Bay of Naples suggested itineraries

The blue waters of the Gulf of Naples are bounded in the North by the Phlegrean islands of Procida and Ischia and in the South by the legendary Capri.

Ischia and Procida, with its satellite islet Vivara, are all of volcanic origin. Ischia is the youngest of the islands in volcanic terms, the most recent eruption being in 1302. Since Roman times, over centuries, visitors had been coming here to experience the curative benefits of the volcanic mud and many hot thermal springs welling up from the thermal water basin beneath the island's surface. But it was in the 1950s that the island was "discovered" by the "beautiful people" such as Elizabeth Taylor, Maria Callas and Jack Lemmon and became famous. Known as the "Green Island" because of its abundant flora - citrus trees, pines and vineyards, the island has fine hotels, gorgeous beaches and sophisticated restaurants and a beautiful mountain - Mount Epomeo (788m).

Ischia Porto and Ischia Ponte together form the largest town on the island. In 474BC a castle was built on rock lying just off Ischia Ponte. Over the years this was further fortified and in 1441 Alfonso V of Aragon connected the castle to the mainland with a stone bridge and strengthened the castle's defences against pirate raids. Today you can reach this, the Aragonese Castle, through a tunnel or by a modern lift and explore the terraces and many buildings constructed within the complex.

Travelling northwest along the coast you reach the Marina of Casamicciola Terme, renowned for its thermal springs since 1607 when a free thermal spa was set up for the poor. A few kilometres west is Lacco Ameno - favourite haunt of the rich. Amongst the many villas belonging to the famous here are Villa Colombaia belonging to the film director Luchino Visconti (now a cultural Foundation) and Villa Arbusto where the producer Angelo Rizzoli once lived (now a museum).

More elegant villas dot the coast around Caruso point on the approach to Forio and Citara beach. The pretty fishing village of Forio is the centre of the island's wine industry. It was at Forio that the composer William Walton and his wife settled in the Villa Mortella and began what was to become the most magical garden, full of wonderful tropical and Mediterranean plants. From the gardens there are views of Forio with its fishing harbour and maze of alleyways.

Citara beach is famous for its sunshine and the spring water which gushes into the beautiful sea. The Romans consecrated this site to Venus Citara - a white marble statue of whom has been found here. Legend has it that the rocks you can see in the water are sailors, turned to stone by Venus as punishment for aiding Ulysses. The Poseidon Thermal Park on this beach has, amongst other amenities, 22 sea and thermal swimming pools and a Roman sauna.

The village of Sant'Angelo is on the south side of the island. This village celebrates its Saint's day with a spectacular firework display every September. The quaint winding streets which lead to the dockside with its cafes and art galleries are entirely pedestrianised. There is a wonderful view over the roof tops from the church of the Lady of the Assumption and Saint Michael Archangel. Nearby there are yet more stunning views over the headland. Just a short distance away are the Spiaggia della Fumerole with its boiling sands (30-100 degrees) and the oldest thermal baths on the island at Cavascura. The thermal baths are the main source of Ischia's fame, but the island has other charms; rocky beaches, pine woods and fishing villages, old fashioned resorts.

Unspoilt Procida inspired not only Minghella in the film "The Talented Mr. Ripley" but amongst other film directors Radford (Il Postino) and writers such as Alphonse de Lamartine and Elsa Morante. The smallest and the oldest volcanic island in the Bay of Naples, Procida has been described as an "undiscovered garden" with its flourishing orange and lemon groves. The small fishing ports with their colourful houses - white, yellow, ochre and pink- cling to the cliffs. There are no big hotels here. The many watch towers on the jagged coastline bear witness to a turbulent past. Seeking safety, the island's population settled in a fortified village behind the Terra Murata, protected by a 16thcentury castle in what is now the historic centre of Procida town.

The ferry brings you to Marina Grande, the port, dominated by the dense battlements of the island's most important building, the Palazzo Montefusco. The centre of Marina Grande is the Piazza, watched over by the "Sailor's Church", Santa Maria della Pieta.

To the north are unspoilt beaches - Silurenza and Punta della Lingua. Cinema buffs may prefer the charming Cala del Pozzo Vecchia to the west, nicknamed "Spiaggia del Postino". The magnificent Chiara and Ciraccio beaches are however packed in summer.

Just off the southwestern tip of Procida is the tiny islet of Vivara, connected to the main island by a bridge. The crescent shape of cliffs, in hues of hot colours, rising out of the sea is part of an ancient volcanic crater. This uninhabited isle with its mantle of flora was designated a Nature Reserve in 2002.

As you travel south across the Bay of Naples you see before you the unique, dramatic outline of Capri, one of the most elegant and sought after resorts. For centuries Capri was the playground of Roman Emperors and Patricians, who built villas and undertook great engineering projects on the island. Augustus had a favourite seaside villa here and his successor Tiberius built what is now the best preserved Roman Villa in Italy, Villa Jovis. The island was then neglected until the 17thcentury but it has never since lost its prestige. Capri became popular with European artists and musicians, writers and other celebrities from the end of the 19thcentury, (Debussy, Somerset Maughan and many more). Today it is still a magnet for jetsetters and playboys.

The ferry which brings you to Capri docks in colourful Marina Grande, the main port and departure point for trips around the island. If you have time a trip around the island by boat really is a must, not just to experience the beauty of the amazing Blue Grotto but to see the other caves and coves which surround this lovely island.

On shore, from Marina Grande you can take a cable car up to a terrace from which there are the most spectacular views. Then, passing through a medieval gateway you enter the town of Capri, into the busy Piazzetta, the Piazza Umberto I, with its many cafes. From here you can explore the little alleyways, take a stroll along Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Camerelle past designer shops and galleries to the famous promenade, Via Tragara.

Walking eastwards along the Tragara there are beautiful vistas of the sea stacks, the Faraglioni, set in the emerald sea. If you are energetic you can continue along the "Pizzolungo" coastal pathwith its stunning seascape, to find Curzio Malaparte's extraordinary, red painted, villa on the tip of Punta Massullo, past the Grotta di Matermania to the impressive rock formation, the Arco Naturale, standing 200m above sea level.

Back in the centre of the town, south of Via Vittorio Emanuele, is the beautiful medieval Charterhouse of St Giacomo. A short distance from the charterhouse are the lovely public gardens created by Frederick Augustus Krupp overlooking the spectacular zigzagging Via Krupp which leads to the small harbour Marina Piccola, crowded with yachts and immortalised in song.

Leave the bustle of Capri town and take a bus or taxi around hairpin bends to the quieter Anacapri, high on the hill to the west. Until the 1870s Anacapri was only accessible by over 500 steep steps, known as the Phoenician steps. The steps reach Anacapri near the Villa of San Michele, built by the Swedish Royal Physician, Axel Munthe. From the gardens which surround this remarkable villa and the pathway outside it there are splendid panoramic views over Marina Grande and beyond. In the alleyways of Anacapri you will come across the Church of St Sophia, flanked by colourfully tiled seats and the Church of St Michael Archangel with its precious majolica floor depicting the Garden of Eden.

From Anacapri there are stunning walks along the cliff tops or you can take the little chair lift to the highest point on the island - Monte Solaro. From here, on a clear day you can see the whole island, the surrounding Gulf of Naples and Sorrento Peninsula, Ischia , Procida and Vivara and even the Appenine summits.