Hello to all the dolce vita lovers!
Today, I’ m taking you away from Naples. Our next stop is an island located 50 mins from there by ferry called Ischia. Ischia is famous for its natural thermal springs, crystal clear sea and a beautiful botanic garden Giardini La Mortella.
The ferry from the port in Naples runs every day and the cost of the ticket is around 25€. You can also visit Procida on your way which is a picturesque island full of colorful houses. The town of Ischia has a very lively centre and the port with the best seafood restaurants.
We stayed in a hotel called Oasi Castiglione in the village of Cassamicciola. I chose this one because it is the biggest spa resort on the island. It has 10 swimming pools outside and 5 inside. All of them have thermal water (28-38 degrees). The hotel lies on the rocky cliff and has a very small beach but the sea is lovely- clear and warm. Here are few photos from the hotel (views, breakfast, pools, sea).
We wanted to explore the island so we visited the towns (Forio, Ischia). Endless shops, souvenirs, cafés and restaurants will keep you busy for sure but what I loved the most about Ischia was the variety. You could find many different clothes shops with prices starting from 5€. It is always nice to bring a souvenir home and I surely did… more than one, xixi…
The highlight of the trip was a visit to the local botanic garden Giardini La Mortella in Forio. The ticket costs 12€ and you can get there by taxi or a bus. The buses run every 15 mins and it costs 2€ (taxi around 20€). I always loved gardens but this one is definitely the most beautiful one I have ever seen. It’ s quite large so make sure you have enough time (cca 3 hours) to wander around. The garden was created by Susan Walton- Argentina’s gardener who married a British composer William Walton. They both lived in Ischia for a quite some time and what might come as a surprise is that Queen Elizabeth visited the garden and her son still funds it till now. You could say it is a Royal garden regarding the history and magnificence itself.
The botanic garden has 3 tropical greenhouses: The Victoria house, The orchid house and The Temple of the Sun. I really liked the Thai house (picture below). So many mesmerizing exotic flowers and plants I just couldn’t take my eyes off. And you know what’s even better than that? The views…
Overall, Ischia is an island for people who love to relax. Not as exciting as Amalfi or our next destination- Capri, but charming and fullfilling like Italy itself. I’m so glad I spent a week in here and I hope to come back one day.
Let me know how you liked this travel post and be ready for our next adventure: Capri:).
xx Lots of Love xx
By Lesi Lee
By Lesi Lee 