Things to do in Ischia
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Ischia
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather, sea swimmable, parks and gardens open, crowds below peak.
Early October is quiet, the sea holds warmth and the thermal parks empty out.
Everything open and sea warmest, with heat, crowds and top prices.
Most hotels, parks and beach clubs shut. Not a first visit window.
Gardens reopen and Easter brings processions, but many places run reduced hours.
What's on
- Festa di Sant'Anna 26 July
Allegorical boats, a simulated castle burning and fireworks in Cartaromana bay.
- Festa di San Vito mid-June
Forio's patronal festival of processions, markets, concerts and fireworks.
- Andata a Monte spring, Sunday after Easter period and May celebrations
A traditional pilgrimage and hilltop feast above Forio.
- Ischia Film Festival late June to early July
Open air cinema in the castle and around the island.
- Ferragosto 15 August
Assumption Day holiday with fireworks, beach parties and peak crowds.
Best things to do in Ischia
Castello Aragonese
A fortified islet of churches and terraces that gives you the whole history of the island in one climb.
Giardini La Mortella
A hillside garden of tropical planting, water and sea views, with concerts in a Greek theatre.
Giardini Poseidon Terme
The largest thermal park on the island, with over 20 pools terraced down to a private beach.
Negombo
A quieter, sculptural thermal park in gardens above San Montano bay, for a peaceful spa day.
Sant'Angelo
A car free fishing village on an isthmus, the prettiest harbour scene on the south coast.
Spiaggia di Maronti
Nearly two kilometres of dark volcanic sand, the longest and roomiest beach on the island.
Ischia Ponte
The historic borgo between port and castle, best for an evening walk, dinner and aperitivo.
Chiesa del Soccorso
A whitewashed church over the sea that is the island's favourite place to watch the sunset.
Where to stay in Ischia
Forio
first trip, all-round base
Beaches, Poseidon, La Mortella, sunsets and a real old town with evening life.
Ischia Ponte
no car, short stays
The castle, the old town and a short walk to the port, buses and most restaurants.
Lacco Ameno
spa splurge, refined stay
The grandest hotels, Negombo and San Montano bay, in a small elegant town.
Casamicciola Terme
value, thermal hotels
A second ferry port and historic spa town with prices well below Lacco Ameno.
Sant'Angelo
romantic few days, doing little
Car free and picturesque, but isolating as a touring base without transport.
Think twice about
- Ischia Porto ferry-front strip
Noisy and traffic choked at ferry times and charmless after dark. Use it for transport, sleep in Ponte.
- Lower Casamicciola port area
A working, slightly scruffy harbour area and not the island beauty spot, though safe and good value.
- Sant'Angelo as a sole base without a car
Limited buses and a climb to the road make every other part of the island an expedition.
- Interior villages
Lovely and cheap but minimal evening options and total dependence on a car or bus.
Best restaurants in Ischia
Danì Maison
A two star dining room in the chef's family home, cooking dazzling and deeply local food.
Indaco
Refined seafood tasting menus on a terrace over Lacco Ameno bay, inside the Regina Isabella.
Umberto a Mare
Elegant seafood over the sea by the Soccorso, with one of the great sunset tables in Naples bay.
Da Peppina di Renato
The place to eat Ischian rabbit, in a garden trattoria at the foot of Mount Epomeo.
Giardino Eden
A beach club lunch of crudi and grilled fish facing the castle, with swims between courses.
Ristorante Da Ciccio
A family run Ponte favourite for mussels, seafood and pizza, with castle views and fair prices.
Ristorante Pizzeria Da Umberto
The old family pizzeria near the ferry, for a cheap and cheerful pizza dinner in the Porto.
Pizzeria Di Meglio
Forio's locals' pizza pick, a no frills budget pick away from the seafront markups.
Outdoor things to do in Ischia
Monte Epomeo
The island summit hike, with a hermitage, a cafe and views to Capri, Procida and Vesuvius.
Baia di Sorgeto
Free natural rock pools where hot spring water meets the sea at different temperatures.
Forio: Ischia Island Boat Tour with Local Lunch and Swimming
A full day circumnavigation with swim stops in roadless coves and a cooked lunch on board.
Antiche Terme di Cavascura
Roman era thermal caves and hot waterfalls in a gorge behind Maronti beach.
Sorgente di Nitrodi
A historic spring of thermal showers and gardens, the low cost locals' alternative to big parks.
Spiaggia delle Fumarole
A beach where geothermal heat rises through the sand itself, at the Sant'Angelo end of Maronti.
Spiaggia di San Montano
A sheltered shallow bay with clear water, the easiest family swim on the island.
Procida
A smaller, pastel island a short ferry away, for a harbour lunch, a swim and slow wandering.
Best hotels in Ischia
Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa
A watchtower hotel on a private wooded headland, the most secluded luxury stay on the island.
Regina Isabella - Resort Spa Restaurant
The grande dame of Lacco Ameno, with the largest spa and a starred restaurant on the waterfront.
San Montano Resort & Spa
A hilltop resort with terraced thermal pools and the best sunset views of any island hotel.
Botania Relais & Spa
Contemporary rooms spread through botanical gardens above Forio, with a modern spa and real quiet.
Miramare e Castello
A family beach hotel facing the castle, with rooftop thermal pools and dinner on your doorstep.
Manzi Hotel & Spa
A historic thermal hotel over the Gurgitello spring, with a large wellness centre for less money.
Albergo Il Monastero
Sleep inside the castle in a former convent, with a guest only terrace over the bay.
Hotel Cesotta
A well run three star near Forio centre and beaches, the reliable budget base on the west side.
Is Ischia expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €70 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €180 a person |
| Splurge | €420 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Castello Aragonese: a few days ahead
- Giardini La Mortella: a few days ahead
- Giardini Poseidon Terme: a few days ahead
- Negombo: a few days ahead
- Forio: Ischia Island Boat Tour with Local Lunch and Swimming: a few days ahead
- Procida: a few days ahead
- Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa: months ahead
- Regina Isabella - Resort Spa Restaurant: months ahead
- Book hotels months ahead for late July and August.
- Book Dani Maison weeks to months ahead and Poseidon and Negombo online in season.
- Book car ferry spaces earliest of all in August.
Is Ischia safe?
- Watch bags on crowded August buses and at Naples ferry terminals. Emergency number is 112.
- Test natural spring water before entering. The innermost Sorgeto pools can scald.
Ischia travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- August and Ferragosto week bring top prices and crowds you cannot plan around.
- Aphrodite Apollon gardens are poorly rated. Use Poseidon, Negombo or Sorgeto instead.
- Confirm the total price before fish sold by weight is cooked.
Getting around Ischia: public transport and more
- Use CD, CS and Line 1 buses from Ischia Porto terminus with a day or multi day pass.
- Do not rent a car by default. Roads are narrow and parking is scarce.
Who Ischia suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Ischia your trip
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