Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The island was an important stop on the trade route from Greece to northern Italy in the
8th century but has since seen its fair share of disaster. The 1301 eruption of the now-ex-
tinct (and unfortunately named) Monte Arso forced the locals to flee to the mainland
where they remained for four years. Five centuries later, in 1883, an earthquake killed
more than 1700 people and razed the burgeoning spa town of Casamicciola to the ground.
To this day, the town's name signifies 'total destruction' in the Italian vernacular.
Sights & Activities
A narrow coastal band of development rings the thickly forested and mainly vertiginous
slopes of the island's heartland. This is not the place for verdant open meadows and ram-
bling walks, although there are excellent guided geological hikes available. Land is at a
premium in Ischia and the main circular highway can get clogged with traffic in the height
of summer. This, combined with the penchant the local youth have for overtaking on blind
corners and the environmental impact of just too many cars, means that you may want to
consider riding the excellent network of buses or hopping in a taxi to get around. For more
information,
Click here
.
