FORIO TO LACCO AMENO VIA ZARO WOODS
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Latest page update: 5 February 2025
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By: Dion Protani
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The Forio to Lacco Ameno via Zaro woods walk is pretty easy and not too intense; it allows you to enjoy some incredible views of Forio and walk into a green, luxuriant wood, full of important sights in one of the most beautiful areas of the island.
The walk from Zaro wood to Lacco Ameno is a pleasant walk along a flat path, suitable also for bicycle treks, passing some of the island's most famous attractions such as La Mortella Gardens and La Colombaia Museum. Perhaps the best place to start the walk is from the entrance of Via Francesco Calise, where a bus stop is located on the main SS 270 road, a few metres away from the Hotel Parco dei Principi. |
The Madonna di Zaro
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Walking along this road is a very pleasant experience with the presence of the beautiful private villas and their gardens full of flowers and plants always in bloom on one side and the iconic La Mortella that dominates with its terraces and the rocky hills on the other. The volcanic soil of this area, rich in minerals and particularly fertile, allows the growth of many different species of plants and flowers, as the botanical garden clearly shows with its thousands of species on display.
After passing the main entrance of La Mortella, you will find a junction with a road on the left that leads to San Francesco bay and the beach. Keep following the road ahead of you and you will find yourself in front of one of the most beautiful sights of the island: the "Belvedere di Zaro" or "Punta Caruso" (recently renamed "Belvedere San Josemaria Escrivà") . The view from this little square is stunning, embracing the town of Forio where you can spot San Francesco bay, Chiaia Beach, Forio port, Il Torrione, Chiesa del Soccorso church and the dominating Mount Epomeo above. Stop here for few minutes to contemplate the sight from the lovely stone benches allocated around the viewing area. Just to the right of this area is a beautiful private villa, Villa Gancia, with its walls covered in blooming purple bougainvillea and its own cactus garden that you can glance from the gate.
Once you've enjoyed the view enough from here, turn round and continue all the way along the road and you will enter the woods of Zaro, with its many luxury villas and gardens. At one point a path on the right indicates the upper entrance of La Mortella Gardens that provides a car park for those visiting by car. Don’t take this side road but keep walking straight into the shaded wood and you will find a "bocce" (Petanque/Boules) court on your right and the blue sea on your left.
From here, the most adventurous can reach the small cove beneath the rocks (the so-called Scogli di Zaro) for a swim in total privacy and some snorkeling along the coast. The rocks are a bit difficult to reach and the swim is only suitable when the sea is very calm and for those expert in walking on rocks .
Returning to our walk among the wood, after passing some more elegant villas (some with private access to the sea and interesting architecture like the one resembling the villa “Falling Water” by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright), you will then enter the most shaded part of the woods and a masterpiece of all the villas in Ischia, La Colombaia, once owned by the famous Italian director Luchino Visconti. The villa hosts a museum dedicated to Visconti's work and a school of cinema but unfortunately the building is temporary closed and we look forward to a new opening date for summer 2016.
Just a few steps ahead of La Colombaia, on the right hand side, a sign indicates the sanctuary of the Madonna di Zaro, a place of worship and pilgrimage since 1994, when it is said that the Holy Virgin Mary appeared to 3 children into the woods, and since then sending messages and prophecies. On the 26th of each month, people gather together at the sanctuary to pray and to listen to the messages revealed to the messengers.
After leaving this evocative place, continue walking straight into the woods and you will find yourself on the road that leads to Hotel Mezzatorre Resort & Spa on the left and Lacco Ameno on the right. Take the road on the right and at one point you will spot San Montano Beach and Negombo Thermal Gardens on your left. Once you get to the main SS270 road (leaving the arch of Mezzatorre hotel behind you) walk down to reach the centre of Lacco Ameno or, if you wish to take a nice swim in Negombo's thermal pools, turn left at the following crossing when the sign indicates San Montano bay.
Have fun!
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After passing the main entrance of La Mortella, you will find a junction with a road on the left that leads to San Francesco bay and the beach. Keep following the road ahead of you and you will find yourself in front of one of the most beautiful sights of the island: the "Belvedere di Zaro" or "Punta Caruso" (recently renamed "Belvedere San Josemaria Escrivà") . The view from this little square is stunning, embracing the town of Forio where you can spot San Francesco bay, Chiaia Beach, Forio port, Il Torrione, Chiesa del Soccorso church and the dominating Mount Epomeo above. Stop here for few minutes to contemplate the sight from the lovely stone benches allocated around the viewing area. Just to the right of this area is a beautiful private villa, Villa Gancia, with its walls covered in blooming purple bougainvillea and its own cactus garden that you can glance from the gate.
Once you've enjoyed the view enough from here, turn round and continue all the way along the road and you will enter the woods of Zaro, with its many luxury villas and gardens. At one point a path on the right indicates the upper entrance of La Mortella Gardens that provides a car park for those visiting by car. Don’t take this side road but keep walking straight into the shaded wood and you will find a "bocce" (Petanque/Boules) court on your right and the blue sea on your left.
From here, the most adventurous can reach the small cove beneath the rocks (the so-called Scogli di Zaro) for a swim in total privacy and some snorkeling along the coast. The rocks are a bit difficult to reach and the swim is only suitable when the sea is very calm and for those expert in walking on rocks .
Returning to our walk among the wood, after passing some more elegant villas (some with private access to the sea and interesting architecture like the one resembling the villa “Falling Water” by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright), you will then enter the most shaded part of the woods and a masterpiece of all the villas in Ischia, La Colombaia, once owned by the famous Italian director Luchino Visconti. The villa hosts a museum dedicated to Visconti's work and a school of cinema but unfortunately the building is temporary closed and we look forward to a new opening date for summer 2016.
Just a few steps ahead of La Colombaia, on the right hand side, a sign indicates the sanctuary of the Madonna di Zaro, a place of worship and pilgrimage since 1994, when it is said that the Holy Virgin Mary appeared to 3 children into the woods, and since then sending messages and prophecies. On the 26th of each month, people gather together at the sanctuary to pray and to listen to the messages revealed to the messengers.
After leaving this evocative place, continue walking straight into the woods and you will find yourself on the road that leads to Hotel Mezzatorre Resort & Spa on the left and Lacco Ameno on the right. Take the road on the right and at one point you will spot San Montano Beach and Negombo Thermal Gardens on your left. Once you get to the main SS270 road (leaving the arch of Mezzatorre hotel behind you) walk down to reach the centre of Lacco Ameno or, if you wish to take a nice swim in Negombo's thermal pools, turn left at the following crossing when the sign indicates San Montano bay.
Have fun!
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