About Ischia

Ischia, Capri, Procida and Vivara: these are the partenopean island in the bay of Naples. To the north of the gulf are situated Ischia, Procida and Vivara, looking toward the "Flegrea"coast (and "Flegree" is their name), while in the sotuh of the gulf, opposite to the Sorrento peninsula, lays Capri. The "flegree" islands are different from Capri both for their position and for their different geological origins.

Ischia is the largest island with her 47 square kilometers, followed by Capri with an extension little more then 10 square kilometers and Procida which is about 3 square kilometers. Procida is linked to the small island of Vivara which is a wonderful natural reserve. The island shows a compact rounded shape (look at the small map) with a varied morphology. Dominated by the Monte Epomeo (789 mt asl) shows many other reliefs and hills, often separated by valleys and gullies that create a suggestive and sinuous landscape.

The island 's periplus is about 39 km and its coasts are low on the sea -level, to the North, with small sized beaches; and more various to the south , where followed indentention and promontories , bays and little creeks , some of these reached only by the sea way. Ischia's climate has the dry heat typical of the Mediterranean. There is an annual rainfall of about 985mm. The orographical conformation of the island means that some areas get more rain than others; there is more rainfall in the north east.

The moderate height of Epomeo is not sufficient to obstruct the free passage of air currents, so it only affects the rising winds coming from the sea onto the island, while the process of condensation reaches its full potential right above the island itself. The cloud and vapour carrier winds are Mediterranean ones, namely the scirocco (south-easterly) and libeccio (south-westerly), which are common in the spring.

Six are the communes of the island: Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, Lacco Ameno, Forio, Serrara Fontana and Barano, with about 50.000 inhabitants. Ischia is the most important. Into the harbour area is the trading part of the town and another important area is that one around the "Castello Aragonese" which is called "Ischia Ponte", a picturesque ancient fisher's village. The evocative Ischia's harbour was originally the crater of a volcanonow extinct and sunk which originated a lake.