Island of Procida in a nutshell: tiny, authentic and unspoilt. We hopped on the Naples to Procida ferry and spent 4 blissful days, leaving behind the hustle of Naples and the crowds of Amalfi. Procida island beaches are refreshingly unspoilt and less frenetic; the pace is slow and people take time to talk and get to know you. Our tested and loved things to do in Procida with kids or without in here, we can’t recommend this little known gem of a Mediterranean island warmly enough!
Island of Procida Italy
1. Soak in and observe the unique island lifestyle. Coloured houses and narrow cobbled streets where taxi drivers need to fold their mirrors to fit & drive in. Warm people and magic sunsets. Lemon trees with the thickest lemons we ever saw, vineyards, funny shaped oval tomatoes, aubergines, basil and chives – we loved to observe them with our kids on the way to and back from the beach.
2. Best way to discover the island of Procida is sailing.
We found renting a boat easy and affordable – spent 3 hours with one of Sergio’s boats and paid Euro100 (Euro120 if paid by card).
Sailing in Procida
3. Itinerary at sea : Sciro was our captain and we started off at Marina Chiaiolella, sailed around Vivara (the natural reserve), swam at Pozzo Vecchio, went past the Harbour / Marina Grande , Terra Murata and stopped at Marina Corricella.
Hop on Naples Procida ferry and get to see Terra Murata
4. Swim in crystal clear waters. Last swim right after Coricella – beautiful blue crystal water, gorgeous views over the XVII century port architecture, colourful facades and tangles of arches, domes, terraces, balconies and staircases.
5. Procida island beaches are wow! Our favourite beach and lunches were at Vivara / Ciraccio beach. Dark volcanic sand and beautiful rock formations. Kids friendly sea, it takes a while to stop touching the bottom.
6. Being in Italy, one can’t talk about the best things to do without gellato! Best icecream and chilling are by the Yachts harbour at Marina Chiaiolella. There’s also a little playground next to La Tonnara hotel and the marina.
Maresias Procida Italy
7. Best sunsets are in the Harbour and the by Maresias.
8. Explore the vineyards . For a boutique hotel and stunning grounds head to La Vigna, where our friends got married.
Vineyards at La Vigna
9. Indulge the local cuisine. The island spoilt us with fresh seafood, pasta, risotto and the signature salad of the island I’d say – lemon salad.
Ferries from Naples to Procida leave from Molo Beverello, Porta di Massa, Pozzuoli (north of Naples) and Ischia. The regular hydrofoil and ferry for Naples Procida is provided by Snav and Caremar, timetables in here. Consider pairing it with Ischia for a full immersion into gulf of Naples island life, we raved about island hopping and felling in love with both in here! Fore more Italian unspoilt gems, head to our article on Puglia, we had a blast in here the summers of 2019 and 2022 and we have raved about Puglia best beach clubs in here.
Naples to Procida ferry, hydrofoil or yacht