Welcome to Ischia. With its thermal hot springs, beautiful gardens and countless vistas, Ischia is a little slice of paradise in the Bay of Naples. Presided over by Mount Epimeo, Ischia boasts crystal clear waters and is the perfect alternative to the nearby, more popular island of Capri. In this guide, we’re going to show you the very best of Isia, including top attractions, hidden gems, and where to eat.

Getting around Ischia

While there are several bus services that will take you around the island, I personally recommend renting a scooter as this way you’ll get to go to more of the off the beat and path places. As Ischia is quite small, you only need two or three days to explore. And I would however say that you should only rent a scooter if you are comfortable driving one because to be honest the roads are very narrow and steep in places and the other drivers can be a little bit aggressive if you are not sure what you’re doing.

 

Sant’Angelo

Pretty as a postcard, St. Angelo is widely considered to be the most beautiful place to visit in Ischia. It’s an old fishing port that’s since been turned into somewhat of a tourist resort, which is probably why you can hardly walk through the streets in the summer because they’re so full of tourists. If you come in the late spring, early summer like we’re doing now, then you can enjoy the little island which is connected to the mainland permanently by a stretch of sand which is completely covered in sunbeds. Unfortunately, the island itself you can’t really visit, but you can enjoy it from this little fishing town and walk along all of the beautiful pastel hued homes.

There’s not much by way of attractions here. The main draw here is simply soaking up the sunshine, lying on the beach at one of the beach clubs where you can rent a transit for the day or eating at one of the many restaurants.

There are also several shopping opportunities. The only thing to note is that St. Angelo is very, very expensive. It’s probably one of the most expensive places to visit on the island, which explains why you can’t park your scooter here for free. This is the only spot on the whole of Isidia where you have to pay to park your scooter.

 

Panza

One thing you should know before coming to Iska is that everything runs at its own time. So often a restaurant will say it’s open. It’s actually closed. Luckily in this instance, the pizzeria that we wanted to go to was closed. And so, we stumbled upon this very nice restaurant.

We’re sat on a terrace having some salad, a pizza. It’s very tasty.

Panza is a tiny town nestled in the southwest corner of Ischia. There are only around 7,000 residents and there’s not a great deal of things to do here. What that does mean is that the restaurants here have to be very good. They’re good quality because it’s a bit off the beaten tourist track. They’re also very affordable. There are also a few churches to see here and some very nice local architecture.

 

Baia di Sorgeto

Because of all of the volcanic activity in this area, there are a number of hot springs and geothermal pools. Most of them have been transformed into resorts and spars, but a particularly great free one can be found close to Panza. This is the Vea Diesetto, and here you can come and bathe in hot springs.

 

Ischia Ponte

Ischia Ponte is probably the most beautiful town to visit in Ischia. is home to a number of cobbled lanes and little restaurants. But the most beautiful thing to see is probably the castle Araggonese. After all, its appearance probably launched a thousand holiday bookings. It’s just that stunning. The castle you see behind me dates all the way back to the fifth century BC when the Greeks came here and built a fortress. However, it wasn’t actually connected to the mainland because it sat on an island until the 15th century. The walkway you see today was also built during that period.

Aragonese Castle

As soon as you get into the castle complex, you’ll begin a well signposted 2 km circular route that will take you to around two dozen points of interest.

In order to access the castle, you have to go up so many steps. So, I definitely recommend some good shoes.

By the 15th century, the castle had come under the control of the Aragan dynasty, hence its name. During this time, the castle became the residence for various noble families as well as a prison for political prisoners.

As soon as you start to make your way up, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views back onto the island.

One of the more unusual aspects of the history of the castle was when the poor Claire’s officially known as the Franciscan Order of St. Clare inhabited the complex.

The poor Claire’s beliefs surrounding death and the body were quite unusual to say the least. Believing that once dead, the spirit had left the body, leaving behind merely an empty vessel, they believed a burial of any kind, was unnecessary. Instead, they would put the bodies of the deceased nuns in sitting positions on these death chairs and leave them to decompose.

This small chapel was probably my personal favorite spot at the castle and was the loveliest place from which to take photos. a small 16th century six-sided chapel adorned with arch windows. It was calm and serene inside.

You can visit anytime during the day, but I personally recommend visiting around 5:00 p.m. as then you’ll get to see all of the beautiful castle bathed in golden light and also, it’s a bit cooler than the middle of the day because there is a lot of steps up as I said.

If you’re looking for a peaceful spot to have a snack or a drink during your visit, you can head

 

Ischia Porto

Today we’re going to be exploring the north and the west of Ischia. This part is home to really charming towns as well as several beautiful gardens.

Iskia Porto is the island’s main town and this is probably where you’ll first arrive on Ischia if you’re coming by ferry. It’s very charming. You can see all of the boats swaying in the breeze and there’s lots of pastel hued homes.

 

Lacco Ameno

This is the town of Lacco Ameno and its home to around 4,800 inhabitants. It’s located at the north of Iskia and is probably best known for its mushroom shaped rock which is located in the harbor. Lacco Ameno lies right in the shadow of Mount Epimeo. It’s a bit more touristy than some of the other towns on the island, but there are several nice restaurants here, and there are several beach clubs where you can rent a parasol and a transit for the day.

 

Forio

Forio is always very busy. However, if you know where to look, you can find little pockets of calm. For example, we’re wandering through the forest in the hills above Forio right now as we’re going to head to the Madonna Darro. This is where the Virgin Mary is alleged to have appeared in 1994. It’s now a very peaceful, tranquil, and serene sanctuary.

For the best view of Forio from above, you’ll want to come to the Zaro Belvadier. This offers amazing views onto the crystal-clear waters as well as the town itself.

Giardini la Mortella

We’ve just arrived at Giardini la Mortella. This is easily one of the most beautiful gardens in Italy and it sits on a dramatic cliff face above the town of Forio. The garden was created in 1956 by Susanna Walton, who was the wife of British composer William Walton. She actually enlisted the help of British landscape gardener Russell Paige to create this beautiful landscape garden, which really makes use of the local volcanic rock. The garden is actually divided into two parts. There’s the sunny upper Mediterranean garden, and to be honest, it’s very, very warm here.

So, this is where lots of Mediterranean plants can thrive. And then there’s a lower shaded cool valley garden. This is where you’ll find more tropical plants as well as several glass houses.

One of the first areas that you’ll come across when wandering around the gardens is a large pond. And if you visit at the beginning of the summer, then you’ll see a wide array of local wildlife.

The Temple of the Sun is home to a sun dappled garden where the rays illuminate the space. Filled with symbolism and scenes from Greek mythology, the words from one of William Walton’s operas adorn the interior walls.

Susanna and William moved to Forio in 1949 and today they’re interred in the gardens. Jardini Lamortella is now looked after by a foundation who develops the gardens for the generations to come. In the summer there are theater performances here. Unfortunately, you do have to pay an entrance fee, but it’s definitely worth it. You want to spend 1 to two hours here and a little bit longer if you want to take a coffee in the cafe.

The Victoria House is named after the water lily species Victoria Amazonica.

Inside the greenhouse, you’ll also see cultivated orchids hanging as they naturally like to do, as well as an array of other vibrant exotic plants.

As much as I would love to stay in the garden, we have other places to discover, including the place right behind me now.

Forio is the second largest town in Ischia and it has a ferry port too. If you come here, you should definitely visit the Centro Historico because here you’ll find a maze of cobbled streets, historic architecture, and just some very lovely cafes and bars.

After yet another long day of exploring, it was time to head back to our accommodation for the night. Now, the downside of this accommodation was that it was really hard to reach via public transportation. But the upside of this is that we had amazing views every single evening as well as incredible sunsets.

 

Pilastri Aqueduct

The Pilastri Aqueduct lies in the heart of inland Isia. And while it does at first appearance look like it’s Roman, it was actually built in the 16th century.

It’s our final full day on Ischia and as we’ve seen all of the main attractions that we wanted to see, today we’re going to focus on more hidden gems and beautiful vistas. The visibility is particularly clear today and we can see all of the other surrounding islands.

This viewpoint is very spectacular as I can see the sea on one side and the rest of the island on the other.

 

Madonna di Stavia

This is the church of Madonna de Monte Virgini. Most of what you see today dates back to the 1800s. Though there was a much earlier church on site. In times gone by, hermits actually ministered here and in order to get money to keep funding the church, they actually begged in nearby Prashida in Naples and also in Ischia. and they would dress as Franciscan monks and then knock on the doors of people and say Madonna de Monte Virgin and ask for money. Today you can visit the interior of the church which is rather stunning and has these amazing views onto the surrounding countryside.

We’ve just driven up a very steep hill and to be honest a bit of a dirt track.

In order to reach this pathway which will hopefully take us to one of the most beautiful viewpoints on Ischia as well as the amazing views onto the sea, capri beyond and the towns below.

This area just shows how verdant Ischia is. There are so many stunning flowers here, including wild Italian sweet peas.

And we’ve seen lots of local insects, including some butterflies.

Although Mount Epimera is technically higher, the viewpoint next to Madonna Davia is probably the best on the island. Not only can you see the Castello Aragan, you can also see right into the Bay of Naples and even see Prashida, the next island along, as well as Naples. You’ll want to come just after the rain as then you’ll get this fantastic clear view surrounded by lots of flowers.

We’re driving to our next destination, but we just had to stop on the side of the road because there is this amazing oak tree is actually growing around a rock. It’s really spectacular.

The Nitro Spa has been in use for thousands of years. And while we didn’t have time to visit the spa itself, the nearby restaurant serves up tasty pasta plates paired with breathtaking views.

Belvedere di Fontana

We’ve just stopped off at Belvedere di Fontana. We’re a bit of the way up the mountain, which means that we have an amazing view onto the sea. This is probably one of the best views of San Angelo. You can also see all the way to the west of the island.

This is the entrance to the Faroh Puna Imperator Lighthouse. This offers one of the most spectacular views back onto Forio. The lighthouse itself was actually abandoned when we visited three years ago, but today it’s being transformed into a luxury property that you can stay in. And I think you can get lunch and dinner here on request.

We ended our time on Ischia by heading to a restaurant.

This was actually really, really good.

They serve up fresh fish as well as several vegetarian options. And the best part of it all is that you’re right in the shadow of the Aragan Castle.

If you’re headed to Iska, Saranto, the Amalfi Coast, or Naples, then I’ve actually written a whole guide book to the region. I’ll put some details on how you can buy it in the comment box below.

Otherwise, thank you so much for watching, and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more Europe travel content. See you next week.