Ischia

Ischia is the largest island in the Bay of Naples and considered by many the most beautiful, though Capri is more famous. The volcanic island remains active (last eruption 1302) and is famous for therapeutic hot-spring waters that mix with the sea at several beaches. Up to 6 million tourists visit annually, primarily from mainland Italy and Germany, attracted by thermal spas, beaches, and distinctive local cuisine featuring rabbit cooked in terracotta. The island has been a cinematic backdrop for Italian and American movies including Vacanze ad Ischia and The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Unless you are a millionaire ordering a private helicopter, access to Ischia is exclusively by ferry or hydrofoil. The island is reached from ports on the Italian mainland, with regular services connecting to Naples and other destinations in the Bay of Naples.

Public buses connect all the main towns on Ischia. The bus station is located centrally, with services running along the coastal roads connecting Ischia Porto, Casamicciola, Lacco Ameno, Forio, Barano, and Sant'Angelo. Taxis and water taxis are available, particularly for beach access.

The best time to visit Ischia is from April to October, though the weather is always changing and visitors should expect both sunshine and rain in any season. Summer combines long, hot days with lengthy evenings, though this is also the main tourist season with the highest prices and crowding. Winter can be bitterly cold and wet with short daylight hours, making many facilities close for the season.

Accommodation options range from hotels with thermal pools to apartments and residences. Ischia Porto offers convenient ferry access and commercial amenities. Forio, the largest town, has the most options including budget-friendly hotels like Hotel Poggio del Sole near Mount Epomeo. Lacco Ameno features the cultural Villa La Colombaia and beach access. Sant'Angelo is a charming port village popular for its beaches and thermal springs.

Ischia's cuisine is distinguished by its volcanic terroir and maritime heritage. The signature dish is coniglio all'ischitana (Ischitanian rabbit), cooked in terracotta with garlic, wine, tomatoes, lard, and local spices, often served with a rich rabbit sauce. Snails gathered from dry walls are prepared traditionally with wild grass. Caponata, originating from peasant salad, combines tomatoes, onion, stale bread, and wild greens. Fresh fish is sold directly from fishing boats or fish shops, with paranza fry (mixed fried small fish) being a local specialty. The island produces distinctive honey from beeswax, citrus, and flowers. The village of Buonopane has made bread for centuries in wood-fired ovens using natural yeast.

Ischia has millenarian viticulture with Greek-influenced cultivation techniques on terraced fields. DOC Ischia wines date to the mid-1870s and cover the entire island. White grapes include Biancolella, Forastera, and Arilla S. Lunardo; red grapes include Guarnaccia and Pedirosso. The tendency is for table wines to accompany seafood or land produce. After meals, limoncello made from local large lemons with thick peel is commonly served chilled as an appetizer or digestif, often mixed with champagne or white wine for cocktails.

The Castello Aragonese stands 113 meters high on a small island connected by stone bridge near Ischia Ponte, built in 1441 by Alfonso D'Aragona atop ruins from 474 BC, now housing a museum of medieval torture. Giardini La Mortella near San Francesco is a famous garden with fountains and exotic plants. Giardini Ravino in Forio features one of Europe's richest outdoor collections of cacti and succulents. The Soccorso's Church in Forio, devoted to Santa Maria della neve, has a famous white façade adorned with 700 majolicas depicting saints and the Passion of Christ. Il Torrione is a 1480 tower in Forio now serving as a municipal museum and art gallery.

Ischia's volcanic nature creates unique thermal bathing opportunities. The Poseidon Thermal Garden at Citara Bay offers thermal pools amidst beautiful gardens. Negombo thermal park at Bay of Saint Montano features extremely shallow, naturally hot sea water. Cartaromana beach near Ischia Ponte has natural hot thermal springs allowing swimming even in winter. The Maronti beach at 3 km is the island's largest, accessible by panoramic road or water taxi, and is full of thermal springs and fumaroles. Fumarole Beach is reached by footpath from Sant'Angelo or boat-taxi, where locals cook dinner in the volcanic sand.

Ischia is generally a safe destination, even for women traveling alone. The local Police are generally friendly if not always helpful. Italy has four main police forces: Carabinieri (black uniform, military), Polizia di Stato (blue tunics, civil duties), Polizia Municipale (city police for parking and traffic), and Guardia di Finanza (grey uniforms, customs). If robbed, report to a police station immediately as this is essential for travel insurance claims.

From the ports of Forio and Ischia, daily ferry trips connect to Naples, neighboring islands Capri and Procida, and mainland archaeological sites including Pompeii, Ercolano, and Vesuvius. The Royal Palace at Caserta north of Naples is another option. During summer months (May to October), excursions to Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and the islands of Ventotene and Ponza are also offered.