Alright, I am going to try my hand at some travel writing, bear with me.

I visited the island of Procida in May 2017. It is a small island in the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, situated between the mainland and the larger island of Ischia. Procida is very heavily populated, with 10,000 residents squeezed into less than two square miles, and it has a more authentic, lived-in feel than touristy Capri and Ischia.  Procida can be visited as a day trip, this is what I did and I didn’t feel rushed at all. I used Caremar ferry line and it only cost me 9 euro one way and I did not book in advance, I just walked into the terminal and booked.

Once you arrive on the island you have the option of walking or using their buses. The streets are very narrow and you will be in awe of their incredible driving skills! These people drive inches from the walls, it’s insane. I just wondered around. Up the hill, above the port is the highest and most defensive crag on the island, the site of the oldest settlement, a fortress, a monastery, and – until recently – a prison. Ascending through two stone gateways, you reach a picturesque still-inhabited settlement, the Terra Murata, which means ‘walled land’. There are superb views from the road leading up to the walls, and from a panoramic terrace looking towards the Bay of Naples. If you don’t fancy walking uphill through the town, you can catch bus C2 from the port to the outer walls of the headland. (http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/campania/procida.html). 

The most picturesque and charming spot on the island of Procida is Marina Corricella. This is a thin sliver of waterfront backed by a cliff made of fishermen’s houses – at least, that’s the colourful impression. Behind a long fishing harbour, houses were built on and into the rock in a kind of pretty vertical muddle. There are several bars and restaurants in Corricella, with tables attractively scattered along the waterfront, interspersed with painted fishing-boats and harbour cats hiding among piled nets. Despite the obvious tourist appeal of the settlement, it still has an ‘authentic’ feel, like so much of Procida. This is a wonderful spot for a lazy lunch or a romantic evening meal with the water lapping nearby. Unfortunately it is a bit of a walk from the nearest bus routes, and you have to climb up the lanes or steps to leave the settlement, but it is well worth the effort. If you’ve just visited the Terra Murata, you can take a flight of steps down to Corricella from the road leading up to the headland. (http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/campania/procida.html) I sat here for several hours, watching an elder man weave a fishing net and soaking up the sunshine by the shore. I also grabbed myself some delicious gelato.

As I did not stay on the island I am not entirely sure about accommodation, I am going to guess there isn’t all that much. But I would check on Air BnB. But like I said, it is just a day trip from Naples and if you want you could even continue on to Capri or Ischia for more adventures and or an overnight stay.