Ischia ponte

Ischia Ponte is one of the largest municipalities on the island of Ischia and it is definitely the most important one due to the presence of its services and infrastructures.

It is an exceptionally varied territory from both a geographic and cultural viewpoint, starting from its charming circular port, which was formerly a lake during the Bourbon era, passing through the historical centres of Ischia and Ischia Ponte, the main shopping streets as well as the nightlife, right up to the fertile countryside and hillside vineyards overlooking the sea, where rural villages and old wine cellars seem to be in a dimension beyond time and space.

The past and modernity are intertwined also in the streets of Ischia. 16th century buildings and churches, traditional inns, but also brand-new bistros, haute couture boutiques as well as free Wi-Fi areas. The historical centre of Ischia Porto is characterised by a long shopping street and a marvellous seafront promenade that runs along a whole world of beaches, fully-equipped lidos alongside a calm sea.

The historical centre of Ischia Ponte is the oldest settlement in the area, that developed during the Middle Ages in the shade of the magnificent Aragonese Castle, which was also an inhabited stronghold up to around 1700. Nowadays, the privately-owned Aragonese Castle can be visited. It is rather the epitome of Ischian history, with routes running through churches in ruins, frescoes attributed to Giotto, old Bourbon prisons as well as a whole world of vestiges of the past that have been perfectly preserved, among which the most striking include rather creepy examples such as the nun’s cemetery with “scolatoi” (draining areas in a Putridarium), an absolute must-see for amateurs enthusiasts of macabre death rituals of past eras. Wide views of the four sides of the castles and panoramas overlooking the sea, the village and Cartaromana bay, charming vegetable gardens alongside an incredible blossoming of wild plants on the flanks of the island, make it also a location of outstanding naturalistic value.

The village of Ischia Ponte, or Celsa as it was once called, is a lively melting pot of traditions, history and local colour. As in the past, the historical centre is inhabited by both noble families and fishermen, with luxurious buildings and low-level colourful houses, where it is still possible to watch the old men who repair the fishing nets. Everywhere you can smell the scent of the sea and the brackish lifestyle in Ischia Ponte. The boats pulled ashore into the Aragonese square in the winter, the fishermen selling the still fluttering fish directly from the trawler on the pier, the faces of the old fishermen who meet on the jetty, the cuisine that is served in the restaurants and the exquisite taverns in the village.