Ischia Itinerary – The Best Things To Do On The Island

Ischia is an Italian volcanic island in the Bay of Naples filled with mineral rich thermal waters, sandy beaches and stunning scenery. Ischia is a great alternative to crowded places such as Capri. It’s a bit more undiscovered, less touristy and is very laid back and relaxing. I got to explore Ischia with some other bloggers and the help of Imperatore Travel, here is a list of great things to do on the island, including where to eat and stay. We spent 4 days in Ischia and had a packed itinerary so you if you spend longer in Ischia you can see everything at a more relaxed pace.

What is Ischia known for

Ischia is famous for it’s thermal baths, Aroganese castle and it’s ceramics and pottery shops. There are over 50 mineral springs scattered around the island making Ischia a spa paradise. Ischia is also known as the ‘green island’ due to it’s numerous pine trees and green areas.

If you like seafood you’ll love Ischia as there are plenty of restaurants serving fresh seafood.

4 Days in Ischia itinerary

How to get to Ischia

We spend day one getting to Ischia, in order to get to the island you need to fly to Naples, take a taxi to the port then get a ferry. If you’ve rented a car for your stay in Italy, you can take a car on some ferries, not that you need a car in Ischia. The passenger fare costs about 20 euros here’s a local ferry schedule.

We flew from London Gatwick around 2pm and arrived at the hotel at 9.30 so it is quite time consuming as there was a lot of traffic in Naples we then had to wait around for the next ferry. When choosing how long to stay in Ischia bear in mind the commuting time. We spent 4 days in Ischia and had a packed itinerary so you could easily spread this over 5-7 days. 

You can also get a ferry from Positano to Ischia in 1 hour 35 minutes or from Sorrento to Ischia in an hour.

Day 2 – Boat Trip & Giardini La Mortella

Seeing Ischia from water is a great way to discover the island, we went on a 3  hour private boat tour around the island, giving us an insight to Ischia’s history and culture. Whilst taking in views of the castle and pretty pastel buildings. Some boat tours also include snorkelling, the best places for the is Scannella and La Scarrupata. There’s also several restaurants that can only be reached by water and some of the tours can take you there. 

Make sure to bring sunglasses and a hat as it can get pretty hot on the boat. 
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Giardini La Mortella

These botanical gardens are a great place to relax, admire the beautiful flowers and get a drink in the lovely tea room. The gardens were created by Susana Walton, wife of the composer William Walton, in the 1950s as the main residence for the couple. It was then opened to the public in 1991. There are some great viewpoints in the gardens and you can easily spend a few hours wandering around the fountains, ponds and tropical flowers.

It costs €12 to enter the gardens and you can find out more about them here.

Day 3 Hike up Mount Epomeo & Visit the Castle

There are several routes you can take the shortest being half on hour to the longest of 5 hours. Ours lasted about 2.5 hours, it wasn’t very difficult but some areas are quite steep. When we started the hike it was quite cold and cloudy but once we reached the top luckily the sun had come out again. At the top there’s a lovely restaurant serving lunch and drinks.

Tip: Bring a jacket as it can be chilly at the top

Castello Aragonese

Visit this medieval castle to learn more about the history of Ischia and for spectacular views over the island. You can’t miss this massive medieval castle it’s a must see on the island, it’s connected to the mainland by a bridge and dates back to 474BC. Greeks took refuge on this island to defend against their enemies. 

You can enter the castle for a small fee there are a few rooms to explore and you can find out about the castle’s rich history. Make sure you visit the viewing platform for the best views in all of Ischia. 

Day 4 – The Thermal Baths

You can’t visit Ischia and not visit a thermal spa as it’s what the island is famous for. We went to Giardini Poiseden Terme the largest thermal park on the island, here you can relax in over 20 pools with varying temperatures. Prices start at €28 for a half day or €33 for a full day this included entrance to all pools, sun loungers, whirlpools, showers and access to the beach. If you fancy getting a massage they also do package deals with access to the pools.

The views from the top pools are incredible, looking out onto the sea. It’s a very relaxing place where you can easily spend the day. There are plenty of different pools at varying temperatures and if your brave take a dip in the freezing one then go back into the hot ones, this is supposed to be good for your circulation. There’s also a small beach with sun loungers so bring a book with you to relax.

Tip: bring towels, robes, swimming hat and flip flops with you or you’ll have to purchase them there, also bring a Euro for the lockers

The natural hot springs in Sorgeto is another attraction you should visit. The island’s underground volcanic activity naturally heats a series of rock pools. To access the springs climb down the steps towards a small beach in a beauitful cove. You can bathe in a variety of pools each with different water temperatures. This is open all year and is free of charge, you can get here by getting a bus or taxi to Panza and then walking down the hill towards Sorgeto.

Other thermal baths to visit

• Nitrodi springs

• Casamicciola Terme

• Negombo Thermal Gardens

• Sorriso Thermae Resort & Spa in Forio

• Castiglione Thermal Park

• Aphrodite Thermal Gardens

• Romantica Thermal Park,

• Olympus Thermal Park, Barano

• Tropical Thermal Park, Sant’Angelo

Hot springs to visit

The best beaches of Ischia

Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to explore the beaches but there are plenty of them in Ischia. The Chiaia in Forio d’Ischia is one of the largest beaches but can get busy in summer. In Forio there is Cava dell’Isola with it’s clear waters and restaurants nearby. 

Another large beach is Maronti, access to it is mainly via a steep and winding road, either by car or on foot. The views from the beach are great as you have the beautifully picturesque Sant’Angelo nearby. The German president Angela Merkel usually likes to spend her vacation here.

You can take water taxi to and from Sant’Angelo for around €3 each way. Nearby to the beach are the Cavasura natural springs which is a series of caves and grottoes. You can walk there in around 10 minutes. There’s also a thermal spa in the area called Parco Termale Tropical with plenty of different hot and cold pools and steam baths. 

Shopping in Ischia

In Ischia Porto there is Vittoria Colonna Course which is ideal for shopping, with plenty of fashion boutiques here. There’s also a few small craft shops and restaurants and bars.

After a visit to the Aragonese Castle you should take a stroll around the village of Ischia Ponte. Here you’ll find jewellery, gift shops and boutiques. We visited a few shops selling delicious food and drink, I bought some Italian pasta to take back with me. They also had balsamic vinegar, olive oil and limoncello. 

If you’re after skincare products theres a few shops selling products which contain thermal water which is meant to be great for your skin. 

Getting around 

We were transported in a minibus or taxi, there’s plenty of taxis around which are too expensive, you can find out more about this here. The cheapest option would be to get a bus around. A single journey ticket is €1.50 and the ticket is valid for 100 minutes, or you can get a three day ticket for €11. You can purchase these from ticket offices, newsagents or bars. Once you are on the bus you need to stamp your ticket on the machine otherwise you could be fined. A fun way to get around would be to rent a scooter.

Where to eat

La Bussola – located in front of Forio harbour and close to the town centre, this place has a variety of local Ischian dishes and fresh fish.

 Montecorvo – My favourite dish from the trip was “the Rabbit in the style of Ischia” which we had at this restaurant. All the courses we had here were incredible and I’d highly recommend going! This place is quite hard to find so I’d recommend getting a taxi there.

Casa Celestino Restaurant – this is a great place to enjoy fresh seafood whilst overlooking the Sant’Angel coast.

When to visit

I went in October and it was still sunny and warm, around 21-25 degrees and since most of the tourists are gone you can enjoy cheaper hotels and emptier beaches. September would also be a great time to visit as the weather would still be good. Peak season is June to August which will be nice and hot but a lot busier. The windiest month is November and it’s most likely to rain in January.

Ischia or Capri?

Both of the islands are easily accessible from Naples but Capri is more high end with fancy boutiques and designer stores. Capri will be busier as the island gets around 2 million visitors a year. It is easier to get by without knowing any Italian in Capri as they are more used to tourists. That being said there were still a lot of people in Ischia who spoke English. Ischia has a more laid back vibe and is a lot cheaper than Capri. Ischia is a bigger island at 46.3 km² and Capri is 10.4 km².

If you are after a more relaxed vibe and fancy a day at the thermal spas then go to Ischia. If you have a higher budget and looking for a comfortable, paradise-filled getaway then go to Capri.

Where to stay in Ischia

We stayed at Garden & Villas which was absolutely stunning, 3 acres of gardens with flowers, it’s easy to get lost around the hotel as the gardens are so huge. Upon arrival we were shown to a buggy with our suitcases and then taken to our rooms. My room was spacious with a double bed, lounge, terrace with a view of the gardens, a bathroom with two showers and a room with a wardrobe and shoe storage. The rooms all have different styles, mine was the garden suite lavanda and you can also choose if you want a sea view. If you go for a Master room you’ll even get your own jacuzzi!

The hotel also has 2 swimming pools a gym and restaurant. Each morning there is a buffet breakfast serving eggs, cereals, pastries and even some pizza. The hotel has a restaurant and bar, we ate there on the first night, they serve plenty of fresh seafood. Check out the availability here. If there are no free rooms at the time when you want to stay, try and find similar hotels with cozycozy.

Terme Manzi Hotel & Spa

If you want to treat yourself to a 5 star hotel check out Terme Manzi, check out prices and availability here. We visited the hotel for a delicious lunch and the spa here looks incredible, with pools, fitness area and plenty of treatments to choose from.

Ischia hotels

Here are some other beautiful hotels on the island.

• Hotel Ulisse – 10 minute walk from the historical centre of Ischia Ponte
• Pagoda Hotel – 2 minute walk from Ischia’s ferry port
• Grifo Hotel & Spa – 0.9 miles from Ischia Harbour
• Villa Marinella – 20 minute walk to Ischia Porto
• Ischia Ponte Apartment – 5 minute walk to Aragonese Castle

Where to go next?

Ischia is not far from Naples so you could take a trip there and try some of their famous pizza. Pompeii isn’t far from Naples so you can a day trip there and learn about the history there. 

I’d definitely recommend spending a weekend in Florence as there’s so much to do there. If you fancy a romantic city then you should visit Venice.

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*Thanks to Imperatore Travel for inviting me on this press trip, all opinions remain my own*

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