Ferries from Ischia

Ischia has three ferry ports, not one. Ischia Porto, Casamicciola and Forio each take sailings, they are on different sides of the island, and the boat decides which — not you.

The three arrival points

• Ischia Porto — the main harbour on the northeast, a flooded volcanic crater, closest to the town and the castle.
• Casamicciola Terme — a couple of kilometres west, used by many fast services.
• Forio — on the western side, serving the beaches and thermal parks on that coast.

The difference between them is twenty to thirty minutes by bus. Check which one your ticket names before booking accommodation on the assumption of a short transfer.

What sails

14 active sailings at this port. The route with Ischia as origin is Procida — about 10 minutes, 4 sailings, worked by Caremar and SNAV.

The main traffic arrives from Naples and Pozzuoli; the Ischia guide covers which Naples pier serves which kind of boat.

⚠ Ischia does allow cars — and often you should not bring one

Unlike Capri, Ischia takes visitor vehicles, subject to seasonal restrictions that change from year to year. That does not make it a good idea: the island's roads are narrow, parking at the thermal parks and beaches is scarce, and the bus network is dense and cheap.

For a stay in one place, arrive as a foot passenger. For touring the whole island with family and luggage, check the current restrictions before booking the vehicle.

The Procida hop

Ten minutes to a much smaller, much less developed island makes an easy half day and is the cheapest way to see how different two neighbours in the same bay can be.

Why people come

Thermal water. Ischia is volcanic and its hot springs have been used since antiquity; the large thermal parks on the western coast are the island's main industry and the reason its season runs longer than Capri's.

The island covers 46.3 km² with around 60,000 residents — after Sicily and Sardinia, the third most populous island in Italy — divided into six separate municipalities, with Monte Epomeo at 789 m in the middle. That is a real place with its own economy, not a resort, and it is why the bus network works and the shops stay open in November.