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Vancouver Sun
03-07-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Italy's best-kept secret? The volcanic island locals love and tourists overlook
Our hearts raced at the first glimpse of Baia di Sorgeto. The palpitations were partly due to trudging down the 200 stairs it takes to get to this natural thermal-water beach on the nonchalantly elegant Italian island of Ischia. Our heart rates spiked even higher as we rounded a switchback and the sparkling green gemstone Tyrrhenian Sea came into view. It was awe-inspiring, surreal and breathtaking. Clinging to the water's edge at the base of the mountain was a long, whitewashed building with a string of white umbrellas at full mast. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. People — the size of ants from this vantage point — were lounging in the water among the shiny, black rocks. We lost sight of this inviting scene as we descended another stretch of steps only to see it again and again, closer and closer as we rounded more switchbacks. Our descent complete, we made it to the beach and fully realized what all the excitement was about. Here, the mountain meets the sea. Frothy, steaming volcanic-heated thermal waters merge with cool sea water in a natural pool, nestled in the rocks. The warmth radiates out around the rocks creating a natural hot tub where people lounge and languish in waters reaching 37 C and higher, looks of Zen on their faces while they intermittently chat in Italian, German, Dutch — rarely English. My wife, Kerry, our two grown-up kids, Alex and Grace, and I stripped down to our swimsuits and joined them for a splash and a soak that's invigorating and therapeutic all at the same time. With shrivelled fingers and toes, we eventually exited the thermal bath and retreated to the terrace of the bar overlooking the bay for refreshing glasses of Biancolella white wine and Peroni beer. In the shade of one of those aforementioned white umbrellas, we excitedly recalled our thermal experience and counted ourselves lucky to be at Baia di Sorgeto , the most famous heated beach on the decidedly non-famous volcanic thermal island of Ischia. Volcanic in origin, with a circumference of just 34 kilometres, Ischia has a mountainous interior covered by forests and vineyards receding down to palm-treed sandy beaches and whitewashed, cobblestone-street towns. Italian tourists — mostly from the metropolis port of Naples, a one-hour ferry ride away — have kept Ischia, at the north end of the Bay of Naples, to themselves for decades. Other Europeans are now coming for the beauty, the beaches, the food, the wine and the Italian island authenticity. While Ischia has certainly been flying under the radar of North Americans, it is now ripe for discovery. Tourists have been flocking to fashionable Capri, also in the Bay of Naples, for decades. Capri has cachet and the crushing crowds and high prices that go with it. Ischia is like taking a little dolce vita step back in time. It's certainly not as popular, polished or freshly-painted as Capri, but Ischia is nonetheless beachy and beautiful, affordable and has the thrill of being up-and-coming. Ischia can be your Capri alternative, a quieter, more relaxing Italian island vacay. We stayed at Citara Beach, just outside of the town of Forio, in a quaint, whitewashed villa Airbnb with a small pool that was 100 metres from the sea. Our villa overlooked olive trees leading to the water. With its nearby string of shops and restaurants, Citara Beach is the ideal location to stay when visiting Ischia. The restaurants have stunning views and serve up traditional Italian fare with an Ischia island twist — think all kinds of different seafood incorporated into pizza and pasta dishes. The restaurants also double as beach clubs with umbrellas and loungers on the sand so customers can bask in the sun. Our favourite eateries included Il Galeone Lido Ristorante for sunset dinners. For beachy lunches, we enjoyed La Sirena Del Mare, with its kitschy signs and branding featuring a mermaid enjoying spaghetti alle cozze (spaghetti with mussels) and a bottle of wine. Ensconced at Citara Beach, my family quickly settled into a rhythm of sleeping in, coffee and breakfast with a view, a dip in the pool, a wander along the beach to find a lunch spot, beach time, happy hour at the villa and back to the beach for dinner and Ischian wine. We did break out of this routine to visit Poseidon, which is also located on Citara Beach and named after the Roman god of the sea. It's a huge, manicured thermal park built up the mountainside with eight naturally-heated pools and four cold pools you visit in progression for relaxation and invigoration with a view. Full disclosure, we may have done the pools out of order and spent additional time lounging poolside and drinking wine at the café. We also nipped into the towns of Forio, Sant 'Angelo, Ischia Porto and Ischia Ponte to wander and soak up the Italian seaside vibes. At Ischia Ponte, we trekked across the long causeway to the little island dominated by the hilltop Castle Aragonese. The historic fort is a stupendous vantage point for spotting incoming intruders back in the day or simply taking in the jaw-dropping views today. At the end of our week, we sadly boarded the ferry and left the island feeling we had been admitted to the exclusive club that now knows about the hidden gem of Ischia. Just remember, it's our little secret! Air Canada has new, non-stop flights between Montreal and Naples , making Ischia and its wonders easier to access. The new European route, launched May 16, 2025, departs Montreal four times a week.
Calgary Herald
03-07-2025
- Calgary Herald
Italy's best-kept secret? The volcanic island locals love and tourists overlook
Article content Our hearts raced at the first glimpse of Baia di Sorgeto. Article content Article content Article content Article content People — the size of ants from this vantage point — were lounging in the water among the shiny, black rocks. Article content Article content The warmth radiates out around the rocks creating a natural hot tub where people lounge and languish in waters reaching 37 C and higher, looks of Zen on their faces while they intermittently chat in Italian, German, Dutch — rarely English. Article content Article content My wife, Kerry, our two grown-up kids, Alex and Grace, and I stripped down to our swimsuits and joined them for a splash and a soak that's invigorating and therapeutic all at the same time. Article content With shrivelled fingers and toes, we eventually exited the thermal bath and retreated to the terrace of the bar overlooking the bay for refreshing glasses of Biancolella white wine and Peroni beer.
