Curator’s statement
Darlings, Ischia sits right in the shadow of Capri's fame, and yet it remains wonderfully unbothered by its own beauty. This is a volcanic island of thermal springs, pine-covered cliffs, and old-world hotels that have spent decades quietly perfecting the art of the Italian holiday. If Capri is the party and Positano is the postcard, Ischia is the place you actually go to rest. It is my secret weapon for clients who want the glamour of the Amalfi Coast without ever surrendering their peace and quiet.
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Things to do in Ischia
Soak in the thermal gardens
This is really the whole reason people have come to Ischia for two thousand years, and drifting between the terraced hot and cold pools at Giardini Poseidon or Negombo is the most Ischia thing you can possibly do.
Float in Sorgeto Bay
A wild little cove where natural hot springs bubble straight into the sea, darlings, this is where you find your own perfect temperature and swim under the stars.
Explore the Castello Aragonese
A dramatic fortress on its own rocky islet, connected by a stone causeway, with ramparts and gardens that deliver sweeping views across the whole bay. I promise it is as gorgeous in person as the photos.
Wander La Mortella
One of my favorites, and the most beautiful gardens in Italy, layered with Mediterranean and subtropical plants, fountains, and an open-air theater, this is a quiet, cultured afternoon well spent.
Stroll Sant'Angelo at aperitivo hour
This car-free village of pastel houses tumbling to a tiny harbor is the Ischia postcard, and a long, lingering aperitivo overlooking the water is how I always end the day there.
Hike Mount Epomeo at sunrise
The island's highest point delivers the entire Gulf of Naples laid out at once, Vesuvius smoking faintly in the distance, and the sea turning pink as the sun comes up.
Take a private boat around the island
This is one of my very favorite things to book for clients, darlings, hidden coves, and sea grottoes you simply cannot reach by land.
Places to eat & drink in Ischia
Lisola
The one to book before you even land, a joyful new project from a pizza master and a two-Michelin-star chef, set on terraces among olive trees with views toward Monte Epomeo.
Daní Maison
For the single most memorable meal on the island, this two-Michelin-star flagship is deeply personal and precise, exactly the table I love securing for a honeymoon or a milestone trip.
Umberto a Mare
A family-run institution since 1936, built into the cliffs below a whitewashed church, this is my favorite quintessential Ischia lunch with the sea right beneath your table.
Il Bracconiere
Tucked into the hills above Serrara Fontana, this is where I send travelers for coniglio all'ischitana, the island's signature rabbit dish, cooked in a rustic, real Ischia setting.
Deus Neptunus
An elegant seafood terrace over the prettiest harbor on the island, my perfect pick for prawn crudo and grilled fish as the village lights come on below.
A boat lunch at Maronti Beach
There is nothing quite like anchoring off Maronti for seafood pasta and a swim between courses, darlings, the kind of unhurried afternoon that makes people extend their trip.
Need to know
Ischia has no airport, which is part of why it stays so wonderfully insulated, so you will fly into Naples and cross by private boat, ferry, or hydrofoil. I always steer my travelers away from the public ferry shuffle with luggage and arrange a private transfer instead, so you go from door to dock to lounge chair without ever wrestling a suitcase.
Late May through September is prime time, though my personal sweet spot is early June or September, when the crowds thin and the thermal waters feel even more magical against cooler air.
And darlings, my favorite trick of all, base yourself in Ischia's calm and take a private boat to Capri for the day, swimming under the Faraglioni by noon and returning that evening to somewhere that costs a fraction of a Capri room rate.
Travel Advisor
The Travel Collective
Stephanie Bloom
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For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Ischia page.