Capri, Ischia and Procida: vacation to the evocative pearls of the Naples Gulf

Different as for morphological characteristics and attractions, the three Parthenopean islands are a compulsory stage for any tourist looking for emotions. The magic of Procida, the healthy thermal baths of Ischia, the worldly Capri rich of Roman rests.

Three sister islands, extremely different from each other as for characteristics and emotions. In the Naples Gulf three fashinating legendary places rich of history: Ischia (the largest), Capri (the most internationally known) and Procida (the most disregarded). The three of them can be reached by the sea from Mergellina, the harbor of Naples.

Procida and Ischia are called Flegree Islands and they lay in the Northern part of the Gulf, close to Flegree coast, while Capri lays in the Southern part in front of the Sorrento peninsula. The Flegree Islands have volcanic origins, Procida is the smallest and has a surface of 3,5 square kilometers. Connected to Procida is Vivara a little island that had been an important port for the Mycenaeans and today is a marvellous natural reserve.

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Procida, Prochyta in ancient times, is formed by four extinguished volcanic craters: Solchiaro, Pizzico, Terra Murata e Pozzovecchio. The most important centre is Procida self, where there is the main quay for ferries, Marina Grande. We find the first important characteristic immediately at our arrival: minitaxis run around bringing tourists and guests along the narrow streets between coloured houses.

A few kilometers from Procida is Ischia, island of the Gods or green island. It is the largest of Naples Bay: 47 square kilometers and 50.000 inhabitants in the 6 municipalities: Ischia (with Porto, Ponte and Campagnano) Casamicciola Terme, Forio (with Panza), Lacco Ameno, Serrara Fontana (with Sant'Angelo) and Barano. In these last years, thanks to its beaches and its thermal baths, it has become almost as popular as Capri. The legend says that this is the island where Ulysses was shipwrecked on his way back to Itaca.

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Today Ischia is a queer whole of high society and simple holiday-makers, tourists on health staying and local farmers. Abandoning the typical tourist routes, you may feel the old charme of the island and its inhabitants: chattering in one of the art galleries of Ischia Ponte, walking around in the tiny roads of the old part of Forio or going up the Epomeo, both on foot or on a mule's back it's a hard route.

The main centre is Ischia, it is formed by two adjacent parts: Porto and Ponte. The first is an elegant and equiped bathing and thermal resort, the second a typical fishers village joined to the little island on which raises the Aragonese castle. The harbour is an ancient elliptic volcanic crater, connected to the sea by a canal dug in 1852. On the left side of the port starts Via Roma, the most elegant street in Ischia, rich in shops, cafés and restaurants. It is also worth visiting the ruins of the 1301 Cathedral, former monastery of S. Basilio, with the church of Immacolata and the sixteenth century little church of S. Pietro a Pantaniello.

Smaller than Ischia (about 10 square kilometers) is Capri that can be reached from Naples with motor-ships or hydrofoils. The island was formed by a calcareous rock, extreme offshoot of the mountains system of the Sorrento peninsula. The coast has dolomitic sides falling vertically in the sea in many points, it is pierced by plenty of caves and sourrounded by rocks with fantastic forms.

The Grotta Azzurra (Blue Cave) is the true symbol of the island and it can be visited on boat from Marina Grande: a 54 meters long sea cave with a characteristic iridescent blue colour due to the refraction of the light. It was discovered in the firt half of '800 and since then it began the come and go of italian and foreign visitors, attracted by the climate, the hospitality of people, by the colours and by the magnetic atmosphere of these places. From the beginning of '800 until World War II writers, painters, intellectuals, refugees, rich and queer visitors chose Capri as usual or season residence, building their villas and creating that varied and cosmopolitan polyglot colony which made the name of Capri popular and created its myth.

Vacanze a Capri, Ischia e Procida

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