Castello Aragonese, Ischia

Boats from Naples land at Ischia Porto (and some at Casamicciola). From Ischia Porto, the castle's own directions give three options:

• Bus 177, about 15 minutes, on an EAV ticket (€1.70 single, €5.10 for a day).
• Taxi, 5 to 10 minutes.
• On foot, 20 to 30 minutes, east along the coast to Ischia Ponte.

From the Naples side, Caremar's hydrofoil from Molo Beverello costs €21.60 and takes about 1 hour 5 minutes. See our Ischia page for all boats and the ferries guide for ports.

At the end of the causeway, a lift carries you up into the rock. You can also climb on foot along the old ramped path.

• The Cathedral of the Assumption, now a romantic ruin, and its crypt, the family burial chamber below.
• The Poor Clares' cemetery (Cimitero delle Monache), the castle's most talked-about room: the nuns' convent used a system of seats for the bodies of dead sisters to drain. It is stark, not gruesome, and brief.
• The Immacolata church and terrace, facing the rooftops of Ischia Ponte and the ruined cathedral across the bay of Sant'Anna.
• The old prisons of the fortress.
• The top terrace, the highest visitable point, with views over the Bay of Naples, Ischia and the islands of Capri, Vivara and Procida.
• The gardens, and the café and bookshop in the former nuns' refectory, later the studio of the painter Gabriele Mattera.

Allow two to three hours. Paths are steep in places and there are many steps.

This is a private site, so state museum rules do not apply: there is no €2 youth price for EU 18 to 24 year-olds and no free first Sunday. The castle does not publish a separate price for children under 10.

Because closing follows sunset, the castle has its longest days in summer and its shortest in winter, and staff sell the last ticket 90 minutes before closing. For a day trip from Naples in autumn:

1. Take a morning hydrofoil to Ischia Porto.
2. Bus 177 to Ischia Ponte and enter by late morning.
3. Lunch in Ischia Ponte after your visit.
4. Back to the port for an afternoon boat.

From June to September the castle also runs Wednesday night theater visits at 9 p.m. Its cafés and bookshop can keep different hours or closing days from the castle itself. The castle is closed from January 7 to early March, so a winter trip needs a different plan.

The lift removes the steepest climb, but the visit is still a walk on slopes and steps. The castle says wheelchair users can reach only the Immacolata terrace and church, and only with staff assistance. Families with small children should bring a carrier rather than a stroller. The cemetery room is short and easy to skip with young children. More ideas in Naples with kids.

If you stay on Ischia, pair the castle with a day at Giardini Poseidon before it closes for the season on October 31, or with Procida, a short boat ride away.

Procida Boat Tour from Ischia with Lunch and Island Stop

Starts in Forio at 9:30, so it suits people staying on Ischia. Port fees and lunch are included; a €15 'taxi guide' is listed as extra.

7 to 8 hours

4.9★★★★★★★★★★(73 reviews)

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