DECEMBER 2025

Looking for an original destination for your autumn break? We visited Ischia in autumn and found it a surprising destination. Despite being famous for the spas and the beaches, there actually is so much more to do on this Italian island. We had a charming stay at Hotel Ulisse, where we were transported to another era. In this blogpost I will give you all my recommendations for visiting Ischia in autumn, so you know exactly what to expect and which activities will be open/interesting later in the season.

What’s Ischia like during autumn?

If you visit Ischia during autumn, it is relatively quiet. No need for dinner reservations. I found it typical that most tourists are elderly, but we saw some families as well. I think Ischia pulls a different, younger crowd during summer. During our end of October stay we experienced temperatures of about 22 degrees during the day and 19 during the night. Definitely not beach weather, but great for exploring. At times it was stormy and the hydrofoils got canceled on some days. We hoped to visit Capri for a daytrip and even though the weather was fine, the fast ferry still got canceled. Most restaurants and terraces were still open, but the beach bar/seafood restaurants at the beach were closed. Ischia is famous for its thermal pools, which you will find scattered around the island. Most of the thermal pools close around half October, but Giardini Poseidon Terme is still open, so you will have an opportunity to experience this part of the island. Bus transport on the island is pretty good, we didn’t feel the need to rent a car. Buses run frequently, but even in October we found them pretty crowded. If you are fine discovering Ischia without the beach atmosphere, I would say October is a good time to visit.

Where we stayed

We chose Hotel Ulisse for our three night stay on Ischia. Hotel Ulisse is located in Ischia Porto, one of the main tourist areas on the island. This location is very convenient as it is located close to the ferry harbor (we came from Naples). I really wanted to visit the Aragonese Castle and Hotel Ulisse offers the perfect view of it. We really enjoyed our views during breakfast and from the hotel rooftop terrace. Hotel Ulisse has a cold pool and a warm pool, which we made use of daily. The hotel is like going back in time, it kind of reminded me of Palm Beach with the flower fabrics. Next to the pool there is a small restaurant, which served the most delicious pastas, I definitely recommend eating there. We had a spacious, light 3-person room, that didn’t have a view. It seems like the rooms without a view are larger than the rooms at the back. The breakfast was quite extensive for an Italian breakfast, it featured sweets as well as savory options, which was appreciated. The hotel is family owned and we loved the personal service. We paid € 100 per room at the end of the season, which I found very good value.

Things to do on Ischia

Some of the best activities on Ischia are:

Aragonese Castle

The most famous sight of Ischia is the medieval Aragonese Castle. It used to protect the island from invaders and is connected to the island with a walkway. The castle is quite well preserved, you can still visit the church and there is an art museum as well. We loved exploring “the tunnels”, a real Dan Brown feeling, but it is worth visiting for the views over Ischia alone. Tickets are € 12 per adult and you can buy them at the desk. We visited on a windy day, but there is a lovely coffee terrace on the top, which is great on a sunny day.

Fisherman view

This is one of the best views of the Aragonese castle, located on a beach surrounded by colorful fisherman boats. During summer this area is lively with beach bars, but in October it was super quiet.

Terme

Ischia is home to several spas, as the island has natural thermal pools due to the volcanic activity. There even is a ferry from Naples directly to Casamicciola Terme, where you will find several options. At the end of October we didn’t have a lot of choice, as only Giardini Poseidon Terme was open. We would have visited if we would not have been with a child. Children below 12 are not allowed in the thermal areas, so it didn’t make sense to pay the entrance fee.

Giardina La Mortella

This garden was commissioned by the English composer William Walton and it is a truly spectacular sight. It is situated on hills overlooking the sea and features all sorts of tropical style plants. You start exploring the garden on a ground level, which has a jungle like feel, and slowly work your way up to the top, where you will have the gorgeous views. We took a bus from the harbor, it was quite convenient. I later on discovered that there was another botanic garden on the island: Giardino Rivino. That garden has lots of cactei, but we weren’t able to combine our visit with this one.

Daytrip to another island

From Ischia you can easily daytrip to another island. We planned on visiting Procida and Capri. Unfortunately, our ferry to Capri got cancelled so we never made it there. Procida was an absolute pastel dream, highly recommend taking the 20 minute ferry over there. Read my blogpost over here.

The food

The food on Ischia is delicious and affordable. We loved the freshness of the ingredients, with the tastiest tomatoes and lemon dishes. Some recommendations include: Ristorante Aglio olio & Pomodoro, Locanda Ischia – bistrot di mare & Ciro Purpetta. Our friends stayed at Da Maria and recommended us to take the water taxi there. Unfortunately, it already closed for the season.