ISCHIA
Latest update: 8 January 2024
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Ischia is a beautiful island in the Gulf of Naples, Italy around 30km from Naples itself. It has around 60,000 permanent inhabitants and the main industry is tourism.
Measuring around 10 km east to west and around 7 km north to south is has a surface area of 46 km² and 34 km of coastline. There are good transport links with a bus network linking the island by road and ferry and hydrofoil ports at Ischia Porto, Forio and Casamicciola connecting travellers to Naples and Pozzuoli on the mainland. |
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The island was first settled around the 7th century BC by a Greek tribe known as the Euboeans who were attracted by the green and fertile land they discovered. The Greeks named the island "Pithecusae" which many people speculate is due to their prime industry of the time which was pottery. When the Romans conquered the region many centuries later they renamed the island "Enaria" meaning "Land of Wine" as they found that the island was perfect for the art of wine-making, this creating a tradition that lasts until this day.
Perhaps one of Ischia's most famous characteristics is its unusual geological composition with thermal activity raging beneath the surface of the island, thus creating a series of natural phenomena such as naturally heated thermal water and fumaroles. The thermal water has created an industry of thermal parks and gardens that use the water to create swimming pools that are naturally-heated (in fact the water is cooled because the natural temperature can reach 100° Celcius in places) with a range of different temperatures for people to relax in as well as curing themselves of many common illnesses or conditions such as arthritis and skin complaints. The fumaroles are jets of hot steam that rise up from below the surface with a great example being those at Le Fumarole beach where the sand is heated in this way and the locals and local restaurants use the heat to cook their food under the sand.
The thermal water is just one reason why the island is a favourite for tourists all over the world but there are many more reasons including the sunny, Southern Italian climate as well as some of Europe's finest beaches with crystal clear water to match. Most tourists reach the island by transferring from Naples by ferry or hydrofoil while many others choose to sail to the island themselves with marinas such as those at Lacco Ameno, Casamicciola, Forio and Ischia Porto proving popular among sailors with their yachts and in some cases, super-yachts.
With tourism undoubtedly the key to the island's economy, Ischia has a wealth of accommodation to choose from including 7 five star hotels and more than 200 hotels in total, all built in a considerate way to allow the island's natural beauty to dominate the landscape by restricting the height of the buildings.
Perhaps the icon of Ischia is the medieval Castello Aragonese castle which is one of the first things that new visitors see when the approach the island for the first time, as well as the imposing Mount Epomeo which stands at 789 metres tall and is covered in rich vegetation, thus creating one if Ischia's nicknames such as L'isola Verde or "The Green Island".
Ischia also has a rich tradition in the world of film having been a backdrop or central location to around 30 feature films including The Talented Mr Ripley and Cleopatra. The movie heritage is cemented further by the island's two annual summer film festivals, the Ischia Film Festival as well as the Ischia Global Film and Music Fest.
Ischia Review exists as a private enterprise to support and promote the island of Ischia by providing information and related services to tourists and travellers interested to know more about the island. Our aim is to be the first port of call for information and we therefore offer free consultation and advice to help travellers plan their journeys for the optimum enjoyment so that they will make the most out of their time here and hopefully spread the word about this fabulous place that's just waiting to be discovered. If you need any help to plan your journey or can't find what you're looking for on the site then please drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll be very happy to hear from you.
Perhaps one of Ischia's most famous characteristics is its unusual geological composition with thermal activity raging beneath the surface of the island, thus creating a series of natural phenomena such as naturally heated thermal water and fumaroles. The thermal water has created an industry of thermal parks and gardens that use the water to create swimming pools that are naturally-heated (in fact the water is cooled because the natural temperature can reach 100° Celcius in places) with a range of different temperatures for people to relax in as well as curing themselves of many common illnesses or conditions such as arthritis and skin complaints. The fumaroles are jets of hot steam that rise up from below the surface with a great example being those at Le Fumarole beach where the sand is heated in this way and the locals and local restaurants use the heat to cook their food under the sand.
The thermal water is just one reason why the island is a favourite for tourists all over the world but there are many more reasons including the sunny, Southern Italian climate as well as some of Europe's finest beaches with crystal clear water to match. Most tourists reach the island by transferring from Naples by ferry or hydrofoil while many others choose to sail to the island themselves with marinas such as those at Lacco Ameno, Casamicciola, Forio and Ischia Porto proving popular among sailors with their yachts and in some cases, super-yachts.
With tourism undoubtedly the key to the island's economy, Ischia has a wealth of accommodation to choose from including 7 five star hotels and more than 200 hotels in total, all built in a considerate way to allow the island's natural beauty to dominate the landscape by restricting the height of the buildings.
Perhaps the icon of Ischia is the medieval Castello Aragonese castle which is one of the first things that new visitors see when the approach the island for the first time, as well as the imposing Mount Epomeo which stands at 789 metres tall and is covered in rich vegetation, thus creating one if Ischia's nicknames such as L'isola Verde or "The Green Island".
Ischia also has a rich tradition in the world of film having been a backdrop or central location to around 30 feature films including The Talented Mr Ripley and Cleopatra. The movie heritage is cemented further by the island's two annual summer film festivals, the Ischia Film Festival as well as the Ischia Global Film and Music Fest.
Ischia Review exists as a private enterprise to support and promote the island of Ischia by providing information and related services to tourists and travellers interested to know more about the island. Our aim is to be the first port of call for information and we therefore offer free consultation and advice to help travellers plan their journeys for the optimum enjoyment so that they will make the most out of their time here and hopefully spread the word about this fabulous place that's just waiting to be discovered. If you need any help to plan your journey or can't find what you're looking for on the site then please drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll be very happy to hear from you.
