Ischia (pronounced Ees-kya) is the largest island in the Bay of Naples and the one most Italians actually holiday on. The volcano is dormant, the thermal springs are not, and the six comuni (Ischia Porto, Ischia Ponte, Casamicciola, Lacco Ameno, Forio, Serrara Fontana) each hold their own scene. Skip if you came to Naples for the Amalfi coast; make a week of it if you came for the water.
Three stays we would book again.
Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa, Forio
Pignatelli-era watchtower converted into a Pellicano-group hotel on its own promontory. The seawater pool sits in a natural cove, the spa water rises at 38°C, and the pine forest around it kills the noise from the coast road.
€720–€1,850 / night
USD 780–2,015 · May to October
Regina Isabella, Lacco Ameno
The Regina is the grand hotel of Lacco Ameno, thermal pools out the back, cabanas on Bagno delle Ondine beach out the front. Ask for the sea-view rooms in the main wing; the newer annexe is cheaper but faces the road.
€480–€1,240 / night
USD 520–1,350 · Angelo Rizzoli’s 1950s dowager
Miramare e Castello, Ischia Ponte
Family-run four-star with the best position in Ischia Ponte, its own beach cove, and a rooftop looking straight at Castello Aragonese. Half board is worth taking; the kitchen leans Neapolitan seafood.
€280–€560 / night
USD 305–610 · walking distance to the Castello
Three practicalities that catch first-timers.
- Alilauro is the fastest ferry, not the cheapest. Molo Beverello (central Naples) to Ischia Porto: aliscafo 55 minutes at around €22, traghetto (Caremar) 1 hour 30 minutes at around €14. From Pozzuoli, Medmar traghetto takes 60 minutes at around €12 and dodges Naples traffic.
- Two thermal parks, not one. Poseidon Gardens (Forio, 22 pools, €38 day pass) is the postcard shot. Negombo (Lacco Ameno, 14 pools, €38 day pass) has better landscaping and lighter crowds. Both close mid-October to mid-April.
- May and October beat July. Sea at 22°C, thermal water at 38°C, and the day-tripper aliscafi run half-empty. August peaks at 100,000 Italian holidaymakers on an island of 60,000.