Procida is one of the least visited and most underrated of the Phlegraean Islands in the Gulf of Naples. It’s smaller and wilder than the others, which is why it’s less famous than Capri or Ischia. And yet it was Procida, in 2022, that became the first Italian island to be named Italian Capital of Culture, with the lovely motto “culture doesn’t isolate”. It’s an enchanting place I discovered on foot, slowly, savouring every landscape, every glimpse and every view over the sea.
To visit Procida you’ll need to take the ferry from Pozzuoli and, in just over half an hour, you’ll arrive at its small, brightly coloured harbour, made of low houses in every shade.
As you explore Procida you’ll notice that one of the loveliest things about the island is its landscapes. The vegetation is truly lush, every garden holds flowers and fruit trees, the town has the warm colours of the Mediterranean and, all around, the sea will lull you with the slow rhythm of its waves.
Would you like to know more?
Here’s my experience in Procida and the 5 things you should know before you leave!
Let’s go!
1 – Visiting Procida at walking pace
As I was saying, the island isn’t very big, so you can easily visit Procida on foot. I recommend walking the whole perimeter of the island, so you can discover the loveliest beaches for a swim and the most striking spots for a photo.
It takes a few hours to walk around the whole island of Procida, but I promise you it’s absolutely worth it. My only advice is to bring sunscreen and a hat, because in summer the sun really beats down.
Some coves and caves, though, can’t be seen from the footpath: for those, the loveliest way is a boat tour around the island, which also shows you the colourful houses of the Corricella and the Palazzo d’Avalos straight from the water.
If you don’t like walking, no worries! In Procida you can rent both bicycles and scooters.
During your walk, you’ll surely notice that, next to Procida, there’s a second little island, joined by a bridge. It’s the island of Vivara, and I’m more than sure you’ll want to explore it: here’s why!
2 – Discovering Vivara
The island of Vivara is a state nature reserve, joined to Procida by a long pedestrian bridge of 362 metres that starts from the Chiaiolella harbour (until 2014 it was even the longest Tibetan bridge in the world). Here any new construction is forbidden: the only dwelling is an old seventeenth-century manor house, built by the D’Avalos family who owned the island.
Why is that?
As a protected area, Vivara can only be visited with an authorised naturalist guide and by reservation (through the official website vivararns.it), in small groups. The opening hours change between summer and winter, and access is sometimes suspended for maintenance work, so always check before you go.
There are several paths you can explore with the guide, and the Vivara tour lasts about an hour and a half.
Don’t be fooled by its small size: the island of Vivara is very important from a naturalistic point of view, because it’s the remains of an ancient volcanic crater once connected to the island of Procida.
This environment has remained unspoiled and to this day it holds rare plants, numerous wild animals and important archaeological finds.
I recommend visiting Vivara especially if you love walking in the midst of nature or snorkelling near the coast. It’s a truly unique experience.
3 – The colourful houses of Procida
The history of Procida has very ancient origins. We know it was inhabited from the 15th century BC, probably by settlers from Mycenae, before being occupied by the Romans.
If you’re thinking of visiting Procida, you’ve surely seen photos of its colourful houses.
Today the main residential core is made up of the Corricella and the Terra Murata, which grew out of the island’s medieval settlements. The typical colourful houses of Procida are truly characteristic.
But why are they so colourful?
The pastel shades, all different, have been used for centuries by the fishermen to recognise their own home even out at sea.
Would you ever have thought of that?
The Corricella fishing village, with its houses that seem to climb over the water, is also the set of some scenes from Il Postino (1994), Massimo Troisi’s last film, which won an Oscar. Up above, instead, the Terra Murata is the highest point of the island: here you’ll find the abbey of San Michele Arcangelo and the Palazzo d’Avalos, a former Bourbon prison now open to visitors, which was one of the symbolic places of the year as Capital of Culture.
4 – Where to stay and where to eat in Procida: my experience
To visit Procida, we stayed at the Tirreno Residence, in Via Faro. It’s a complex of small independent studios set within a dream garden. There’s a fridge and a hob, so you can cook, or just have a nice mixed salad without having to go to a restaurant.
I fell particularly in love with this place for two reasons.
The first is its beautiful garden, but above all the wonderful terrace overlooking the sea. If the weather is fine, you can enjoy a unique breakfast, with warm croissants, cappuccino and orange juice from the garden’s own tree, right on the panoramic terrace… can you wake up any better?
If instead you’re wondering where to eat in Procida, here’s my tip!
We stayed two nights, and we always had dinner at the restaurant “La Locanda del Postino”, where some scenes of Massimo Troisi’s last masterpiece were filmed. The fish, freshly caught, was delicious, and the homemade ravioli with aubergine and provola are absolutely to die for!
From our walk around the island we could see that all the restaurants had more or less the same prices: you can eat a first and second course by the sea for about 30 euros a head.
5 – How to get to Procida
To get to Procida you’ll need to take the ferry.
There are several connections with the mainland, for example from the ports of Naples (Calata di Massa and Molo Beverello) and from Pozzuoli. We set off from the latter, and the average crossing time is about 40 minutes.
I recommend reaching the port by public transport, train or bus, because you’ll only find paid car parks and the fare is really very steep.
Also, during the summer, try to book your tickets for Procida at least a few days in advance, or you risk being left on land and ruining your holiday.
Procida is like that: small, authentic, unhurried. You can see it in a day, but it’s the kind of place that stays with you for a long time.
And you, what appeals to you most: the colourful houses of the Corricella, the wild nature of Vivara or a fish dinner by the sea?
