Getting there

Ischia was the second destination of a holiday following two days in Naples, and what an impression it has left.

After booking the flights, we knew we would want to spend some days at a calmer pace on a nearby island but the only one we knew of was Capri. Capri looks stunning and attracts millions of visitors each year for good reason, however, we had read about the crowds and we wanted something quieter.

Zooming in on Google Maps, we saw two small islands to the south-west of Naples, in the Gulf of Naples / Tyrrhenian Sea, called Procida and Ischia. Both looked beautiful but Ischia seemed to offer more in the way of good restaurants and had better reviews in blogs we read, so we booked the boat and an apartment and were set for what would make one of all of our favourite holidays to date.

We booked our Hydrofoil with a company called Caremar.

The journey takes around 50 minutes and cost approximately £53 return. You have to check-in at the port one hour before the departure, and it is wise to use this time to prepare. The sea looked calm to our eyes, but once we were on board, we were told that the sea was choppy and were advised to sit towards the back of the boat.

My sister and I had taken a travel sickness tablet anyway so were fine, but it’s wise to consider this if you are out partying in Naples the night before.. the motion of the boat was quite dramatic at times, but the journey isn’t too long.

Once we arrived around 1pm and disembarked from the boat, the beauty of Ischia was immediately apparent. It was hot but not oppressively so; the sun shone brightly making the water sparkle and bright pink wisteria and bougainvillea flowers stand out against dazzling white buildings. A pleasant breeze off the bay made the walk to the island, laden with our suitcases, much more bearable.

Our apartment was hosted by the lovely Giovanna and her mother Emanuela, located centrally on the Corso Vittoria Colonna, a long street decked out with pretty shops and bars. Our apartment was attached to one of their homes and behind their souvenir shops, with shared access to the terrace.

It was stunning and felt like a home-from-home with orange and lemon trees, an outdoor pizza oven and two forty-year-old tortoises (one named Ottavio, I didn’t catch the name of the female tortoise).

It was now a good time for lunch but note that in Ischia, most restaurants close for a couple of hours during the day in the summer months; we were lucky just to get in to one nearby called Ciro Purpetta, which we loved so much we visited again but for dinner a couple of days later.

Sorry for being so obvious here but….. isn’t Italian food just a gift from the earth, the sun and the sea?

My starter was Mozzarella in carozza, deep fried mozzarella cheese.

It’s proper comfort food but was a bit much for me with the size of the bread here.

Sammy and Luke shared a starter of Mozzarella di bufala e pomodori (in the centre of the table); I tried a bit of the mozzarella with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over and it was so impeccably fresh and clean.

Sammy and I both chose Spaghetti allo scarpariello for our main, a Neopolitan dish that is beautiful in its simplicity of spaghetti, tomatoes, chilli, and grated Grana Padano cheese.

Luke chose another local dish called Pasta alle Genovese, ziti pasta in a ragú of beef, onions, and pecorino cheese. We both love French onion soup, and while the texture here is completely different, the opulent flavours are a real treat and it is an interesting difference of sauce from tomato, chilli, or cream-based pasta sauces. I admit, I got food envy, so ordered it myself when we returned a couple days later.

After a rest back at the apartment, showers and a shared bottle of prosecco, we walked along in the dark to see the island’s fortress, the Castello Aragonese (built in the 1400s!), from the beachfront.

Photos taken on iPhones at night, trying to capture an illuminated building or celestial bodies in the sky never does anything justice. The same applied here but this was the best I could capture:

I love the sea at night, especially when the waves are rolling and crashing noisily as they were that evening; it’s hypnotic and soothing.

But, the breeze was quite strong here and it was time to find the wine bar Luke had looked up online, Enoteca Isla Vinum.

Staff were lovely and suggested wines by the glass, and the outdoor seating was well-located for people-watching. Ischia is where many locals of Campania go for their weekend breaks or holidays, and we barely heard any English being spoken. We found that most restaurant and bar staff spoke some basic English but it is helpful to familiarise yourself with some holiday essential phrases.

Here, I bought a little book of recipes that are local to Ischia, with information on their agriculture and what grows locally to their island. It was a bargain for 4 euros and a lovely travel souvenir to add to my cookbook collection.

The weather was temperate whilst we were in Ischia, a lovely 26-30 degrees with island breeze. However, this heat was still somewhat sleep-disturbing and it’s a battle between sleeping with the air conditioning on (unhealthy) and tossing and turning in the heat, aware of the diminishing night-time hours until it’s time to get up and make the most of your day.

I was really tired by this point after several late nights and early starts since our flight to Naples, and joined Sammy and Luke at the beach a bit later on.

This beach is only a 5-minute walk from the main street and is calm, not overly-crowded, with softish sand that’s slightly gritty due to being a volcanic island.

Island life on Ischia is calm, pretty, ornate, beautiful, natural and just lovely. I can’t think of a better adjective than lovely here. Flowers adorn pretty much everywhere, lemons and oranges hang in the trees, and so floral and citrus scents drift along in the soft air. The light is stunning, the people are gorgeous, and everyone was so, so friendly, much in the way as the people we met in Naples.

Part of the charm and holiday balm of being in Ischia is slowly walking along and taking in all the beautiful sights in perfect weather. We all miss it very much, there is something about it and I have been to other islands and beach destinations and not felt the same pull.

In the evening, we went for a walk down by the port under a pink marbling sky, and nowhere does a golden hour quite like Italy.

Tonight’s restaurant, Il Giardino di Enzo, was recommended to us by Giovanna, our apartment’s host, and it was an excellent choice in every respect.

The setting is beautiful, seated outdoors in an Ischian patio with aromatic rosemary, basil, mint and lavender growing all around in flower beds, with lofty palm trees swaying overhead, the occasional tiny bird hopping past.

We were warmly greeted with a handshake by Enzo, the owner, a charismatic man who oozes all the charm of southern Italian dolce vita.

I had pasta, Luke had pizza, and Sammy had a seafood risotto which both she and Luke agreed was the best they’d had. I didn’t try it as wanted to retain appetite for my own dish but the quality of everything was stunning, as it was in every restaurant or wine bar across our days in both Napoli and Ischia.

The star of the show, in my opinion, was the choice of wine.

This is Vino di Mare, wine of the sea:

This wine is made at the Tommasone winery on Ischia, and this particular white wine is aged in cellars at the bottom of the sea.

You can read the full explanation of why the wine is aged under water at their website here, but in short, it is due to the total absence of natural light, a constant temperature of 14 degrees celsius, and uniform underwater pressure for consistent conditions resulting in assuredly high quality wines.

What a privilege to try something so rare! It was stunning- clean, like seawater without the salt, light on the palate but interesting and crystal clear.

Every good Italian restaurant will round off a meal with a digestivo such as limoncello or branca menta; I had struggled to finish my dish so Luke did for me. Enzo was very pleased with this as it stopped any potential waste I would have caused. I made a joke that Luke had earned his digestivo, and Enzo brought over several bottles. He brought over more, then more, with a cheeky smile on his face.

It was an interesting selection with liquors made from rocket, honey, prosecco, lemon, and 100 herbs.

Laughing it off, we suddenly looked up to be greeted with this unexpected obelisk:

I had to have this one, perhaps as punishment for not finishing my plate. I can’t recall exactly how it tasted but some potent whisky-esque type of taste.

We shook Enzo’s hand afterwards and thanked him for a memorable meal.

“5 star review”, he coolly responded.

We walked back along the docks, admiring the luxury yachts that had docked, which somehow managed to not look ostentatious or tacky as can be possible in some other places.

Giardini la Mortella

The next day, we got a taxi across the island to Foria, to the Giardini la Mortella, private botanic gardens that were designed by Lady Susana Walton, the Argentinian wife of the British composer William Walton, in the 1950s.

What a charmed life they must have lead!

The gardens are beyond stunning; a tropical paradise with views your eyes can’t even believe they’re seeing.

The lakes and streams are topped with lily pads and fronds of water foliage such as lotus flowers and papyrus. Hibiscus, honeysuckle, lavender, rosemary, acer, palm and fern trees give a subtropical feel which give way to a breathtaking view of the Bay of Forio, an expanse of bright blue against all the green.

There is a stage for concerts which must be amazing at night, along with a lovely little teahouse where we each enjoyed a much-needed juice and sparkling water after climbing the steps in the heat.

I am in awe looking back at these pictures now.

Yes, the gardens were professionally designed, but Italy sure is blessed climate-wise, being positioned where it is in middle earth: mediterranean, the colours and fragrances and fruits that grow from its land, the treasures of its waters.

Terme Negombo

Next, whilst at the Forio side of the island, we walked about 15 minutes (up some winding uphill roads where you have to be really careful with the vespas, motorbikes, cars and wagons zooming past) to the Terme Negombo, a thermal water spa with beach, pools, landscaped gardens and restaurant.

Entry was somewhere in the region of 33 euros each for half a day, which was so worth it for how beautiful it was (I’m fearing repetition here) and the facilities on offer.

I was wearing trainers and had forgotten to pack flip-flops but fortunately, there is a shop where you can purchase footwear and beachwear. We chose a spot and laid out our towels then spent some time in the pool (non-thermal) before lunch.

Lunch was another stunner!

I ordered a lemon and saffron spaghetti dish, which was fresh and fragrant and light. It doesn’t look much but it was; I struggled to finish it.

There are various thermal pools as you climb upwards, starting with the jet cascades which are good for the shoulders. We then climbed on to reach the 30-40 degree celsius thermal spa waters, rich in minerals and sodium chloride from the volcanic environment.

The last stop before closing time at 4 was the private beach where we spent an hour before drying off and heading for the bus back to our part of Ischia.

La Festa di Sant’Anna

It just so happened to be Ischia’s main saint’s day of the summer on the Friday night we were there, which granted us an experience that was authentically local.

Thousands of spectators gather on the bridge (Ischia Ponte) and the area surrounding the Castello Aragonese while a competition judging floats created by each of Ischia’s towns takes place with commentary and supporting musical acts.

We were advised to get there early to secure a good spot so we walked along the promenade during a particularly lovely golden hour and caught the first stages of sunset before dipping into a restaurant that gave us a bird’s eye view of the growing crowds.

When we got to the bridge, it was packed and hot and I admit that I was feeling a little bit claustrophobic. We couldn’t see much of the float competition but the singers were amazing and the view of the castle lit up and the buzz of the crowd was an experience.

The celebration culminated in a firework display that was definitely the best I have ever seen in person. The duration was impressive and the fireworks themselves were total show-offs: great, gold glittering exploding galaxies, one after the other, after the other.

It must have cost thousands and thousands of euros; certainly no stinginess from Ischia’s council there.

I was just a brief visitor but it seems to me that the people of Ischia place great value on quality of life, beauty, cleanliness, and enjoying what they are blessed with on their island.

Slowly, we made our way back to the apartment as the buzz all around continued, as we had to wake up at 5am for the ferry back to Naples for a reluctant flight back to Manchester.

As we trundled along with our suitcases in bright, shimmering 6am sunshine, we spotted teenagers and young adults perched on doorsteps, shoes kicked off, quietly talking and enjoying the sunrise, behaving immaculately, considering they had been up all night.

The port was stunning so early in the morning, the sun glimmering across the bay, boats gently rocking in the calm waters.

We boarded the boat, fell into a snooze, very sadly dragging ourselves away from a paradise of a place we can only hope to return to as soon as possible.