Ischia
 

Hello,

I will be staying in Ischia for 4 days/3 nights by Forio. Any suggestions on where to go besides the beach and for restaurants as well.

Thanks,

Pocahoney

When will you be there?

I stayed on the island of Ischia for 4 nights also, exactly 2 years ago to the day, oddly enough.

Loved it! Did not stay in Forio, but near Forio, at Panza, there is a great thermal spring that comes right up from the sea floor into the the cool sea water. You have to walk down about 200 steps (and back up, of course) to get there, but worth it if you like to soak.

At the bottom there really is not a beach, just lots of rocks to find a spot on. There is also a little restaurant/bar that rents out beach chairs if you want a more comfortable spot and a waiter to take your drink order.

We just spread our sarongs on the rocks and walked over to the restaurant for drinks. They let us use the bathroom and changing room there, too.

It felt quite mythic to soak in the cool Mediterranean sea with these amazing hot streams of Ishcia's thermal springs shooting up from the sea floor.

After that we walked (bus strike!) about one hour to Sant' Angelo (sp?)for a little shopping and dinner. Good restaurants there - just read menus and choose what looks nice to you. Seafood, of course, is a good choice.

Also, the botanical gardens, La Mortella, are wonderful to wander in (other direction from Forio).

Enjoy!

I just returned from Ischia a week ago today. I stayed in the town of Lacco Ameno on the north coast for 7 days and loved it. I visited Forio one day and noticed a pedestrianised shopping area with restaurants but didn't spend a lot of time there. There is a beach nearby called Citara, which is free, and an adjacent thermal park called Poseidon with an entrance fee. You can walk from Citara into Forio in about 20 min.

I highly recommend the beach at San Montano and the Negombo thermal park next to it. The water is calm and clear and cliffs rise up on either side and makes for a beautiful setting. Negombo has several pools with varying degress of temperature. The setting is like a botanical garden with tons of trees, plants and flowers. There is also a restaurant on site. It is beautiful and relaxing without being "ritzy" or exclusive. Better than Poseidon, in my opinion.

I would suggest trying as much of the local cuisine as possible. There is a lot of Neopolitan influence, lots of fresh seafood and fresh produce. The wines are very good too and inexpensive. Also, the town of Ischia Porto had a lot of nightlife. There were lots of people (both tourists and locals) out and about. Shops seemed to stay open later as well. I would recommend a place called Il Giardino Degli Aranci http://www.giardinodegliaranci.it/
which is a restaurant/bar and has live Neopolitan music and singing.

Will you rent a car or use public transportation? If public trans, I suggest buying a weekly bus pass at the port when you arrive. It will save you money and is more convenient.

I will be staying in Ischia in October. Other tan the Walton gardens what can anyone recommend please?

Thank you

Take a round the island coach trip to orientate yourselves. Can be done in half a day. Ischia Porto and Iscia town were busy and full of life when we were there in August a few years ago but worth the visit. Go across the pedestrian causeway to the monastery at the top of the small island it leads to. Worth the climb.

Ischia is lovely and the people friendly - if you want a taste of some of the sights watch the film "The Amazing Mr Ripley " which was filmed there.

Enjoy

Hi everyone,

Wondering if someone could make a suggestion of a Tour Company? I have been trying to get some rates from Perillo Tours, Tourcrafters, Inc, etc but I am worried I am going to get stuck with a bad deal - does anyone have any suggestions?

My father was from Ischia, past away recently and I am trying to take my mom to Italy for our first trip there and Ischia is on place I would like to visit and get back to my roots - any suggestions would be appreciated

Thank you,
Paola

The Aragonese Castle in Ischia Ponte is fantastic. Ischia Ponte also has an art museum. Go go www.ischiaonline.it and www.ischia.com to see other places of interest. You can go up to Epomeo which is the top of the volcano. Oh yea, Ischia is really a sleeping volcano. Our cousins say "dormire" (sleeping) but what do you think the thermal baths come from? You can rent a boat and go out to a cove to swim, etc. We will be in Ischia in October also. That's when it starts to calm down from the summer and we can spend time with our relatives. It is a good time for you to visit.

Paolad: How old is your mother? Is she mobile? You can rent a car in Ischia and drive around easily in the off season. What village is your father from? You can try to contact relatives. We have a huge family there so we go every year. Go to the websites I mentioned before and you will get a wealth of information.

Hi Pocahoney,

I actually just read about Ischia in a recent Johnny Jet newsletter. He always gives restaurant and site seeing ideas, you can look it up on his website johnnyjet.com

He even has links to pictures and the island looks beautiful!

Have a great trip!!

Layla %%-

We enjoyed taking the bus to the various towns on the island and just relaxing, exploring, and of course -- EATING. The Walton gardens were wonderful. The castello is worth a couple hours. And if you want, do the short boat ride to Procida and walk over the hill to the fishing port side.

Thank you everyone for all your recommendations. I will be staying in Barano which is near the Maronti beach. One of the best in the island and with easy access to Saint Angelo and Ischia Porto. I will be going mid-september so I will post my trip report and let you know how it all turns out.