Taxis are everywhere on Ischia, and there are also `Calessini`, or traditional tuk-tuks transformed into charming island taxis. You can hire one to take you around the entire island or to be used like a regular taxi.

As with many other tourist destinations, visitors should confirm the price to their destination with the taxi driver before getting into the taxi. With most taxis not running on a meter, this is the surest way to ensure that you are not overcharged.

Water taxis are also a great way to get around quickly between beaches. They leave from Ischia Ponte, Sant`Angelo, and Maronti and can drop you off at beaches that are only accessible via sea. They are often less expensive than a regular land taxi to get around the island`s coastline!

You can bring your car on Ischia all year round. The ferries are big and can accommodate vehicles! It`s convenient to have a car to explore the island, though there is heavy traffic in the summer.

Parking is also hard to find, and abundant only in quiet areas like Barano and Serrara Fontana. In the larger towns, you will need to park in pay lots (around EUR 2/hour).

Note: During high season, car access to the island is restricted and the number of car slots is limited; if you are planning to bring your car, check with the transport company and make your reservations well in advance.

The best time to visit Ischia is typically from April to October, however, the weather in Ischia is always changing and visitors should expect both sunshine and rain – whatever the season. Summer, the main tourist season, combines long, hot days with lengthy evenings. Winter can be bitterly cold and wet, with short daylight hours.

While Italian is the native language on the island, most people working in the tourism industry speak at least one other language, with German and English being the most widely spoken second languages. It should also be noted that the island of Ischia also has its own dialect of Italian, which can make it difficult for visitors to understand at times. Because English is not widely spoken in Ischia, you may have to do a lot of improvising and using Google translate. We suggest you get a good English-Italian guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.

Ischia`s thermal springs have been renowned since ancient times and have been tested by many Italian and foreign scientists, for their therapeutic features. The thermal waters are used in baths and thermal gardens, and they can be found in small springs on some beaches and streams that feature hot water gushing into the sea as well as steam spouts (fumaroles) with gases gushing from cracks in the soil. Fumaroles can also be observed on the slopes of the Mount Epomeo, particularly on cold days, or are located in small caves, called `stoves`, and idiomatically `sudatori` or `sudaturi” (from the Italian verb meaning `to perspire`) which are used as a kind of sauna in baths and thermal gardens.

Springs and spouting steam can be considered as the manifest sign of Ischia`s volcanic origins and of the still persisting volcanic activity. The particular features of the subsoil, due to its structure and chemical composition affect the minerals content and the degree of dilution by sea and rain water. The most ancient springs are those of Casamicciola, consecrated to the god Apollo, those of Lacco Ameno consecrated to Hercules, those of Citara in Panza consecrated to Venus Citarea, and those of Barano consecrated to Nitrodi Nymphs’.

In every village there are streets where you can go shopping for craftsman ships, agricultural local products. The boutiques that sell famous brand clothes mark the shopping route:

-In Ischia you can go to Via Roma, Corso Vittoria Colonna, or to Borgo di Ischia Ponte, a very nice place full of artisans, shops, restaurants and jewelers.

-In Casamicciola, the main streets for shopping are the Seafront and the adjoining Marina Square.

-In Lacco Ameno the seafront (nowadays called Corso Rizzolihas) has been very famous since the 1950s. It starts at Piazza Santa Restituta where the locals like to gather.

-In Forio there are a number of shops due to the size of the village. It is probably the best town on Ischia to get good deals, from the best Italian brands to the lower end. The shopping street is right in the center of town, but you`ll also want to visit the market stalls, where you can find bargains.

-In Serrara Fontana, do not miss Sant`Angelo, the coastal area of the town, for shopping.

-In Barano which is also the commercial center, is the square that faces the beautiful beach of Maronti.

There are many artisan shops, particularly in Ponte. You can have custom sandals handmade in half an hour for about €100. Ischia is also good for buying ceramics, an island craft that dates to Greek times. You`ll find many handmade and hand-painted pieces, known for their intricate patterns and bold use of color.

The island also has a number of small beauty producers that turn out wonderful items and fragrances. These products include natural skin care and cosmetic lines; thermal mud-based masks and soaps; and perfumes and eaux de toilettes, often with citrusy scents that reflect the island`s natural fragrances.

There are six different towns in Ischia each with their own individual character and charm: Ischia Porto and Ischia Ponte, Forio, Casamicciola, Lacco Ameno, Serrara Fontana and Barano.

One of the many things that make Ischia such a great place to visit is the variety of events. Here you`ll find musical events and festivals to the handicrafts markets in the historical center and sports events. In spring and summer, the various villages organize several events: many of them religious festivals, which are an important part of the island`s tradition and cultural identity.

–Festa della Ndrezzata – April: Easter Monday – The Festa della Ndrezzata is held in the village of Buonopane, near Barano every Easter Monday. The Ndrezzata is a typical island dance. It is a kind of rhythmic, violent and picturesque fight where the dancers are dressed in traditional island costumes and fight each other with wooden swords.

–International Festival of Classic Music – May – October Forio: The first edition of the festival International of `Classic` music: a series of concerts that were held in the churches and the basilicas of Forio.

id-July: A cinema festival with premieres and retrospective themes dedicated to European films, especially Italian. Ischia, for example, has used as a location of Italian films since the 1950s.

–Vinischia – July: An event that is entirely dedicated to food and wine and Campania regional crafts. It has been organized each summer since 1999 at Torre Guevara at Ischia Ponte. Shows, concerts and dances are organized around the exhibitions and the food and wine tasting.

–Festa di Sant`Anna – 26 July; The Festa di Sant`Anna in Ischia Porto is held each year in the borough of Ischia. On that occasion, there is a sea parade of figurative boats from the island’s various boroughs and also from Procida, under the Castello Aragonese. The parade ends with a prize-giving ceremony and fireworks.

–Settembre sul Sagarato – August and September; This is a festival held every year since 1988 in the village of Piazzale Battistessa, opposite the Church of San Pietro. The festival lasts for two weeks and is filled with painting exhibitions, parades of traditional costumes, wine tasting, fagiolate (bean stew tasting), concerts and shows.

–Ischia White Night (La notte Bianca a Forio d` Ischia) 24 December; Museums, churches, shops and restaurants stay open while the Ischia Notte Bianca stages music, dance and theater events.

The currency used in Italy is the Euro, US dollars are not accepted.

We recommend you carry cash on you at all times as some businesses don`t except credit cards, especially in the small towns along the cost. You can get by with just a credit card but be sure to carry euros for small purchases like water.