Procida, An Island Getaway Off the Coast of Naples

Procida’s arrival port

My aversion to fancy things is almost as intense as my attraction to that which is unpolished. It is both of these factors that draw me to Procida, an island off the coast of Naples, again and again. On my first trip here with with Mamma Parla back in 2005, it felt like a little slice of Naples had broken off and floated into the bay. The chaotic, soulful, and colorful place had so much in common with the nearby mainland, much more than Naples’ other island neighbor, Ischia.

Marina Corricella

The port was loud and raucous, with backfiring scooters and old women shouting from windows. Up and over the hill in Corricella, our hotel La Casa Sul Mare overlooked the quiet marina, which had served as the set of Il Postino. The balcony of our room looked up at the adjacent Terra Murata, the medieval fortification that was once the heart of Procida.

What’s not to love?

On subsequent visits, I have mainly stayed around L’Olmo, a little cluster of houses and shops above Chiaia beach. The rooms and apartments rented out by Ristorante La Conchiglia were simple accommodations and conveniently located near the island’s main bus route and 195 steps above the sea. This trip, I am staying in the center of the island at a friend’s apartment, which is surrounded by citrus groves, fruit trees, and clucking chickens.

The view from my friend’s apartment

Getting here was easy. I hopped on a train from Rome to Naples (the Intercity takes 2 hours and costs €21), then walked 25 minutes to the port. There are regular hydrofoils and ferries (services by Snav and Caremar) from Molo Beverello in Naples and from Pozzuoli in the Campi Flegrei. There are also boats from Casamicciola Terme in Ischia. FYI, Procida is a popular weekend destination for day trippers from Naples, so the hydrofoils can get crowded or booked up on Saturdays and Sundays.

At Procida’s port, I grabbed the local bus service to L’Olmo. Usually, the route is simple and circlular, but at the moment, there are works going on along Via Vittorio Emanuele, so one bus picks passengers up at the port and drops them off at Piazza della Posta. A 500 yard walk along Via Vittorio Emanuele leads to the waiting bus that does the remainder of the route. Be sure to stop at La Panetteria at #155/157 along the way for amazing baked goods. Their pizzas, savory breads and torte rustiche are incredible. They also do sweet shortbread crust filled with an eggy and hammy filling. Insane.

Eggy hammy crusty deliciousness

In addition to the stellar offerings at La Panetteria, I always eat at La Conchiglia. The food is good, it is conveniently situated 10 steps above Chiaia beach, and the tables look across the bay to Corricella. The antipasti are very good, especially the antipasto di terra, a selection of excellent island produce cooked in rich olive oil based sauces. The cappelletti (pasta filled with provolone and eggplant) and stracci cozze e broccoli (strips of pasta with mussels and brocoli) are house specialities.

Cappelletti at Ristorante La Conchiglia

It makes sense to visit Chiaia beach in the morning, because it has the best sun exposure at that time of day and by 4:30pm, the tall cliffs above the beach start blocking out the sun. In the afternoon, head over to Pozzo Vecchio (aka Il Postino Beach), where the sun doesn’t hit most of the beach until 12:30pm. The the beach is good for catching rays as late as 7pm and it is a gorgeous place to enjoy the sunset. Both Chiaia and Pozzo Vecchio beaches have small beach clubs where you can rent chairs and an umbrella from €11 a person, but the free beaches next to the clubs are perfectly nice and the big volcanic sand grains make a pleasant foundation for a thick towel.

Swimmers will prefer the calm waters in the protected bay around Chiaia beach. For me, there is nothing in the world more tranquil than swimming the nearly half mile bay in near solitude early in the morning or after 5pm when the Chiaia beachgoers have packed up and gone home. The water at Pozzo Vecchio is rough and not really ideal for swimming some days. It is worth nothing that the food at the bar is inedible.

Pozzo Vecchio

Another favorite dining spot, this time for dinner, is Girone on Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo in Marina Chiaolella. It’s nice to grab a drink near the port then take the short walk to Girone, a popular place that serves excellent fish. I am partial to the antipasto “sfizioso” with a little bit of land, a little bit of sea, and whole lot of fried stuff. The mussels are fantastic and if you can stand the idiosyncratic service, you’ll never want to eat anywhere else on the island.

Antipasto “sfizioso”

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