Ischia Travel Guide: 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arriving to Ischia

Arriving in Ischia is super simple coming from Naples. There's a direct ferry ready to whisk you away to paradise. If you don't yet know how to arrive, I've covered more details on exactly how the ferry works, how to book your tickets, and other helpful travel tips below.

From Naples, you can arrive directly to either Ischia Porto or Forio.

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Deciding Where on the Island to Stay

Unless you have a lot more than 3 days, I'd suggest staying in 1 place both nights instead of bouncing around the island. Although bouncing is certainly fun, the island is small enough that you can easily do it for the day without the hassle of luggage.

Here's a brief understanding of each of the main areas of Ischia to choose between:

• Ischia Port: Where most ferries arrive. It's the closest port coming from Naples and Procida and is said to be the party area of the island.
• Ischia Ponte: This area is near Ischia Port and is best for the incredible views of the Aragonese Castle. This area is also pretty touristic so it has a number of bars, restaurants, and shops for those that prefer that sort of entertainment.
• Forio: Another of the main ports. This port is smaller but from our experience, most boat tours leave from here. It also has a nice sandy beach right in town and a quaint vibe to it when you head off into the center a few blocks from the coast.
• Sant'Angelo: This area is best for those that are searching for the fishing village feel. It's small, picturesque, and great for those that prefer to relax but just know that it can actually feel more touristic with plenty of others seeking out this vibe.

There's obviously more to the island than just the 4 areas but these are the most popular choices and are the easiest options if you want to take advantage of tours, restaurants, and bars.

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Head to a Local Beach

Once you've arrived and checked in, it's time to soak up the island breeze. I suggest taking your first day easy and heading to the beach. Sometimes on vacation it's easy to overlook the obvious.

The ease in which you can get to a beach will depend on which part of the island you choose to stay in. If you pick Forio (like we did), the public beach is right in town and while it does get crowded, it's certainly an easy option. Just know that some parts are incredibly shallow so it might not be what you're used to. You can find deeper waters though or just embrace the super relaxed water wading everyone else will be doing.

Note that this does make it a good place for kids. The beach is protected by rocks so in addition to it being shallow, you can expect calm waters and no waves.

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Enjoy a Sunset Aperitivo

If you stay especially on the western end of the island, like Forio, you'll be rewarded with an incredible sunset. What better way to wind down your first day on island time than with a sunset aperitivo?

Depending on your hotel, you might be able to enjoy it from your rooftop. I've shared a few hotel recs and talked about where we stayed below in the travel tips section. We bought a bottle of Prosecco and snacks and watched the sun dip below the horizon with an absolutely epic view right from our terrace.

But, if you don't book a hotel with a view, fear not! You can talk over to the Chiesa del Soccorso (Soccorsco Church) and enjoy the show for free. They even have an Aperol Spritz van ready to provide the entertainment. The church sits on the rocks and offers uninterrupted sea views and a remarkable sunset. Just know you likely won't be the only person with this idea if you visit in high season.

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Day 2: Enjoy Time on/in the Water

It can't come as a surprise that my recommendation for your full day in Ischia is to enjoy the water. What you might not realize is that you actually have two options:

• The ocean itself
• The thermal springs
• And actually, sometimes even both!

If you're visiting Ischia in the summer, I highly recommend you get out on the water for a boat ride. You'll find plenty of options both online and in-person when you arrive. We opted for a full island tour and loved it. While there are other companies offering a similar experience, I can say we enjoyed this one in particular.

Although you'll get a view of the island from the water when you arrive on the ferry, it's really special to take the entire loop and to be able to swim along the way. One of our swimming spots even included a dip in thermal waters that are only accessible by sea. Just know, some of the pools are INCREDIBLY hot and take your guide's word at face value when they recommend which areas you should try and which you should avoid. For reference, some are hot enough to boil an egg!

Ischia island has actually been used as a spa since the Romans (and probably even before) for the natural hot springs. The rich would escape the winters in Naples and spend them here instead, soaking in the warm waters.

Because of this, while most people (us included) immediately think of Ischia as a summer destination, it's also a great place for a winter getaway. I met a local that said she and her family love early spring on the island.

There's a mix between natural springs found around the coast and luxurious spas that have been built around the thermal water. To find the natural ones, you'll need a guide or local, but otherwise you can take the easy way and pay for a day pass to any of the spas (often called "thermal parks").

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Day 3: See More of the Island

How you spend your 3rd day on Ischia will really depend on how much time you have before your ferry departs. Unfortunately we didn't have as much time as we would have liked so we only had time for a cappuccino and a cornetto ischitano (a typical croissant from Ischia) and another walk around town.

If time allows it though, I suggest:

• Visiting one of the botanical gardens. The two most popular are Giardini la Mortella (Mortella Gardens) and Giardini Ravino (Ravino Gardens). I'd choose the one that's most convenient from where you're staying.
• Visiting other towns on Ischia. If you didn't have time to visit on land the other towns on the island, it might be a good idea to make a small day trip to one of them. You can arrange your ferry back to mainland from a different port you left from giving yourself more flexibility. Just know traffic on the island can get heavy in high season.
• Visiting the famous Castello aragonese (Aragonese Castle). This is the castle that sits right off the coast of Ischia and is only accessible by a small straight. The castle is essentially a small town and has plenty to explore, either at your own pace or with a guided tour.

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Ischia Travel Tips

Before I let you go and enjoy your trip to Ischia, there are a few more tips I want to share with you.

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How to Get Here

As I mentioned, arriving in Ischia is really easy. You can take a direct ferry from Naples, Capri, or Procida. From Naples, you'll want to go to the Naples Port Beverello. This is the ferry port right next to the cruise port.

They recently opened an interior waiting area that looks like a more chaotic airport terminal. But while it looks like a mess, the area is pretty small and most people are only waiting on a small number of ferries at a time. No need to arrive much earlier than your departure time, 15 minutes should be plenty.

The ferry from both Naples and Capri takes about an hour but from Procida is only about 15 minutes.

I recommend buying your tickets online in advance to save any hassle. You can simply show the QR code on your ticket at boarding time. The website, FerryHopper, is easy and shows all the different ferry companies, prices, and times. Just be sure you've inputted the correct port on Ischia!

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Where to Stay

Although I gave a few different area recommendations above, we stayed in Forio and really loved it. Simply based on our experience, I can toss it out there as a great place to stay. It's convenient and a good blend between lively on the main streets yet quiet just a block away.

• Budget Stay: Hotel Nettuno: With a few rooms to choose from, you can pick your budget but still enjoy the hotel amenities, namely the rooftop terrace, ideal for sunset.
• Mid-Tier Stay: Villa Ravino Secret Retreat: If you plan to rent a car or scooter, I'd take advantage and stay outside of town to be able to fully relax. This unique hotel will be hard to beat and is in a good location to enjoy both Forio and Sant'Angelo.
• Luxury Stay: OraBlu Exclusive Villas: On the other side of town, you'll find these incredible villas. With great views and enough room for a large group, the whole family (even the pets!) will love it here.

We actually stayed in Hotel Villa Carolina and while the location was fantastic, I didn't totally love the stay itself, which is why I didn't include it in my list.

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Best Time to Visit

Honestly, Ischia is a great destination anytime of the year. Unlike other islands that don't offer too much to guests visiting outside of the hottest months, Ischia has the unique option of the thermal springs.

These are honestly more enjoyable in the early spring, late fall, or winter when the temperatures cool down and you can fully immerse yourself in the so-called healing waters.

Regardless, you can expect July and August to be the busiest months. We visited early September and although locals told us the crowds were lower, the island certainly wasn't empty.

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How Many Days You Need

Although the island is pretty small, it does offer a lot. Many locals from Naples and the surrounding area use the island as their vacation spot of choice, opting to spend the entire summer or even a month or two in winter here.

Don't ask about work, I'm not sure how they balance it!

Because enough people live and visit here throughout the year, there's plenty to see and do. You could easily spend a week on the island and not run out of towns, gardens, restaurants, and beaches to visit. While I thought a long weekend was a good amount of time here, I would have enjoyed an extra few days to see more.

That said, since it's only 1 hour from Naples, it's a common destination for day trippers. While you can swing it, I think the island needs more time than just a few hours. If you're looking for a day trip option from Naples, I'd suggest Procida instead and visit Ischia when you have a few days to spare.

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Is Ischia as Popular as Nearby Destinations?

Ischia is a great alternative to the popular Amalfi Coast and Capri. From what I can understand from our time spent in the area, Ischia is much more a local destination with families from Naples having flocked here throughout history.

On the other hand, Amalfi Coast and Capri have turned into full-fledged international tourist destinations.

In the eyes of someone from Naples, all of these destinations are likely as popular as one another among their friends and neighbors. In the eyes of an international tourist though, most have never heard of Ischia while nearly everyone with the internet has seen an endless stream of photos and videos from the others.

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What to Eat in Ischia

Eating is very important in Italy. I think we all know (and love) that about this country. In Ischia, you can expect delicious food, with traditional dishes accompanied with heaping bowls of pasta and Neapolitan pizza.

The most famous local dish is Coniglio all’Ischitana (Ischian Rabbit Stew). I didn’t personally try it, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t do my homework. Ischia’s volcanic soil and dense woods made rabbit the go-to protein for centuries, and the locals turned it into a signature dish. Slow-cooked with garlic, cherry tomatoes, wine, and a hit of island herbs. If you want to say you ate true Ischian cuisine, unlike me, this is the one.

Other than this dish, you can expect to find a plethora of seafood pastas and main courses. Lemons grow like wild in this entire region so my personal recommendation would be any lemony seafood pasta. This always hits the spot!

If you venture onto a boat tour, most offer meals cooked freshly on board. Here, you might not get a menu to choose from but likely the food will be as good as everywhere in Italy.

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Enjoy Your Weekend in Ischia

Ischia is a beautiful island that I have no doubt you'll enjoy. Who doesn't love stunning sea views, beautiful gardens, and small fishing boats anchored in the harbor? Not to mention fresh, delicious food and plenty of entertainment options to choose from.

With the ease of arriving via the ferry directly from Naples and the variety of towns to stay in, I think everyone can enjoy a weekend in Ischia, just so long as you plan it to your liking.