A Guide to Ischia – Hotels & Ferries
I first heard about Ischia from my grandmother in the middle of the 1990s. She had travelled to the island with several girlfriends and spoke enthusiastically about this gorgeous Italian island in the Gulf of Naples. As a small child, her stories of Ischia made a huge impression on me, and I resolved to visit it one day. I had to wait 30 years, but hey, better late than never, right?
Well, the hype about Ischia is real. Ischia reminds me of when I first visited Positano in 2006 (long before Instagram & TikTok made it almost unbearable to visit), full of charm, gorgeous restaurants, stunning views, and baskets of enormous lemons. Least we forget the magical thermal waters that draw visitors to Ischia.
Ischia is like stepping back into the past. Wander the streets of Ischia Ponte, browsing boutique stores, enjoying a delicious gelato, or head to the port, enjoy a cocktail and watch the ferries come in. Explore the island by bus, car, or scooter and fall in love with one of the prettiest places that will capture your heart and make the fondest of memories. Ischia made an enormous impression, and despite it taking almost 30 years to visit, it was well and truly worth the wait.
Where to stay in Ischia
Deciding where to stay in Ischia is semi-important. Firstly there are a couple of options in larger towns to choose from, secondly, you need to decide how dependent you want to be on public transportation, or renting your own car.
Ischia retains its charm in a lot of its accommodation, and when viewing hotels and B&Bs it can feel like design stopped in 1992. Which makes it a little time capsule for those who are nostalgic for a simpler time.
Ischia Porto
The port town of Ischia is known as Ischia Porto, or just Ischia. During my vacation I based my stay here, as it had ferry connections, lots of restaurants and bars to choose from and essentially everything I would need was on my doorstep.
The port of Ischia reminded me a lot of Portofino. Restaurants & bars line the harbour edge and offer stunning views of boats coming and going, against the dramatic backdrop of soaring hills. Immediately around the corner from the port, you’ll find store-lined streets selling designer sunglasses, clothing & products from the island. The beaches of Ischia Porto that connect down to Ischia Ponte offer views across the Gulf of Naples. You’ll find Lido’s offering beach bed rentals from €10-15, depending on the place.
We stayed in the truly fabulous Pagoda Lifestyle Hotel for our 4 nights in Ischia. The location is less than a 5-minute walk from the ferry terminal and offers some of the most gorgeous experiences that you could ask of a hotel. The private platform with sun loungers and access to the crystal water was like something out of a Conde Nast publication.
Hotels in Ischia Porto
If Pagoda Lifestyle Hotel is not in budget, consider some of the following hotels:
Hotel Rivamare // Located on the beach and offering spectacular views across to Naples. If you love the retro feel of an Italian holiday stuck in 1992, this is a gem.
Hotel Da Raffaele // Exquisite hotel with exceptional design (those tiles are so dreamy) and located off the busy shopping street.
Aragona Palace Hotel & Spa // Great location in the port, you’ll find restaurants and bars on your door stop. The hotel’s decor is dated but the prices are great considering the location.
Ischia Ponte
Ischia Ponte is close by and a 30-ish minute walk from Ischia Porto. There is also local buses that travel across the island on a frequent bus service. Ischia Ponte is where you’ll find the spectacular Castello Argonese D’Ischia, an island that attaches itself to Ischia Ponte, a former monastery & now 3-star hotel, Albergo Il Monastero which sits high on the island and offers spectacular views.
Miramare E Castello offers stunning views across to the Castello, as well it’s own thermal waters. The interiors might be slightly dated, but that’s part of the old-world charm of Ischia. A short walk to either Ischia Ponte or Porto.
Forio
The largest settlement on Ischia is the sweet little town of Forio. Staying in Forio provides you with easy access to neighboring towns and makes a good hub for shorter visits to Ischia. If you’re planning on exploring, or want to visit the thermal spas of Ischia, then you should consider basing your stay in Forio. Sant ‘Angelo is a 15-minute drive away. Ischia Porto is a 15-minute drive.
Botania Relais & Spa – The Leading Hotels of the World // If you’re planning on splurging on a 5 Star Hotel in Ischia where you have no plans to leave then you couldn’t choose a better one than the Botania Relais & Spa. With it’s own thermal spa pools across 3 hectres of manicured grounds, you’ll find one of the most exclusive thermal spa’s in Ischia, Negombo Thermal Spa located within the hotel.
Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa // Another dreamy bucket list hotel with a gorgeous sun deck, stunning decor and world-class facilities.
Hotel Nettuno // Affordable hotel a few minutes walk from the centre of Forio. Close to restaurants, bars and the beautiful stores of Forio.
Sant’Angelo
If you’re looking for a relaxing stay in Ischia where you’re only concern is where you’re going to eat dinner, then you’ve got to base your stay in Sant’Angelo. A small town that offers easy access to the largest nearby beach in Ischia, Maronti, by ferry, there’s not a lot to do in Sant’Angelo and that’s kind of the point. There are a handful of stores, restaurants and bars, a cute little beach and not much else. Staying in Sant’Angelo is the perfect place when all you want to do is read your book, relax and sip on Aperol Spritz’ from your hotel’s balcony. Perfecto.
Miramare Sea Resort & Spa // If your vacation plans involve relaxing by a pool, or indulging in a couple of spa treatments then consider the 5 star Miramare Sea Resort & Spa.
Hotel Casa Celestino // Hotel Casa Celestino is where I plan on staying when I return to Ischia in the future. Beautiful design and outrageous views. I am obsessed with their floor tiles. Obsessed.
Casamicciola
If you’re looking for a base firmly between Forio & Ischia Porto, then Casamicciola makes a great one. There is a ferry port with connections to Naples & Procida departing from the harbor throughout the day. The town of Casmicciola sits at the base of the lush Mount Epomeo, with gorgeous views of vineyards and houses built into the mountainside. The location of Casamicciola offers easy access to the 2 larger towns on Ischia of Forio & Ischia Porto/Ponte with frequent bus services throughout the day. If you’re planning on spending your days at the famous thermal spas of Ischia, you’ll find them only a stone’s throw away.
Stay at Hotel La Madonnina which offers a private beach and direct access to the sea.
Thermal Spas in Ischia
Ischia’s most notable attraction are the natural thermal springs that have drawn visitors for hundreds of years. And the beauty of visiting Ischia is that you don’t need to remortgage your home to visit one of these fantastic thermal spas.
Some hotels offer their own thermal spa experiences. There are quite a number of thermal spas in Ischia and you’ll find them pop up as you explore the island.
Giardini Poseidon Terme
One of the most accessible and largest thermal spas on the island is the Giardini Poseidon Terme located halfway between Forio and Sant’Angelo. With over 20 thermal pools and a private beach, you can enjoy an entire day exploring the various water temperatures and enjoying the 3 restaurants on site.
Castiglione Thermal Park
A smaller scaled thermal park, Castiglione Thermal Park has 10 thermal pools with temperatures that vary from 30 to 40 Celsius. With plenty of room to relax, soak up sunshine or dine in the onsite restaurant, if you’re looking for a thermal spa on Ischia close to Ischia Porto then Castiglione Thermal Park is a solid option. It may not have the luxury status like Negombo Thermal Park or Giardini Poseidon Terme.
Negombo Thermal Park
One of the most famous and exclusive thermal spas in Ischia is located within the 5-star hotel – Botania Relais & Spa. Negombo Thermal Park has a reservation system where you can opt for a half day or full day visit. The cheapest ticket to Negombo Thermal Park is €40 for the late afternoon option: access from 4pm to 7pm. A full day adult ticket for Negombo Thermal Park is €70 during the high season (mid-June to mid-September). When you book your spot in Negombo you have access to a sun lounger and umbrella in a set location, towels are available to rent for an additional cost.
How To Get To Ischia
The only way to get to Ischia is by ferry from the Italian mainland (or nearby Capri). Whether you decide to charter a superyacht or like 99% of regular folks organize your journey by ferry, you’ll find numerous daily crossings.
I booked my ferry tickets to Ischia via FerryHopper which I would recommend, and depending on the ferry company you may have to get the physical tickets at the ticket office in Naples ferry terminal, or you can e-tickets via the FerryHopper app.
There are two ferry terminals in Naples that have sailings to Ischia.
- Naples Beverello (Napoli Beverello)
- Pozzuoli
Naples Beverello is the closest ferry terminal for those staying in Naples historic center, or for anyone coming from Naples airport. You may also see another Naples port mentioned, Calata Porta di Massa, which is in the same area as the Naples Beverello, you’ll just need to walk a few feet further.
Pozzuoli is located on the outskirts of Naples and has frequent crossings to Procida and Ischia as well. If you’re taking your car to Ischia, then consider booking the Pozzuoli ferry.
You’ll also find a ferry from Capri that sails daily to Ischia if you are planning on a day trip or instead of connecting via Naples. For day trips you can take a ferry in the morning from Capri (1 hour sailing) and depart in the late evening.
There are several sailings throughout the day to Ischia, and the ferries arrive into 3 different ports in Ischia.
- Forio
- Ischia Port
- Casamicciola
Depending on where you are staying on Ischia, you should check to see if your ferry stops close to your destination. For example, we were staying in Ischia Port, so we chose a ferry that arrived into that location. Taxi’s in Ischia are not too expensive, and journey times are short.
Getting Around Ischia
Bus: Ischia has a fantastic bus system that traverses around the island with frequent stops. You can purchase bus tickets in the shops, tabacs & bars. Check with the bus driver if you can purchase on board. Tickets cost €1.80 per ride and are valid for 80 minutes of travel.
Rental Car: We rented our convertible Fiat 500 directly from Ischia Port for €50 per day from Super Mario Rental. You’ll see the term ‘Noleggio‘ which is the Italian term for ‘rental’. You can also prebook your car here.
Taxi: The taxis on Ischia are surprisingly affordable. You’ll find posters at taxi ranks in each town that outline the coast of traveling to each destination, so there is no fear of being ripped off.
Note about roads in Ischia: Overall the road conditions in Ischia are superb. The roads are single lane, so overtaking can be tricky if you are stuck behind a bus etc. Best be patient and wait for them to pull in. If you do decide to take the east coast mountain roads through towns like Barano & Fontana be weary that they are small winding roads where you’ll want to be very comfortable driving on smaller roads. The locals are well-used to the roads and drive quickly around the sharp bends and switchbacks, as well as contending with large buses. The west coast road of Ischia is much easier to drive.
Naples to Ischia
If you are traveling from Naples to Ischia there are 2 ports from which you can sail from. The closest to Naples city center is Beverello where boats also traveling to Sorrento and Capri depart from. You can purchase your tickets on the day from the ticket booths, but during peak travel times I would recommend booking in advance. I booked my tickets with Ferryhopper.
Pozzuoli is further from the center of Naples, and has sailings to the islands of Procida & Ischia.
Best Time to Visit Ischia
The island picks up steam throughout the months of July & August when the whole of Europe & North America seemingly descends upon the continent of Europe. If you’re planning on visiting the thermal spas of Ischia, you could really visit any time of the year, but on the shoulder season would offer a much quieter and relaxing experience. Consider the months of May, September & October.
Is Ischia Expensive?
Compared to nearby Capri, Ischia is extremely affordable. We dined out every night in Ischia and paid between €30 & €60 for a meal for two that included glasses of wine. Scooter rental is €20 per day. Car rental €50. Hotels can be as inexpensive as you like with lots of options to choose from.
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Disclaimer: Real-life human experiences. Written by a human. Created for humans. (Travels at Missy does not use AI for our articles. All posts and information are 1st hand experience. AI data-scrapping tools are expressly forbidden from using Travels with Missy content for AI Training).
Meet Missy…
Missy spent the first 2 decades of her life living in her native Dublin, Ireland. Before a life living overseas called to her, and she spent the next decade living in China, Laos & Belgium. She now splits her time in Antwerp, Belgium, and wherever the sun is currently shining. You can follow Missy’s real-time travels on her Instagram.
