When we were planning our 8-day trip to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, we added Ischia to our Italy itinerary after realizing we had some extra time. Visiting an Italian island was very appealing, and at first Capri seemed like the obvious choice, but the more we looked into Ischia, the more its mix of outdoor activities and cultural attractions appealed to us.
We spent three days on Ischia, which gave us time to experience all corners of it in several very different ways. We explored Ischia Porto and Aragonese Castle, spent a morning kayaking along the coast and soaking in natural thermal waters, and devoted our final day to hiking Monte Epomeo.
The trip was active, but the logistics were simple. We arrived by ferry from Naples, stayed in a hotel which was both close to the ferry terminal and the main bus terminal, and used local buses to reach the places farther around the island.
We travelled to Ischia, Italy with our kids, who were 10 and 12 at the time, but this article focuses on the Ischia experience itself rather than on travelling there as a family.
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Day 1: Ischia Porto and Aragonese Castle
After spending the previous day climbing Mt. Vesuvius and visiting the Herculaneum ruins, we took an early morning, scenic 50-minute ferry from Naples to Ischia. Once we had checked into our waterfront hotel, the Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa, we headed out on foot to explore the area, with Aragonese Castle as our main destination for the afternoon.
Spiaggia di San Pietro
Our hotel was right along the harbour, and one of our first stops was Spiaggia di San Pietro, the main beach in town. It was only a few minutes from the hotel and directly along our walking route.
Most of the Mediterranean beaches we had experienced were made up of small pebbles, so we were surprised to find a genuine sandy beach here. We visited Ischia in April, when it wasn’t quite beach weather yet, but it still made for an easy and pleasant stop before continuing through town.
Walking Along Via Roma
From Spiaggia di San Pietro, we continued along Via Roma, Ischia’s main tourist shopping street. Much of it was pedestrian-only, which we always enjoy. Having no cars makes it a relaxing place to walk without constantly watching for traffic.
There were plenty of clothing stores and souvenir shops, along with the occasional restaurant or bakery. As we had seen elsewhere in southern Italy, many of the shops were filled with lemon-themed souvenirs, gifts, treats and other products, so there was plenty to browse as we made our way toward the castle.
Aragonese Castle
Aragonese Castle sits on a rocky volcanic islet just off Ischia and is connected to the main island by a stone bridge. The first fortress on the site dates back to 474 BC, while many of the fortifications visible today were added in 1441.
Instead of taking the elevator to the upper level of the castle, we chose to walk up the long historic entrance. It was a fun way to approach the castle and gave us more time to appreciate the scale and design before reaching the main complex. I always enjoy walking through castle entrances to see how they were designed to keep invading armies out.
Once inside, we wandered through the many rooms, gardens and terraces. The armoury had swords, suits of armour and helmets, while the room of torture was interesting but definitely a little disturbing. We also saw churches, a wine-making cellar and a number of other spaces throughout the castle.
One of the best parts of our visit to the Aragonese Castle was the view. From high inside the castle, we had excellent views over the sea and across Ischia. The signage wasn’t especially good and we felt lost much of the time, but as it turned out, simply wandering around was a very pleasant way to explore the castle.
Day 2: Kayaking, Thermal Waters and Sant’Angelo
Our second day was one of the highlights of our three days on Ischia. We took a local public bus to Cava Grado beach near Sant’Angelo, got off at the final stop and walked down to a small beach in a cove, where we met the guide for our our Ischia kayaking tour.
We happened to be the only people booked on the kayaking tour that morning. After changing into our kayaking clothes, we got into double kayaks and set off along the coast.
Kayaking Near Sant’Angelo
The coastline near Sant’Angelo was beautiful, with rocky cliffs rising directly out of the sea. Sea birds circled above us, and the water was clear enough that we could see all the way to the bottom.
We paddled first to the furthest point on the tour, a secluded rocky cove that our guide told us was his favourite place on the island. He had apparently grown up very close by. We stopped on the small rocky beach and tried to spot octopuses on the ocean floor, but their camouflage was too good and we didn’t see any. It was exciting to try though.
Sorgeto Bay Thermal Springs
From the cove, we continued to Sorgeto Bay, where natural hot springs bubble up through the shallow coastal water. The hot thermal water mixes with cold seawater, creating small pools just offshore where the temperature changes constantly as the water moves.
When we arrived, our guide put six eggs into a small bubbling pool of thermal water and left them there to cook. He then took us into a small cave area with several tubs carved into the rock, where we sat in the warm thermal water enjoying a small glass of local white wine.
Afterward, we moved back outside into the oceanside hot pools. Finding a comfortable temperature was part of the experience because one spot could suddenly become too hot or too cold as the water swirled around us.
Before we left, we retrieved the eggs from the thermal water. They had cooked perfectly, and we ate them before getting back into the kayaks.
The Blue Cave
The final stop on the kayaking tour was a large cave where light entered through a small opening and gave the water a green glow. There was also a small cliff inside the cave, and our guide encouraged the kids to jump from it into the water. The water was far too cold for us adults, but the kids were willing to try it and jumped several times.
Lunch Back at Cava Grado Beach
We finished the tour back at Spiaggia di Cavagrado, where we had started. Our guide poured the rest of the wine and served homemade bruschetta on fresh bread. Sitting beside the water with local wine, fresh bruschetta and the coastline around us made it one of the best meals of our trip to Italy. It wasn’t elaborate, but the setting and the experience made it memorable.
While we were eating, our kids noticed that the sand beneath our feet was very hot. They dug down a few inches and quickly reached a point where the heat became almost unbearable, and then the water began steaming. We already knew Ischia was known for its thermal water, but experiencing the heat directly beneath the beach was still a fun discovery.
The kayaking tour ended up being one of our favourite activities on our entire trip to Ischia and the Amalfi Coast.
An Afternoon in Sant’Angelo
After lunch, we walked into nearby Sant’Angelo in search of gelato. The town has a striking seaside setting, with a two-sided beach beside a large rocky peninsula jutting into the ocean.
We each ordered two flavours of gelato and sat on an oceanfront bench for a while after our morning of kayaking. We didn’t spend time on the beach itself, but it appeared to have plenty of real sand and several wave breaks offshore.
Day 3: Hiking Monte Epomeo
For our final day on Ischia, we took a public bus to Fontana to hike Monte Epomeo. Even the bus ride was interesting as it climbed toward the high-elevation town inside the old volcanic crater. The hiking trail began conveniently right at the bus stop. It was a loop, and we followed it clockwise.
Starting the Hike in Fontana
The hike began along some roads with traffic, but quickly transitioned to a quiet dirt road. The climb was steep, but there was plenty to look at along the way, including historic houses carved into the mountainside and hundreds of small green lizards moving around the trail.
As we began to see small patches of farmland on the steep slopes, an elderly farmer waved us over and invited us to see inside a historic stone house on his property. It was an unexpected opportunity to see one of the old homes from the inside and became one of the more memorable encounters of the hike.
Viewpoints Along the Way
After about 1.5 km of steady climbing, we reached our first significant viewpoint. From there, we could see a rocky outcrop, farms, a tiny village and long views across the Mediterranean Sea.
The trail flattened out for a while before beginning the final ascent toward Monte Epomeo. This section passed through forest, with birdsong all around us.
Hermitage of St. Nicholas
Near the top, we entered the first of two rock-cut structures, a small church. Beside it was a museum devoted to the Hermitage of St. Nicholas.
We wandered from room to room looking at displays showing how people once lived there. The kitchen looked so realistic that we eventually touched the food and discovered that it actually was real.
The rooms also contained mannequins dressed as monks with their hoods pulled over their heads. They were supposed to help bring the displays to life, but we found them more creepy than convincing and had a good laugh about them.
Monte Epomeo Summit
After visiting the hermitage museum, we continued to the summit viewpoint. The 360-degree views from the top were spectacular, and it felt like we could see the entire island.
There is also a restaurant at the top. We originally walked through it to reach another viewpoint connected with an earthquake that had destroyed a nearby village, although we couldn’t work out exactly where the village had been.
The smell of the food persuaded us to stay for lunch at Ristorante La Grotta da Fiore. The food was excellent, and the views made it an especially good place to stop after the climb.
On our way back toward Fontana, the trail took us through a deep, narrow valley that was fun to walk through. We passed several more restaurants on the descent, but none had views that matched the restaurant at the summit.
View the Monte Epomeo hiking trail map on AllTrails.
Returning to Cava Grado Thermal Beach
We had originally planned to spend part of our final day walking around the historic old town in Forio. Instead, we changed our plans and took the bus back to Cava Grado because we had enjoyed the thermal beach so much the day before.
Our kids spent a long time playing in the water and digging small hot pools in the sand, while Celine and I searched for sea glass. We love collecting sea glass from our travels, and this beach had plenty of great pieces in many different colours.
We also discovered that sitting in one place for too long could become uncomfortable because the sand heated up so much from the thermal energy beneath it. Returning to the beach was completely unplanned, but after our experience there the day before, it was an easy choice.
Where We Stayed in Ischia
We spent three nights at the Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa and booked two rooms for our family. The hotel had a scenic waterfront location overlooking the harbour and, like many resorts on Ischia, made use of the island’s thermal water.
There was a thermally heated rooftop pool, plus an indoor pool and spa. Our kids loved the rooftop pool, and we were equally happy spending time there because the views were so good.
Breakfast was another strong point. The hotel served a large buffet with one of the biggest breakfast selections we had encountered during our travels in Italy.
For our particular Ischia itinerary, though, the location was probably the biggest advantage. The hotel was only about a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal and roughly the same distance from the public bus terminal, which made it easy and inexpensive for us to get around the island without a car.
Finally, the Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa was just steps away from the long stretch of restaurants which line the harbour. This made it very easy and convenient to find places to eat dinner each evening. As a bonus, each restaurant had outdoor seating with views of the harbour.
Our Experience Spending 3 Days in Ischia
Three days on Ischia gave us a good mix of experiences. Our first afternoon was mostly about walking and exploring Aragonese Castle, while the second day revolved around kayaking, thermal waters and Sant’Angelo. The third day was our most physically active, with the hike to Monte Epomeo followed by an afternoon back at the thermal beach.
Some of our favourite experiences were also the most active, especially the kayaking tour and the Monte Epomeo hike. At the same time, the trip had plenty of slower moments, including soaking in the thermal pools, eating gelato beside the water, enjoying lunch at the summit and returning to the beach simply because we had liked it so much the day before.
Staying near both the ferry and bus terminals also made the trip feel easy. We didn’t need a car for our Ischia itinerary, and we were able to reach the main places we wanted to visit using a combination of walking and local buses.
Our trip to Ischia ultimately gave us exactly what had attracted us to the island in the first place: a varied mix of outdoor activities, cultural sights, coastal scenery and thermal-water experiences.
More From Our Italy Trip
Ischia was part of a longer trip through Rome, the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. If you’re planning a similar itinerary, our other first-hand travel posts may help with the practical side of putting the trip together.
We started with 24 hours in Rome before travelling south to Ischia. After our three days on the island, we continued to Sorrento to explore the Amalfi Coast.
We had planned two full days in Sorrento, although one was lost to food poisoning. We made the most of our remaining time with a day trip to the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento, including stops in Amalfi and Positano.
