Ischia is an island off the coast of Naples, Capri's larger (less flashy) neighbour. Famed for its volcanic thermal springs. This wasn't my first trip, I had been once before in my early twenties and it held fond memories for me. 

Here are my top tips, for your perfect holiday in Ischia:

Where To Stay

Sant' Angelo is the quiet side of the island, totally pedestrianised-  so no cars driving down the cobbled the streets or parked everywhere. It's about a 50 minute drive from Ischia Ponte where you would usually embark from Naples. It's incredibly pretty with great individually owned boutiques (such as Il Pellicano which is only found here) and good restaurants too. 

I stopped at The Apollon, which is the thermal pool club for the Miramare Hotel. It's located just a short walk away, along a coastal path, hotel and club residents can use the facilities. The room we had (for 3 of us) was big, bright, clean and had an extremely large terrace overlooking the sea with sun loungers. If you do stay here be prepared to walk up and down lots of steps, the pay off for this is the view of course. I liked this hotel, it was more a beach club though and if I had stayed in high season I'm not sure I would have liked it as much....  not only do the hotel guests use the 8 thermal pools available but you can also pay to enter for the day and use the pools which in high season could get crowded. (I stayed in late May, the weather was perfect and it's not too hot or crowded to explore the island, I'd avoid July & August).

Ischia Ponte Is where I stayed 20 years ago, it's a bustling seaside town and where most of the day trippers stay when visiting. Here the beautiful Castello Aragonese sits proud, there are plenty of shops, restaurants and LOTS of people! It's not car free, I found Sant'Angelo to have a slightly more luxe feel to it, similar to Capri.

Thermal Pools

Ischia is famous for these, being a volcanic island there are hot thermal springs which can be found all over the island, some free (crowded) spots and most now made into spa/ pool areas you pay to use (such as at The Apollon Hotel I was staying at). All the pools have varying temperatures and are rich in nourishing minerals. Poseidon Gardens is the biggest thermal pool spa resort on the island with many different springs to enjoy. We visited the gardens for a day, it was easy to reserve beds online and it's worth going to, as its beautiful and on 1km of private beach too. Top Tip- have lunch at the wine caves up in the rocks rather than the main self serve restaurant. Not only is it cooler and quieter but the food is also really good. 

Restaurants

I'm going to recommend a few, first up; Umberto A Mare. This is a special restaurant in a spectacular setting. Food is wonderful (but not rustic, this is a white linen affair). It's based in Fario where you will find the best sunsets on the island. If timed correctly you can enjoy the sunset in the square with a 'passeggiata', as you watch the final rays disappear behind the picturesque white church (Chiesa Di Santa Maria Del Soccorso) - trust me, its breathtaking!

La Lampara restaurant in Ischia Ponte

La Lampara, in Ischia Ponte, another 'fancy' one with glorious panoramic views of the castle as you eat.

Il Pirata in Sant'Angleo for pizza, this place has a real buzz on the weekends, coming alive with music on the terrace.

Deus Neptunus in Sant'Angleo has stunning views but it's as expensive as La Lampara and the food is not as good (not bad, just not superb). However it's a very popular spot for Instagram pictures!

Giardino Eden is the beach club overlooking the Aragonese Castle. To reach the club you need to take a taxi boat from Ischia Ponte. The boat ride is picturesque and fun in itself. The beach club is very scenic with lovely views- we reserved chairs 'on the rock' - a private, elevated space with magnificent views. In hindsight it was an expensive day and to be honest there are beautiful views all over the island! The lunch service was VERY slow but the food was good. Again, it's a very Instagramable place, the kind of beach club you find in the pages of Vogue. If you are stopping nearby in Ischia Ponte it's worth going, it had a similar feel to La Fontelina in Capri but here they provide beds & towels (not mattresses on the floor! :-0) and you can easily make a booking online.

Right next to Hotel Apollon, sitting on the beach front, is Ristorante Emanuela, a lovely, relaxed, traditional seafood restaurant with great service, fab position and good food. 

Getting Around

Get around by taxi- trust me its the easiest and quickest way. Once you succumb to the idea of the cost you realise it's worth it. Each town has a taxi point and all taxis have meters in them. If you do get the bus be prepared to stand in heat for long journeys in peak seasons. If you hire a car it's a nightmare to park and boats don't really go from town to town, just beach to beach.

Hope this has helped if you are planning your own trip to Ischia. You can reach me directly on Instagram & I'm always happy to give any other advice needed. So many of our lovely community did the same for me when I asked :-)