is placed in Ischia Ponte inside the Watch Palace (Palazzo dell’Orologio). Here you can admire an important collection of nautical and fishing tools and many models of boats, sailing ships and fishing boats that used to sail away form this islands ports in the past.

The Farmers Museum

This museum is placed in Panza near Forio. Here there are many finds that recollect the original rural life of this island as all the tools used by farmers like many beautiful amphora.

The Ischia Beaches:

The Ischia Lido

This Lido is very near to the urban centre and it is made up by many sandy beaches also characterized by some rocks and pine-woods. The most famous beach is the “Fishers one” that extends from Ischia Ponte to Ischia Porto.

Cartaromana Beach

This beach is placed between the Aragonese Castle and the Sant’Anna rocks and it is characterized by one of the most beautiful landscapes in the island. Here there also are famous hot springs of warm water that allow tourist to take a bath even in winter.

Marina dei Maronti Beach

You can reach this 3 km long beach going through a striking panoramic street starting from Barano arriving to the sea. Another funny way of reaching this beach is using a water taxi leaving from the quaint small port of Sant’Angelo. The Maronti beach is the biggest one in the island being full of hot springs and natural basins.

Citara Beach

This beach is placed at the bottom of the Epomeo hill being one of the most loved placed in Ischia. In this gilt sandy beach the sea water is mixed with the thermal one allowing to enjoy a refreshing bath in the sea taking at the same time advantage of the thermal benefits.

San Montano Bay

This really is an unique beach placed between Monte Vico and Monte Zaro: its crystal-clear sea is very warm and its sea bed is extremely low.

As it has been already said, this island is divided into six municipalities having each one of them their own peculiarities, the following list briefly describes you these six villages and their features:

The Ischia Village

This is the widest village in the island being divided into two parts: Ischia Ponte (the oldest part) and Ischia Porto. Here you can find many artistic marvels walking through the beautiful beaches of its coast. The Ischia most attractive features are the Aragonese Castle, the Guevara Tower and the Sant’Anna rocks. 

The Barano Village

Barano is placed in the south-western side of the island and it is divided in several districts characterized by their autonomous cultural identity like Buonopane and Piedimonte. In Barano there are many hot springs as which one placed in Marina dei Maronti. The Buonopane district is well known for its “Ndrezzata” and for its production of bread whose fragrance will surround you every morning.

The Serra Fonatana Village

This village is characterized by the presence of many small urban centres like which one of Sant’Angelo. This little district is only a promenade area and it is made up by coloured houses and by narrow streets rising steeply from the sea.

The Forio Village

Forio is a very characteristic village and for this reason it is often considered the most beautiful place in the island. From this point you can even admire a wonderful landscape. This nice village is made up by winding narrow streets, very small white houses, an imposing Tower and by many beautiful churches. Among these ones there are the Church of Santa Maria Visitapoveri, the ancient Cathedral of San Vito and the Soccorso Church.

 

The Lacco Ameno Village

At the bottom of the Vico hill and near the San Montano Bay there is the village of Lacco Ameno that is the smallest one in the island. Here you can admire many monuments like the Aragonese tower built during the XV century and the Santa Restituita Sanctuary.

The Casamicciola Terme Village

This village was already well-known during the Roman Empire thanks to its spas that still today attract many tourist in this area of the island. Many important personalities arrived here to cure their health like Giuseppe Garibaldi, Benedetto Croce, Henrik Ibsen and Alphonse de Lamartine. Many beaches surround Casamicciola where you can also make some excursions in the beautiful nature that characterizes the pine-wood of the Bosco della Maddalena.

The Ischia Gastronomy

The Ischia gastronomic culture is characterized by many particular dishes made up both by typical Campania products and by specific ingredients of this island.

A typical Ischia dish is the “Acqua pazza” fish whose ingredients are blue-fish, onion, hot pepper and parsley.

The most traditional dish is the Ischitana rabbit whose most important ingredient is the “Ditch rabbit” called in this way because it is raised in a big ditch created by farmers. Once that it is grew up it is cooked with white wine, onion, little tomatoes and hot pepper. This particular breeding techniques is still today applied offering a very high quality type of meat.

In this very fertile territory there also are very esteemed vineyards used to produce the famous Ischa wines like the white ones called Forastera and Biancolella or the red ones called Piedirosso and Guarnaccia

Another gastronomical feature of this island (in particular of the Forio village) is the handmade production of delicious honey.

Events

During spring and summer you can find in Ischia many cultural and religious events like:

- Vinischia (on July): this is a special event entirely dedicated to the Campania’s gastronomy and handicrafts that takes place every summer in the Guevara Tower placed in Ischia Ponte. You can taste many typical dishes watching shows, concerts and ballets.

- Settembre sul Sagrato (September on the Churchyard) (on August and September): this is a village fate that takes place in the Battistessa Square in front of the San Pietro Church. This fate lasts two days offering you art exhibitions, ancient costumes parades, wine tasting, concerts and shows.

- Ndrezzata Feast (on Easter Monday): this feast takes place every year on the Easter Monday in Buonopane that is a district near Barano. The “Ndrezzata” is a typical local dance that reproduces a rhythmical, violent and spectacular fight. All the dancers wear traditional local costumes fighting with wooden swords.

- Sant’Anna Feast (on the 26th of July): this feast takes place every year in Ischia. During this day you can admire a striking parade on the sea made up by folkloristic vessels coming from the different island municipalities. This celebration ends with the final prize giving and with a fireworks show.

- Ischia Film festival (on July): this is a film festival made up by thematic previews and retrospective exhibitions whose locations are placed in Europe and especially in Italy. Ischia has often been a special location for famous films like “Vacanze a Ischia” with Vittorio De Sica, like “Cleopatra” with Richard Burton and Liz Taylor and like the most recent ” The talented Mr Ripley ” with Matt Damon and Jude Law.

- Historical Parade of the Ischia Costumes (on August)

- “Ischia Jazz Festival” (from the 6th of September to the 10th of September): This festival returns for its 11th season being dedicated to the jazz music and characterized by the presence of many international famous artists.

How to arrive in Ischia:

By Plain:

The nearest airport is which one of Naples Capodichino. From this point you can reach all the ports where you will find the boats that connects Ischia to the dry land. To travel on hydrofoil you should reach the Beverello pier otherwise to travel on a ferry you should reach the Porta di Massa port. To do that you can get a taxi or you can catch a bus (Alibus Line or the number 3S). Moreover these two ports are connected between them by a free shuttles service.

By Car:

If you arrive in Naples by car you can reach the Porta di Massa port that is well connected to the A1, A3, A16 highways. If you have booked a ticket your entry will be Varco Bausan, otherwise if you don’t have a reservation your entry will be Varco Pisacane.

By Train:

The main railway stations in Naples are the Central Railway Station placed in the Garibaldi Square and the Mergellina Station.

If you arrive in the Central Railway Station you should get a taxi to reach the Beverello pier that is just 2 km far from there. From this port you can reach Ischia by hydrofoil. If you don’t want to get a taxi you can even catch a bus (Alibus Line or the numbers 3S, 1, R2).

Once in Beverello you can also reach the Porta di Massa port thanks to the free shuttles service that connects these two piers. From this second port you can reach Ischia travelling by ferry.

The hydrofoil trip last more or less 90 minutes and the ferry trip lasts 50 minutes.

From the Naples-Mergellina Railway Station you should reach the Mergellina terminal that is just 500 metres far from the namesake station. From this pier you can reach Ischia by hydrofoil in more or less 40 minutes.

…Enjoy your stay in Ischia!

Related Articles:

Historical Parade of the Ischia Costumes

Ischia Jazz Festival 2009

The Ischia ‘Ndrezzata

The Sant’Anna Feast in Ischia

Ischia Film Festival 2009

Map: