Baia di Sorgeto

Ischia


Among all those posh, dreamy (sometimes expensive) spas, it's nice to have access to something that's thermal and free. Located at the bottom of 300 steps, 2km south of the village of Panza, hot thermal water spills into rock pools on the edge of a secluded bay, where it is tempered by the chill of the sea. Choose a spot with an optimum temperature (careful – the water can be scalding), lie back on a rock and luxuriate.

There's a scruffy kiosk at the cove that's only open in the summer.

The cove can also be reached by water taxi from Sant'Angelo (€5 one way).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ischia attractions

1. Spiaggia dei Maronti

1.3 MILES

Long, sandy and very popular, this beach was a favourite landing spot for pirates, who would bury their loot beneath the sand. Reach it by bus from Barano…

2. Giardini Ravino

2.04 MILES

The vision of local botanist Giuseppe D’Ambra, who has collected plants since the 1960s, this 6000-sq-metre garden pays homage to the not-so-humble cactus…

3. Casa Museo

2.18 MILES

The good news is that this museum is well signposted and has a car park. The bad news is that it's on a perilous corner on Ischia's mountain road between…

4. Cappella di San Nicola di Bari

2.29 MILES

The little church near the top of Monte Epomeo is the 15th-century Cappella di San Nicola di Bari, which features a pretty majolica floor. The adjoining…

5. Monte Epomeo

2.3 MILES

To anyone of average fitness, an ascent of Ischia’s slumbering volcanic peak is practically obligatory. The views from the rocky summit are superb. And,…

6. Chiesa di Santa Maria del Soccorso

2.88 MILES

This diminutive white church perched above the water in the town centre was originally part of a 14th-century Augustinian monastery; its side chapel and…

7. La Mortella

3.6 MILES

A symphony of plants, La Mortella (the myrtles) is the former home and gardens of the late British composer William Walton (1902–83) and his Argentine…

8. Museo Angelo Rizzoli

3.66 MILES

This pint-sized museum encased in the larger Museo Archeologico di Pithecusae pays homage to the man who turned humble little Lacco into a celebrity…