Naples - Procida Travel Guides | Naples | Sub Regions | Naples - Procida

It's not hard to see why Procida is popular as a film set (parts of Il Postino and The Talented Mr Ripley were filmed here). The island has a worn, photogenic appeal: the jumbled sun-bleached and peeling pastel painted houses with their external stairs have an air of authenticity that is often missing on the other islands, and the fishing industry is alive and well. (The downside of all this authenticity being that some of the beaches are fairly liberally scattered with flotsam and jetsam.) Picture postcard Procida is especially prominent at Marina Grande, the island’s main hub where ferries arrive and depart, and at the fishing port of Corricella, a 10-minute walk over the other side of the island, below the imposing bulk of the ex-prison of Castello d'Avalos and the walled village and church of Terra Murata.

The rest of the island to the south, is less picturesque, and quite heavily populated, especially in the centre. As you work your way out to the various peninsulas it becomes slightly more wild, especially at Punta Pizzaco, where flat rock is punctuated with broom, succulents and cacti, and paths wind around above the lapping sea. The island's third arrival and departure point at Marina Chiaiolella is more geared up for yachts than fishing boats or ferries but is an attractive place, with a couple of decent restaurants. To the west of here is the island's best beach, Spiaggia Chiaiolella. The volcanic crescent of Vivara is a nature reserve at the southern tip of the island, joined to Procida by a bridge. This has been unsafe for years, however, and until it's finally repaired there is no public access.

Getting around The island is small enough to walk around, though especially in the centre the roads can feel less than safe for pedestrians at times. There are places on Marina Grande where you can rent bikes or scooters if you want to get around a bit quicker. There are also taxi ranks next to the tourist information office, just to the west of the ferry terminal, and the ferry ticket offices.

Sights

Chiesa Abbaziale di San Michele

via G Marconi 4, T 338-4168001, http://www.abbaziasanmichele.it 0945-1245, 1500-1700. Closed Sun pm. Museum €2.

At the heart of the walled village of Terra Murata, this church has strange and slightly morbid hidden depths. On the site of an 11th- century Benedictine monastery, the highlight of a rather eclectic church interior is a winged, sword-wielding statue of San Michele from 1727. The so-called museum is really a guided tour of the library and various chapels and catacombs underneath the church. There seems to be an increasing obsession with skulls and bones the deeper down you go.

Watersports

Boats are available for rent, from yachts to little motor boats and you can also do diving courses in the waters around the island.

Amalfi Coast

One of Europe’s most famous stretches of coast, and the backdrop for many a car advert, the Amalfi Coast snakes its way along the southern edge of the Sorrento Peninsula, its villages and towns precariously stuck onto the sides of mountains plummeting into the sea. In fact, coming by car or bus, the road is as much part of the excitement as arriving; sitting on the seaward side is a nail- bitingly gripping a fairground ride.

Travel Guides | Naples | Sub Regions | Naples - Procida
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