Discovering the Flegrean Islands
In addition to Ischia and Procida, the Flegrean islands, in the Gulf of Naples, more precisely in that of Pozzuoli (between Capo Miseno and Capo Posillipo), also include Vivara and Nisida but the latter two are connected by bridges one to the island of Procida and the other to the mainland. Furthermore, Vivara – at the moment – cannot be visited, while Nisida is not really accessible, as it is the site of a juvenile prison and a military base. Overall they are so named because we are in the Campi Flegrei area, the volcanic area that overlooks the Gulf of Pozzuoli from Licola Mare to Bagnoli. A trip to the Flegrean islands therefore presupposes departure for the island of Ischia or Procida, and then, from one of the two, go to visit the other. The wild island of Vivara, a nature reserve, is located about a hundred meters from the Procida coast which can be covered on foot thanks to an old bridge that has recently been restored.
Sea transport Ischia – Procida and vice versa
The islands of Ischia and Procida are well daily connected to each other by ferries and hydrofoils that have Naples as a terminal or, vice versa, as a port of departure, of trips that make the intermediate stop in Procida. Together with Vivara they form the islands around which the Kingdom of Neptune protected marine area develops.
Ischia – Procida ferries
Map and information on first and last trips, prices, timetables of the Ischia Porto – Procida route can be consulted at the previous link. The line is assiduously guaranteed by the carriers of the Caremar fleet (ships and fast craft), which take between fifteen and thirty minutes of navigation, depending on the vehicle, to cover the approximately five nautical miles of distance that separate the two main towns of the Phlegraean archipelago. In addition to Ischia Porto, it is also possible to leave from another municipality of Ischia: from the port of Casamicciola Terme, on the Casamicciola – Procida route, ferries (Caremar) and hydrofoils (Snav) depart with fewer trips but still daily.
Procida – Ischia ferries
The necessary information, linked below, for the Procida – Ischia Porto rout allows you to know the opposite route on the map, all the routes (in this case there are until late evening), prices and timetables. On the Procida – Casamicciola section we have roughly the same number of runs as the reverse line (few but daily).
Book a ferry
Vivara and Nisida
There are no ferry connections to the islands of Vivara and Nisida. The latter is accessible through a driveway bridge but only by authorized persons who go for different reasons to the facilities located here; however it is visible in the distance, on the right, after Posillipo, from the ferries and hydrofoils that depart from the port of Naples for the ports of Ischia; or vice versa, on the left, from the means leaving for Naples from the ports of Ischia or from that of Procida. Vivara can only be perceived by ferries and by fast means directed to the island of Ischia and departing from Naples but also from Pozzuoli; much better, however, to admire it from Ischia Ponte, near the islet of the Aragonese Castle, immersed in a characteristic landscape from which it seems so close that one has the impression of being able to touch it. To have a direct experience, however, you have to do it from the hill of Santa Margherita, in the area of Marina di Chiaiolella, in Procida island.
