Castello Aragonese: walk where so many have walked before

Ischia is more than sunny beaches and spas and it would be a shame to leave this island without having seen the Castello Aragonese in Ischia Ponte.

• bus stop: Ischia Porto and then bus 7 (but if you don’t mind walking you can also go on foot in about 15 min)
• entrance fee: €10,00 (well-spent)
• duration of the visit: 1-2 hours

The current structure of the castle is the work of the Alfonso V of Aragon (thus giving it his name): he expanded the existing castle built in the days of the domination by the House of Anjou and connected it to the mainland by a wooden bridge which was subsequently replaced by the current stone one. Having crossed this long stone bridge with romantic streetlights you pass the main gate and hit the ticket office. Once you have your ticket you can start to explore… guided by a map with useful information about what you will get to see (indicated by numbers). At that point you have two options: you can either take the elevator which takes you to the beginning of the walk described on that little map or you can go on foot (to –in that case- find yourself at the end of that walk). One or the other… this is the view that awaits:

For me this fortress was simply mind-blowing, from the moment I set eyes on it and even more when I entered this miniature city. Since the Castello Aragonese is so well preserved you really feel thrown back in time, walking in the footsteps of medieval princes, dukes and monks.

I will let my pictures do the rest of the talking because, as they say, pictures say more than words:

Reaching higher grounds

In what follows I wish to share with you two beautiful hikes, one planned the other by accident (I’ll explain later :’) ). You do not need professional gear… though wearing good walking shoes (also good running shoes) will only make the walk more pleasant. I do recommend doing these hikes in the morning, at least in summer time, because with the sun walking uphill becomes more challenging and you’ll need to take more breaks.

OPTION 1: Up Mount Epomeo

duration: a 4-5 hour hike (including the lunch break)

starting point: Bar Epomeo (Fontana)

map:

itinerary:

From the bar (across the street from the bus stop) you need to walk Via Francesco Trofa in the direction of the church and take Via Epomeo which you will find at your right hand side (shortly after having passed the corner). Here it all begins, though I have to say the first part of the climb is not that impressive since you walk up a rather steep asphalted road with little to see. Once you pass the restaurant A Cuieta the road will become sandy and you can start to enjoy the surroundings:

When the sandy road starts to get rockier and the real climbing begins you know that you are almost there:

And then, there you are at 789 metres above the sea level (“KING (QUEEN) OF THE WORLD”)

and what a view:

Since the space on the top is quite limited you cannot stay long so off you go again after 10 min. Having reached the top at lunchtime my stomach started to protest at that point. Luckily there is a restaurant near the top, La Grotta da Fiore, which I, unfortunately, had not expected to find at that height… leaving me to eat the lunch I had packed that morning but in a nice spot which I recommend you to see. Enter the restaurant (don’t worry the personnel is used to it), walk through the dining area, open the door at the end and you will find a beautiful sea view (which you can admire without any time pressure).

To head back to the civilised world you go down the sandy road until the sandy road splits in two. If you go to the left you will return as you came. If, instead, you turn right you will descend passing by the Pietra dell’Acqua (as you see on the map).

I have to add that it did get tricky at a certain point: it got really steep and I did slip a few times. Important to add, however, that during the last part you are protected from the sun by high natural walls of sand covered by bushes and trees.

OPTION 2: Sant’Angelo: up close and from high above

duration: 3 hour hike

starting point: Bar/Gelateria Ridente

map:

From Bar Ridente in the port you walk towards the Provinciale Succhivo Sant’Angelo, turn left and after a few meters right. At the end of the street you turn left and keep climbing… for a whooooooole while, no kidding. The road might not seem long but it is very steep, making it a quite intense hike (given also the heat at that period of the year). I say this because I started this hike in search of a church square which offers a marvellous overview of the coastline of Sant’Angelo, not knowing that how far (up) this church was, as in that it was the main church of another town, called Serrara Fontana, at 360m above the sea level. This rather unexpectedly long search for a mysterious panoramic point would have been a bit easier had I worn good walking shoes instead of silly sandals… I also suggest to take some food along: for example, in Sant’Angelo (the first part of the walk) you will pass some grocery shops where you could buy a snack or a tasty sandwich. Silly me had to go all the way to Serrara Fontana to eat something (I was starving at that point) and the only place still open was a rather strange looking bar. Luckily someone gave me instructions on how to reach a supermarket (walk through the gateway, go to the right and walk for about 50 metres and you will find it on your left hand side) where I bought an oh so tasty sandwich for only 2,5 euros which I ate looking at this beautiful scene:

Ischia, you beach!

You’re on an island… impossible not to go to the beach! I like the sea but I am not much of a sunbather so I usually only after a day of exploring a city or doing a hike. In what follows my personal TOP 3 beaches:

NUMERO 1. Lido di San Montano

bus stop: Lacco Ameno (bus lines CS-CD-1-2)

I visited Lido di San Montano on the way back from Ischia Ponte and its Castello Aragonese. Situated in a small, almost hidden bay this beach with its crystal clear water was my absolute favourite on the isle. I say “almost” because the beach belongs to the Negombo Spa. You needn’t worry about any entrance fee, though: if you continue walking past the resort and passing through a parking lot you will see that there is public access to the beach. The high trees surrounding the bay protect you from the wind while the sea only gradually becomes deep making both the temperature of the water nice and warm.

NUMERO 2. Spiaggia dei Maronti

bus stop: Maronti (Bus line 5)

I walked to this beach from Barano since the bus line 5 is not that frequent. It is quite a walk but (all in descent and) the last kilometres proved more than rewarding due to the panoramic view

                from this resting area:

It is a clean sandy beach with just the right breeze. Since it is big you should not have problems finding a spot.

NUMERO 3. Spiaggia di Citara

bus stop: Citara (bus lines 2-21-22-23-24)

Lovers of deep waters and bigger waves should go to Spiaggia di Citara. Although many spoke highly of this beach I didn’t find it that special, except for the fact that the depth of the sea water shifts rapidly from 0,3cm to 1,5 metres (making it nice to really swim but also tricky to get in and out of the water).