Larger than Capri and becoming almost as crowded, Ischia is a cluster of dormant volcanoes, one of which occasionally emits smoke. Hot springs are everywhere. The isle is fertile and pine-scented away from the claustrophobic white town of Oriental character. The port is a volcanic crater with taverns, seafood restaurants and folk-loristic night-clubs all around it; also thermal baths.

Hire a donkey for mountain ascents and visions of splendour over Naples Bay. You come across pretty white churches and troglodyte dwellings. There are water-sports and a pleasant beach at Casamicciola, 1.5 km west of the port.

Procida, a flatter islet, is a stepping-stone from Ischia to the mainland. A three-hour boat-trip discloses many grottoes but ashore the isle is run down. The best sandy beach is on its extreme western tip.