Hey! It’s been a while! Hope you are doing well during these crazy times — hang in there, friend. A lot has happened since I last posted. I want to start back up and keep up this blog even with the virus among us and I want to still be able to share my adventures and experiences with you! I also promise to post more Italian recipes as well in the near future š
Since I live in Italy, travel within the country has reopened with some restrictions, and of course it is still very important to remain as safe as possible with disinfecting, hand washing and mask wearing.
That being said, I have been trying to take advantage of my time in Italy during the summer without any tourists as safely as I can! A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I decided to spontaneously go to the island of Ischia (Iz-key-yah) for the weekend to get out of Rome for a bit. For those that don’t know (I didn’t), Ischia is an island right off of Naples, Italy, very close to the more well-known island of Capri. Beautiful cliffs, rolling hills, and crystal turquoise water — I couldn’t say no!
Since we only had the weekend to get there and back, we left right after I finished up work on Friday late afternoon and took the two hour train from Rome to Naples. We literally booked the room in Naples on the way there (I don’t recommend this, but desperate times lol) and we stayed on the sea front in Naples for one night. You will never believe how much we paid: 40 euros for one night with an ocean view on the boardwalk! That’s 20 bucks per person and the room was super clean and right above one of my favorite pizza spots, Sorbillo, that we also have in Rome — so we didn’t go very far for dinner. Find the B&B HERE.
If you are traveling in the evening on the way to Ischia I highly recommend staying in Naples for the night before you make your way to the ferry to Ischia. It allowed us to get our heads together and take a breath and have a nice dinner and a chance to explore Naples a bit instead of going straight from the train to the ferry and then to the hotel in Ischia. This worked well for us.
The next morning our alarms were set for 4am because we weren’t sure if there was going to be a taxi at that time to take us to the port, so we left enough time to walk there just in case. We ended up finding ONE taxi nearby and we hopped in and were there with ample time before our 6am departure. There were also a few taxis available on the FreeNow app that is basically Uber for taxis in parts of Europe, but it’s always cheaper to find one instead if you can. We stopped for a quick coffee and a cornetto and made our way to the port.
TIP: If you buy your ferry tickets online you need to go to the ticket desk where they physically print them out for you.
The ferry took about an hour and a half and we got to watch the sunrise over the infamous Mt. Vesuvius that wiped out the city of Pompeii in 79 A.D. (which is still active by the way!).
When we got to Ischia, we pre-booked a scooter (Vespa-type scooter for my American readers to have a picture of what I am talking about) so we could see as much of the island as possible without waiting for busses and it also made it easier to park closer to the beaches we wanted to go to. Not to mention it was safer not to take public transportation when we didn’t have to. If you aren’t familiar with driving a scooter (especially in Italy) I recommend taking the bus because there was a bus that constantly went around the whole island and came to every stop every 15 minutes, so it was also a great option as long as you are staying safe! Way more efficient than Rome’s busses — lol don’t get me started on those….
What should you include on your itinerary?
Definitely find a way to get on a boat. Being on a boat on the blue-green water passing under a castle and grottos was something I will never forget. We were also able to hop off and swim in a small cave which felt like a dream. A slightly frightening dream because we were in a dark cave in the water but it was so beautiful it was hard not to want to be there! There are many options for boating if you book in advance. We didn’t have very much time so we went on a short tour on a small boat. But be sure to ask if there is an English option if you don’t speak Italian! You will want the full experience of the island tour. This was the company we used: Ischia Barche, and see below for more options:
Sant’Angelo Beach was definitely my favorite of all of the beaches we saw. Ischia is very rocky in general so the beaches are not too big so be sure to get there early if you want a nice spot! All of the beaches are private with one small public section. This means that they have chairs and umbrellas set up and you pay to get a spot there. It is a little on the pricey side but not too bad if you want to spend the whole day there. We opted out and sat on our towel on the public section since we wanted to just spend a couple hours on the beach and then leave to explore other spots.
In Italy it is typical to have an “aperitivo” at about 6-7pm before dinner where you get a drink and a few small snacks– like happy hour! We found a LOVELY aperitivo spot while exploring the island. We decided to take our scooter around the entire island and we randomly pulled off on a little street. Little did we know we were turning on to the most breathtaking view we have ever seen! We immediately parked and sat down for an aperitivo at a lovely little restaurant called La Floreana. It is a MUST.
Take time to explore! The island is so beautiful and there is so much to do and to see. Sometimes the things you happen to run into are the most exciting part of a trip! Hop on the bus or your scooter and take time to soak in the views and culture — it’s always worth it.
Redhead, Set, Go 
Such an adventure! I hope to follow in your steps one day soon!!
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