Affectionately known as the Isola Verde, the ‘Green Island’, Ischia has so much to offer for a short getaway. The terrain is small enough to explore in just a few days and the rewards are plentiful: natural springs emanating from every corner, beautiful sandy beaches, bustling towns with shops aplenty, and fantastic local produce in every dish. It doesn’t share the expensive exclusivity of neighbouring Capri and is just as easily accessible with the ferry from the Port of Naples, making it the preferred destination for locals in need of a little R&R.
The volcanic nature of the island makes it one of the largest natural spas in Europe and has attracted visitors since the 8th century BC. The Greeks, who named the island Pithecusae, used the thermal springs to restore the body and spirit, seeing a supernatural power rising up through the earth’s crust. The Romans introduced public thermae, transforming Ischia into a place of leisure and relaxation. Using these same waters is not just a pleasurable experience but an historic one, sharing a moment in time with the ancient civilisations that came before.
More recently, the island was a hot spot for European nobility in the 1700s, and became a sanctuary for artists from the beginning of the early 1900s when writers and painters from all around the world made it their home. Famous residents of times past include Italian film maker Luchino Visconti and British classical composer William Walton, whose wife, Susana, left her own mark by developing the Giardini La Mortella botanical gardens, which formed part of my trip.
