Ischia: Italy’s Thermal Paradise

Sea, history, myth, beauty, and tourism… Ischia is all of this — and even more! The island of Campania is above all a thermal paradise, capable of enchanting visitors from all over the world. The largest island of the Campanian Archipelago offers a rare opportunity to harmonize body and spirit.

Let’s discover it together!

Ischia: Open-Air Thermal Springs

Thanks to its volcanic nature, Ischia sits on a strong sulfuric base, where hot spring waters rise naturally from underground. These spontaneous thermal sources create a fascinating contrast: alongside the cool, crystalline waters of the sea, there flow hot, dense thermal waters in natural open-air baths.

The most striking example is undoubtedly Baia di Sorgeto in Forio. This bay offers the rare chance to bathe all year round — you can literally move from seawater temperatures to pools reaching 37°C.

That’s the magic of this natural and completely free bay: alongside the rocky coast and the beach that leads to the sea, visitors can soak in natural pools of thermal water mixed with healing mud, reaching 37°C, providing a deeply beneficial natural treatment for the body. After bathing, many relax on warm rocks, letting the sea breeze dry the mineral-rich water and mud.

What makes this so special is that it’s entirely natural — no human intervention, only the pure generosity of nature itself, as if designed for human well-being.

The bay can be reached either on foot (by descending 250 steps) or by boat taxi from Sant’Angelo village. Since entry is free, it’s best to arrive early in the morning due to high tourist turnout.

Baia di Sorgeto is the most vivid proof that Ischia was born as a thermal island!

Ischia: A Thermal Journey

Beyond the free Sorgeto Bay, Ischia offers a true thermal itinerary, dotted with world-class spa parks and historic baths. Here are four of the best, selected for their reputation and TripAdvisor ratings.

Giardini Poseidon Terme

This vast thermal park extends over 6 hectares of terraces, featuring 20 thermal pools, 3 seawater pools, a wellness center, and 500 meters of private beach.

The waters range from 28°C to 40°C, rich in minerals and natural healing properties. The park also includes a thermal steam grotto carved into tuff rock (inspired by ancient Greco-Roman traditions), three Kneipp circuits (alternating 40°C/15°C baths to stimulate circulation), and vascular walking paths for leg health.

For children, there are three seawater pools and a large 8,000 m² beach area.

Antiche Terme Romane di Cavascura

Located just 300 meters from Maronti Beach, this site dates back to Greek and Roman times and still preserves the ancient thermal caves carved into the hillside.

Here, visitors can enjoy thermal showers, a natural sauna, and mud therapy using the same mineral-rich water that flows from the Cavascura spring. Treatments include facial and full-body mud applications, hydromassage, and medical consultations for personalized wellness programs — all within the evocative setting of ancient tuff rock caverns.

Parco delle Ninfe di Nitrodi

Established on the site of one of Ischia’s earliest Greek settlements, this park has been known since antiquity for its healing waters.

According to legend, warriors came here to heal their wounds, women to rejuvenate their skin, and the young to preserve their beauty.

Today, these curative powers have been confirmed by clinical studies, demonstrating benefits for various physical and dermatological conditions.

The park offers balneotherapy, facial and body care, ayurvedic massages, and traditional spa treatments, as well as advanced therapies based on essential oils and flower extracts, which have inspired the Ischia Spaeh cosmetic line.

Idroterme Olympus

Stretching along Maronti Beach, this park was built in the 1970s and is ideal for couples, families, and young visitors alike.

Using the natural heat of the subsoil, Olympus offers mud therapy sessions, using 25–28 kg of thermal mud per treatment, applied at about 40°C to soothe and stimulate tissue circulation.

The spa also offers steam and vapor inhalations, helpful for chronic or seasonal respiratory conditions. The various pools encourage muscle movement and joint mobility, making the facility perfect for rehabilitation and recovery after injuries or surgery.

How to Reach Ischia

To reach the island, take a hydrofoil or ferry from Naples or Pozzuoli.

Ferries and hydrofoils dock at the ports of Ischia, Casamicciola Terme, and Forio (hydrofoils only).

From Naples:

• Mergellina and Molo Beverello: hydrofoils only.
• Calata Porta di Massa: ferries only.
  A free shuttle connects Molo Beverello and Calata Porta di Massa throughout the day.
  From Pozzuoli, only ferries depart.

Cover photo credits: Ischia