I had visited the island once before for a weekend perhaps 15 years ago. This time instead our stay was a 5 full days and wow what an amazing island, hotel and experience. My previous stay was to the Sant Angelo area which is lovely but rather remote so you must take a taxi to go anywhere, great for a weekend but rather isolated for any longer. This time instead we stayed in Lacco Ameno which is much larger and from our hotel we could walk everywhere (we stayed in the Hotel La Reginella which is truly lovely).
This hotel seems to be still in the 1970s with a level of service that we don’t really see anymore in Europe. They work hard to make you feel welcome and they really go the extra mile, the ladies even visit your bedroom and fold open your bed sheets while you are at dinner!! The hotel is spotless and the park which contains about 6 swimming pools plus sauna and indoor pools is out of this world lovely as well as super well kept. The park is only for hotel guests and there is also a lovely outside bar for drinks and snacks.
A man called Angelo Rizzoli, an editor from Milan, fell in love with the island and donated a new hospital in 1962 and the hospital still operates and some roads on the island still carry his name.
One very famous regular visitor to Ischia is Angela Merkel the former German Chancellor and the most powerful woman in Europe for many years. She and her husband have visited Ischia for many many years and I remember a few years ago a mini scandal when she was invited to attend an important political meeting in Ischia during her holiday and she politely declined as she was on holiday!
DO visit Ischia if you have the chance. You can travel from Amalfi and from Napoli by ferry and it really is worth a visit or four!!
Leave a Reply