Tuesday, September 24, 2024

We got up and made our way past the Castle Nuovo and to the ferry dock. We found the next ferry to Ischia. If you as one of the high speed variety (snav). We were able to board and get window seat on the ride over to watch Naples harbor and the islands pass by.

There are a few carriers on this route to Ischia. snav, caremar, medmar, aliluaro – most are the fast hydrofoil kind but some are slow. The hydrofoil ones have less of a view but still good if you get a window seat.

There are several ports in Ischia and we went into Casamicciola. We got off the ferry and rented a car from ischisrentacar – we just walked up and for 35€ we had a car and were off. No extra fees but a mostly empty tank. The simplicity was refreshing.

On Ischia we first drove around the island to visit the Giardini Poseidon – it is a set of heated pools that are from the naturally occurring volcanic springs. The gardens and pools are lovely. They are different temperatures and styles.

We started with the Japanese one where you walk around an oval on pebbles. Half the oval shot water and the other half is cold.

There were pools that were warmed to different temperatures to maximize the thermal pleasure and healing qualities. You work your way up to the warmest ones. The hottest ones had an associate cold part that we did. There was also a sauna built into the cliff in a cave (more on caves later).

The whole resort felt super inclusive which was nice and people all seemed to be having fun. The best innovation was the pools to wash your feet after leaving the beach.

After enjoying lunch, the beach and all the pools we drove around the island. We were going to find the volcanic springs that emptied into the sea but did not make it. The drive was pretty and made it to Hotel da Maria .

The road was narrow, winding and full of traffic. The scooters zooming around added a layer of intrigue to the ride. Our car was a tiny one and clutch had quite a smell as we arrived at the hotel. We made it but not without some excitement.

There were quite a few steps down a narrow path to the hotel but we got there and it was nice (off the beaten path for sure). Nestled down in a ravine there were great views and access to the water. The beach was not what we expected so that was a miss but the room was nice and the staff was lovely and attentive.

For dinner we took the water taxi from the little dock and in 5 minutes were in the city and exploring. We went to Bar Calise – it was a giant place under the trees. We had Limoncello Spritz that was delicious. I had never had one and will definitely add that to the spritz rotation.

After drinks and gelato we had dinner at Ristorante Aglio olio and ventured back on the water taxi. Overall a nice evening and ready for more adventures tomorrow.