Forio and Ischia: December 3rd – 4th

We left Sorrento early Monday morning. Since ferries no longer go directly from Sorrento to the island of Ischia, we had to take a ferry all the way back to Napoli then take another ferry to Ischia. When we arrived in Ischia, we took the CS bus to the town we were staying in about 10 km away, Forio, the largest town on the island. The town was pretty and colorful but not much going on since it’s currently the low season. I imagine this island is a happening spot in the summer with all the tourists visiting and sunbathing on the many beaches. Ischians take their siesta period seriously too - the whole town shuts down for 3.5 hours!

The next day, we took the bus to the town of Panzana where we walked down to the hot springs in Sorgeto Bay. The tide was higher than expected which prevented us from sitting peacefully in the rock pools where the hot springs came up through. Liya tried her best but got blasted by the waves a few times. Nevertheless, the time spent at the bay was pleasant. The bay was only occupied by a couple of other sunbathers, the sun was out, the skies were blue, the wind was subtle and the sound of the sea was soothing. After soaking up some Vitamin D at Sorgeto, we took the CS bus all around the island of Ischia (1.5 hours) which was a beautiful ride.

The term ‘low season’ really hit home when we were staying in Ischia. First, we were on the only two backpackers staying at our hostel. Second, it was a pain in the butt and expensive to reach and to leave the island. Third, there wasn’t much activity – open stores were hard to find, locals were on holiday, and everything was running at a much slower pace. We arrived in Ischia with high expectations and, instead, we left somewhat disappointed.