Messina and Ischia

Hi Martha,
We just returned from Ischia and would recommend it. We preferred it to overpriced Capri. Procida also impressed us. Every corner of Ischia had its charms but we were after authenticity and less commercial tourism. Ischia Ponte was the place we chose to base and it was very enjoyable, a genuine small Italian town with a compelling feel.
When exactly will you be there? Big difference between off-season, (brief) shoulder season and high season.
I am done. The end.

Thank you for your reply gregglamarsh. Unfortunately, since we are on a cruise we will only have one day to experience Ischia. We were thinking about taking the ferry over and enjoying the environment and atmosphere in a quieter, less congested environment. Also, the time of our cruise is not ideal. We will be on the cruise in late June and early July with two port stops in Naples. We have valued and preferred our Rick Steves tours, but the itinerary of this cruise with Turkey and Greece was irresistible so we are left with short stops.

You may not have time to see much of Ischia, and it will likely be crowded, and since you have seen the major sights in Naples, consider taking the train to Caserta or Pozzuoli.

Thanks, Rachel’s! We will look into this.

Hi, If you've already seen the other highlights in that area, Messina has enough to offer for a leisurely day walking around the city. A report of my day is here: https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2019/04/east-coast-sicily-day-3-messina.html

That’s great Tinac! Just what I was hoping to find.

Take the bus that circles the island of Ischia. Sit on the right hand side for sea views, as the bus (as I remember) travels counter-clockwise around the island. Ischia is wonderful; we spent a week there a while back. We had planned to go also to Capri but decided to remain on Ischia for the entire week.
Are you willing to hire a taxi for a day trip in Messina?

The bus trip sounds like a good idea. We’ll have to check how often the buses run and if we can get off to explore along the route. Hadn’t thought about hiring a taxi in Messina. It would probably be a good idea to do some research and get an idea of where we would like to go. I guess we were hoping that there would be interesting places to see near the port.

Martha, the part of Ischia that would most likely appeal to daytrippers in search of the real deal is the 'Ischia Ponte' neighbourhood, so-named coz of the isle's iconic 'Aragonese Castle', which is just offshore and easily reached by a walkable bridge (ponte). One may tour up into the actual castle (there's a lift) and there are a pair of nice cafes up there as well. Great view (see numerous YouTube modern videos).

That same *Ponte neighbourhood is in and of itself a wonderful place to hang out in and stroll. The restaurants are all very good (happy to advise further) and the vibe there is more 'real-life authentic' than the Port area. The latter has a row of waterfront restaurants, a couple of which are interesting, but it is more glossy and trendy and full of young folk dancing til sunrise, perhaps fairly called the Insta crowd.
If it matters, Ponte has a wonderful bookstore as well.
*note that some scenes from the recent series 'My Brilliant Friend' were shot there, including in our rental's courtyard.
Good luck.
I am done. the island

Bus timetables for Ischia.

https://www.ischiareview.com/buses-in-ischia.html

Things to do.

https://www.ischiareview.com/things-to-see-in-ischia.html

Great information, gregglamarsh! This sounds perfect for us. We do prefer authentic restaurants and a bookstore would definitely interest us. It looks like our plans for the day are shaping up. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble we would really appreciate any restaurant recommendations that you could offer.
Thank you so much!

An other option, best for a shorter shore excursion.

https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/procida-travel-guide/

Wow! That looks lovely, Gerri. Thank you! I can see the decision making getting harder. We actually have two port calls in Naples so we can do both islands if we like.

Martha, we ate at the below restaurant three times, it was that good. Our landlords recommended it--we'd never come across it in our research. As we left after our final meal there, I pretended to kidnap their chef/cook.
Aglio, Olio e Pomodoro.
Located in the aforementioned Ischia Ponte 'Borgo Antico' main drag:
84 Via Luigi Mazzella

It is directly across from that bookstore 'Imagaenaria', whom we will give the award for 'Best Bookstore Name and Card' (ancient Romans called Ischia Aenaria=land of wine) in our eventual TR Photo Essay.

I am done. the end

This all sounds so good. Thank you again!