34km (21 miles) W of Naples
Dramatically situated in the Gulf of Gaeta, the island of Ischia is of volcanic origin. Its thermal spas claim cures for most anything that ails you -- be it "gout, retarded sexual development, or chronic rheumatism," according to their brochure, which they've claimed as long as anyone can remember. Called the Emerald Island, Ischia is studded with pine groves and surrounded by sparkling waters that wash up on many sandy beaches (a popular one is Sant'Angelo). In Greek mythology, it was the home of Typhoeus (Typhon), who created volcanoes and fathered the three-headed canine Cerberus, guardian of the gateway to Hades, and the incongruous Chimera and Sphinx. The island covers just over 47 sq. km (18 sq. miles), and its prominent feature is Monte Epomeo, near the center, a volcano that was a powerful force and source of worry for the Greek colonists who settled here in the 8th century B.C.
Today, the 789m (2,590-ft.) peak is dead, having last erupted in the 14th century, but it's still responsible for warming the island's thermal springs. Ischia slumbered for centuries after its early turbulence, although some discerning visitors discovered its charms. Ibsen, for example, lived in a villa near Casamicciola to find the solitude necessary to complete Peer Gynt. However, in the 1950s, Ischia was discovered, this time by wealthy Italians who built a slew of first-class hotels in the process of trying to avoid the overrun resorts of Capri.
The island is known for its sandy beaches, health spas (which utilize the hot springs for hydromassage and mud baths), and vineyards producing the red and white Monte Epomeo, the red and white Ischia, and the white Biancolella. The largest community is at Ischia Porto on the eastern coast, a circular town seated in the crater of the extinct Monte Epomeo, which functions as the island's main port of call. The most lively town is Forio on the western coast, with its many bars along tree-lined streets. The other major communities are Lacco Ameno and Casamicciola Terme, on the north shore, and Serrara Fontana and Barano d'Ischia, inland and to the south.
