We’d just spent a week in Puglia and now headed back to Naples to take a ferry over to the island of Procida. The ferry ride was so quick (we didn’t realize how close Procida was to the mainland), that we missed the docking and had to stay on board as the ferry travelled to the neighboring island of Ischia and then returned to Procida. We arrived in time, though, to board our sailboat, unload our suitcases and then go shopping for provisions.
Although I had my skipper’s license, it was not recognized in Italy. Italian law only accepts boat licenses that are issued by the holder’s country of origin. As I’m Canadian and took the course in the USA and Mexico, they wouldn’t accept it. And Jon, well, although a very capable sailor, he’s old school and has never taken the exam to obtain his skipper’s license. So we hired one for the trip. And it worked out well, allowing us to relax more, take in local knowledge, and fully enjoy the trip.
Procida is what Flo and I were looking for when we thought of sailing in the Med. Islands just seem to personify so well what fun sailing can be in places like Italy, Greece, Croatia and Turkey. Towns situated close to the sea with narrow streets bustling with people, mostly on scooters (although electric bikers are now very popular). We enjoyed exploring its streets on foot, while on our return trip we extended our exploration by renting scooters. The whole island can be circumnavigated on scooter in about 20 minutes.
We left port the next morning and headed for Ventotene, another small volcanic island situated halfway between Ischia and Ponza, a four hour sail away. It is only 3 km long and not even a kilometer wide. There are two port (old and new) on Ventotene and we docked in the old one, which dates back to the Romans. The Romans carved the port out of the lava stone as there were no secure moorages. At good moorage was needed as the summer palace, (Villa Giulia), of Emperor Augustus was situated on the northern tip of the island. Today only ruins, unfortunately, remain and what’s there is in poor condition. The town is small and quaint, built on a hilltop and overlooking the port, the island of Sant Stefano and the most popular beach on the island, Cala Nave. A tunnel through the lava rock from the port provides easy access to Cala Nave.
A Story Made for Hollywood
In 1943, during WWII, Ventotene served as a base for a 114-man German garrison whose job it was to defend a key radar station. On the night of December 8th 46 American paratroopers, led by no other than actor and naval lieutenant Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. Outnumbered nearly 3-1, the paratroopers met a local and convinced him to lie to the German commander, that there was a regiment of paratroopers on the island and a fleet of Allied ships offshore. The terrified commander destroyed his weapons and positions, only to realize, too late, that there were really only 46 Americans onshore. Ventotene was liberated without a shot fired. A prison on the island of Sant’ Stefano, just a couple kilometers from Ventotene, held 800 political prisoners including Altiero Spinelli. He was imprisoned by the Italian fascist regime for nearly ten years. While on Sant’ Stefano he wrote the “Ventotene Manifesto – For a Free and United Europe,” which would play a pivotal role in the forming of the European Union. He is referred to as one of the founding fathers of the EU. Although at the time of the American liberation of Ventotene, he was not on the island, having been transferred to a mainland prison a few months prior. The emperor Augustus sent his wild, only daughter, Julia the Elder, into exile on the island in 2 BC. He is said to have remarked: ‘There are two wayward daughters that I have to put up with: the Roman commonwealth and Julia.’ Perceived by her peers to be a nymphomaniac, she spent five forlorn years on Punto Eolo, looking at the distant shadow of the mainland.
The next morning we enjoyed another swim, walk about the town, breakfast and then headed to our next stop, the island of Ponza. Flo and I had been there some years before, when we did a crossing from Croatia to Corsica, with our friends Jack and Yvonne. Ponza is also suspected to be the island of Aeaea in Homer’s Odyssey, as the island of Circe the sorceress, where her cave or grotto was. We went along the back side of the island, found a cove and dropped anchor and went for a swim and had lunch. From there we made our way around the rest of the island, arriving in Ponza, dropping anchor in the small bay. We visited the town and enjoyed another wonderful meal on board.
The next day around noon we headed out of port for a hour’s ride over to the island close by called Palmerola. Jacques Cousteau referred to it as the ‘most beautiful island in the Mediterranean,” And I think he was right, at least from what I have seen in my travels around the Med.
We approached the island from the south, arriving at Cala Brigatina, which provides a dramatic backdrop of a sheer cliff – it is like the southern half of the island had fallen off into the sea with some remnants left behind as islets to frame the cove. Crystal clear waters that are different from the Caribbean’s turquoise waters or the azure waters along the French Riviera. We decided that “teal” best describes it.
After a swim and a snack we made our way to north Spaggia della Maga Circe, another small cove also shaped by vertical rock formations jutting out from the sea and giving shape to the cove. We were hoping the restaurant in the cove, the only one on the island, would be open, but we were a week too early. So we had lunch on board, and after we took Sylvia and Flo to the beach with the dinghy so they could climb the hillside and explore the homes carved into the rock cliffside, while we went exploring the caves naturally carved into the rock pinnacles nearby. While in them they seemed to be “rusting” and looked like old oxidized steel beams holding up the caves. As we were open to the northerly winds, for the night we motored to the other side of the island, set anchor and enjoyed dinner on board.
The following morning we made our way back to Ponza, dropping anchor in beautiful Spiaggiardi Chiaia di Luna, (Half Moon Beach), enjoying a breakfast of egg burritos along the way. It’s on the back side of the town of Ponza but separated by a sheer cliff that’s impossible to climb down to the beach below. We swam, had lunch and at noon we departed for Ventotene, four hours to the east. We dropped anchor in front of the old port, swam and had dinner on board. Easy day.
We rose early on Thursday and began motoring back towards the island of Ischia. A couple of hours out the wind came up and we put up the sails. Our destination (port of Sant Angelo) was direct into the wind so we had to make a few tacks to reach it.
It was a glorious day for sailing as we left Ventotene and made our way back to Ischia. Winds were about 12-14 knots providing boat speeds upwards of 8 knots. Ocean chop was minimal, about 1/2 a meter, allowing us to travel smoothly and quickly. Ischia is the largest and most vertical island of the Pontine’s, so it stood out in the distance, standing tall and mysterious, shrouded in mist. The sun was in our face so the island was a dark silhouette, enveloped in sea mist while low-lying clouds flowing through its valleys. Flo, Jon and Silvia were down below, as was the skipper most of the time so I had the wheel to myself. Magical!
We moored inside the port of Sant Angelo, one of the prettier ports along the coastline of Ischia. Once settled we arranged rentals for two scooters and set out to circle the island. We left the port and climbed high into the clouds before descending into the town of Ischia. We stopped along the coast, just south of the port of Ischia, and a beach club and enjoyed some refreshing drinks as it was now getting hot. We continued a little further, stopping in the small town of Casamicciola for a swim. The narrow road hugs the coast, taking us into Lacco Ameno, with beach clubs, bars and restaurants along the beach on one side while shops of all kinds cater to tourists on the other. It’s funky and fun. And it’s great to be back on a scooter – such as fun way to travel and explore a small island. The island is yet too busy as the season is just getting underway. But it must be crazy here during the summer months with multiple ferries arriving to the island.
We picked up a couple of scooters and set out to circumnavigate the island, now on land. Scooters are a wonderful way to explore islands, but always a little challenging. Roads are narrow, usually just primary that hugs the coast that most people are using, and they are always in a hurry. So you have to be vigilant to what’s happening around you. We left Sant’ Angelo and headed east, first climbing up into the clouds and then on towards Ischia. We decided to avoid the busy streets of Ischia, and instead just follow the coastal road around the island. We stopped for drinks at a beach club restaurant just south of the Ischia Port, and then decided to split up and explore a little on our own. Flo and I were getting hot and really wanted to go for a swim. The breeze on the bike was nice, especially as we climbed the coastal hills up over to Casamicciola. Along here were a number of public swimming areas so we changed and got in the water to cool off. We passed through Chiaia and Forio, which really looked nice (and would have explored more on foot it we’d had time (and then to the end of the road/beach at the Poseidon Beach, which seemed very popular. From there we headed up into the hills again and back to Sant’ Angelo. We found a restaurant for dinner but were disappointed once again. We all agreed that our best meals were on board with Silvia and Flo cooking for us.
The following day was our last on the boat. We got up slowly, had coffee and a last walk around the village. We then began our journey back to the base on Procida. We decided to go around and up, heading west first. We stopped for a swim at Sorgeto Bay, and then slowly motored close to the coast, checking out the towns and sights along the way. We refuelled in the port of Ischia, and then passed by the impressed Castlerock of the Aragonese Castle, which is a medieval castle that stands on a volcanic rocky islet connected to the larger island of Ischia by a causeway. It’s the most impressive historical monument in Ischia, with first structures built in 474 BC. Today it is privately owned, with the owners living in a portion of the castle, with other sections available to the public.
The wind came up so we sailed back to Procida, arriving at 5PM, right on schedule. Dinner was on board where Florence cooked a wonderful pasta (tuna, onions, tomatoes, garlic and capers) that she used to cook on the boat with Jack and learned from Yvonne.
Jon & Silvia headed to the airport while our flight didn’t leave until 6PM. So we rented scooters again, toured the island, had a few swims, lunch and then caught the ferry to the mainland. From there a bus to the airport, a plane to Lisbon and an Uber to our apartment. We were exhausted and went straight to bed. But it was a great trip!
