10 Things To Do in Procida Island: Italy’s Hidden Gem

“Culture Capital of Italy”

Map of Beaches and Things To See & Do on Procida Island

Among the great Neapolitan marvels I could have visited, it was my trip to Procida Island that drew me to this region of the country.

Procida Island is called the Cultural Capital of Italy and for good reasons. She has lemons, large and extra sweet. Movie producers for box office blockbusters like The Talented Mr. Ripley have made Procida Island the go-to place for their works. For a tiny island, the number of churches is daunting. Then throw in a deep heritage and renown for traditional arts and craftsmanship at the Marina Grande as well. Ancient medieval fortresses, a picturesque belvedere, palaces commanding the heights, and a view over the Gulf of Naples and liberated sunbathing on the beaches of Pozzo Vecchio are just some of the reasons.

READ: Colourful Places in Italy worth visiting

But none of these reasons are why I loved my short stay on the island. Procida Island was an unknown island quietly coasting along history for much of Italy’s modern history. My family and I wanted to know just why Procida Island became the focus of tourist development and cultural improvement. Through no ‘fault’ of mine own, I missed the era of risanamento way back in the late 1800s. This would be my chance to see and share in the experience of bringing a country together, rebuilding and reshaping how we see it, and living through a great and beautiful moment in history.

When I heard of the plans for the creation of a massive fleet of origami paper boats made by children, I felt that Procida Island would become the next best hope for heritage preservation and cultural revitalization at a time when purse strings were tight in the country and world all over.

This is my personally curated blog on just why I feel Procida Island deserves its title as 2022’s Cultural Center of Italy and it is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the world.

A Short History of Procida Island

We know that Greek traders, sea farers, adventurers, and possibly pirates hounded Procida Island’s beautiful shores more than 4,600 years ago. Since then, Procida Island has been the pit-stop for many more travelers through the ages right down to the present times. What remains of these ancient travelers can be found at the Carlo Ciucchi Picchio Gallery, Palazzo d’Avalos, La Casa di Graziella, and the Museo del Mare.

Procida Island’s legendary charm is a thing of unimaginable dimensions. The French traveler Alphonse De Lamartine is said to have fallen in love with an island girl, becoming so madly and deeply smitten he abandoned his French ways and instead became a native himself. Stories of this legendary romance have been preserved in history, non-fiction, and fiction, among them the novel Graziella, and the 1954 film Graziella. Part of the reason is due to the efforts of the La Casa di Graziella, an association that has tried to preserve Procida Island’s heritage.

So, it is with no wonder that Charles III of Spain once turned Procida Island into his personal hunting reserve, perhaps spending time on boats while gazing at the sperm whales and dolphins around the Gulfs of Naples, Pozzuoli, and Gaeta.

Best Things to Do in Procida Island

1. Marina Grande

The first thing you notice about Procida Island is the Marina Grande, the first port of call – Sent’Co – for everyone arriving at the island.

If I were a kid, the first thing I would think of when I arrived here would be that I had arrived at Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Marina is filled with colorfully painted houses so reminiscent of the Ligurian houses n the Cinque Terre I had to check my ticket twice.

These are restaurants, souvenir shops, residential buildings, and hotels whose walls all blend into one another so deeply it would be easy to mistake one for the other once you check-in.

And the atmosphere here is fantastic. Immediately you step on the pier, you get that bracing sea breeze pushing you forward; the sea was not the end of it. The smaller fishing boats lined up at the docks are quaint and cute, and the small crowd of fish sellers immediately gives you that homey feel.

2. Plan for a trip to Isola di Vivara

For those planning for a day trip to Proida Island, one of the first things they aim to do is walk towards the Isola di Vavara, an island tied to the hip with Procida.

I mean it literally; Isola di Vavara is connected by a bridge to Procida.

Part of the magic of the trip across to Isola di Vavara is the bridge across. To get to the bridge, get to the end of via Santa Margherita. Long and narrow, being flanked by the sea waters on both sides while on a bridge only wide enough for three to walk shoulder to shoulder can be something of a thrill.

Once you step onto the islet, it is like walking in a different world. Sure, there are old homes, abandoned and from the medieval ages. Access to Isola di Vavara is limited; since 1974, it has been a natural preserve with over 200 types of birds and a rabbit population huge enough to form a kingdom on their own. All along the discovery of the bird species is an adventure through a trail of paths crisscrossing the small islet.

It is a natural world away from the hustle and bustle of Italy’s growing modern cities. I am glad the islet has remained untouched and hope when I visit again, this little spot of untouched wildness remains as it was.

3. Top of Terra Murata

I noticed someone had brought along their drone and were raising it as high as they could. It was then that I realized it was also possible to get a similar view of Procida Island and her surroundings in the same way.

Terra Murata is the highest point on Procida Island. There is a small medieval village on the cliff, with a fortress right at the edge of a cliff. The commanding view of the sea gulf and Procida Island down below is an amazing image to carry away with you. Especially the distant hills towering over and above the small town of Procida Island with the Sunset just behind them.

I can imagine the scene of the prisoners formerly held here, forlornly staring out into the setting sun and wondering when their sentences would run out.

4. Abandoned Prison at Palazzo D’Avalos

The Palazzo D’Avalos has had a mixed and rich history. First built as home to a Cardinal, it then turned into a home for the French Bourbon kings back when they fought against the Borgias. Then it turned into a military fortress, a military academy, a prison, and finally a museum.

Those prisoners we were talking about? I can imagine how one of them, better read than the rest, felt when thinking that maybe in the cell across from his own – or his very own – once a king lay asleep, safe and sheltered from the worries of kingdom management. The cells themselves are hall-like, with the beds arranged as if a dormitory.

Very little of this rich history remains at the Palazzo D’Avalos though. One room holds ancient cannons so worn out they are discarded in a pile. Another has a box of worn shoes, remnants of prison wear, and in another a dentist’s chair that looks like a medieval torture device. So little of her past remains that it is a shame. Still, I am hopeful; just a few years ago we did not know of such a place so perhaps Procida Island will rise up to prominence once more.

5. Corricella harbor

This little fisherman’s village must evoke a lot of memories of the past. Fishing was the main economic activity way back then and the sight of so many cottages and homes colorfully painted is lovely. According to local lore, the tradition of choosing so many different colors originated from the homeowners wishing to distinguish their homes from each other. A fishy tale, if you ask me. Procida Island’s sea waters are so lovely and calm and peaceful I rather imagine the fishermen were looking for some ‘instability’ in their lives to detract from the paradise-like home they owned.

Cinque Terre is also another place where you’ll find pastel-colored houses, very picturesque and a symbol of the Italian Riviera. Read my article on the 5 Cinque Terre villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al mare.

6. Procida Island’s Carrugio

Carrugio are narrow streets, which Procida Island owns a great deal of. Simply walking down one street to the next while looking for your Airbnb or a restaurant can be a fun activity. The houses appear built on top of each other and while the streets can be confusing because of the clash of colors, they also cascade down towards the harbor. This way, you know even if you are lost you only need to head down the cobble-stones to the harbor and you will find your way once again.

I enjoyed the narrow streets on Procida Island because they made me think of the streets of Cinque Terre and Florence for some reason. For these streets, they were designed with defense in mind, while for the Cinque Terre, it was for another reason.

7. Sunsets and Beaches

A little-known secret about Procida Islands that the residents don’t want known? Procida is the lesser-known Capri around this part of the world. Just cheaper. And much much less crowded than her more famous sister.

There are three main beaches on Procida Island that are the main tourist draws: Spiaggia Chiaia a few hundred steps from Piazza Olmo, Pozzo Vecchio on the west coast, and Chiaiolella on the marina.

Just like on Capri, it is the unrestricted but gentle Sunlight grazing the beaches below, and the fact that the beaches are spacious enough to accommodate the growing crowds coming in with Procida Island’s growing reputation. Sunbathing while on a beach chair was precisely what drew us here; at Chiaia we got to rent some chairs because while the beach is welcoming, the rocky pebbles here were not.

Still, the ambience was more than enough to offset not lying directly on sand. There’s a beach club and restaurant on the side here where they have umbrellas to hand out as well. A given beach has its own delights; at Chiaiolella, it was the little boat ride coupled with a light lunch of local seafood with the rocks Faraglioni of Procida to grace our view of the water.

8. A Growing Reputation in the Film Industry

There is a reason many film stars like George Clooney flock to this part of the world while on break or shooting. Some of the more famous films shot here are The Talented Mr. Ripley which stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, a con artist who is sent from New York City to Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled playboy, to return home…nice old movie that ends in….no, I will not do a spoiler😂 , Il Postino: The Postman, House of Dolls and Cleopatra are some of them.

One fun thing you can do while on the way to Procida Island is to stream or watch these films to get a sense of the setting and location, then walk the streets and beaches, seeing and feeling what the actors were experiencing while making these iconic films.

It is the idyllic setting of an island largely left untouched by man’s hand and industry. Procida Island lets all the stress and strain of urban life drain from you. Even the colorful homes are a prop that sets the mind at ease: coming from a place of steel and concrete monsters towering over you, walking a street where the roads all seem to lead to one end, with the houses slowly receding into the distant point, is just the recipe for calming one’s racing mind and heart.

9. Casale Vascello

One of the main reasons we had to visit Procida Island lay in the quaint housing on the island. On Casale Vascello, this impression was strongest with the traditional housing of short, narrow stairways leading up into homes, narrow streets, and cozy little squares surrounded by residences cheerfully hanging their clothes on the line to get some sun in them.

If you are moving up from Marina Corricella, or looking down from Terra Murata, all you get is the sense of closeness and togetherness in the housing and colors, but you don’t really get why you feel that. But then you walk the open waterfront at the Marina di Corricella then get into the streets where you realize the courtyards are facing inwards were deliberate. The residents, facing constant attacks from Saracens and French and German soldiers, decided to band together and share in the defense of their homes. I think it is this closeness that makes Procida Island feel so welcoming.

10. Boat Rides

Procida Island is filled with bays and coves where the marine-like underwater can be seen through n even the murkiest, cloud-filled day. Boat rentals are common in the area, and the best part about the experience and arrangement is where they take you. The rentals offer very picturesque views of Procida Island’s better view points like Corricella, Isola di Vivara, and Pozzo Vecchio. They also move between Ischia and Procida Island, letting tourists from the larger island seek better and less crowded spaces in Procida Island.

Depending on the rental, you are almost guaranteed a share of appetizers and lemon fruit salad. Aperitivo on board is very common with boat rides, and it is very easy to encounter a party out on the water having a party of their own. Some of the more ‘extreme’ tourists whose blood calls them back to their atavistic pasts also try out fishing with nets like their ancestors would.

If you ask around, you will find some boat tours offering boat rides on glass-bottom boats, a favorite with kids and marine lovers. Unlike the other boating experiences, however, rides on these last shorter at about 1 hour each excursion.

Where to Eat on Procida Island

The seafood on Procida Island is freshly caught and something of an interesting experiment. The Arab influence here was particularly high, and part of our goal in visiting Procida Island was to try out the island food, and see whether they were different from most other places we have eaten.

La Pergola was one stop we hit for the rabbit – coniglio alla Procidana I think the name was – with Da Mariano’s lemon salad – and Lido Vivara [seafront restaurant here!] offering figs for dessert. Some of the more famous restaurants and hangouts were Da Girone and Crescenzo right in the heart of Marina Chiaiolella, and La Lampara, whose ideal terrace setting was just perfect with the tables for two, panoramic view of Corricella, and the breeze blowing through our hair.

In truth, we were really hoping for some local traditional foods and recipes just so we could check out unique experiences off the list. So it was a pleasant experience to get some local spaghetti alla pescatora povera and insalata di Limoni, another lemon salad in garlic and olive oil and red pepper.

Where to Stay in Procida Island

My recommendations for places to stay are not all personally curated. Some were from guys I managed to chat up on the beach or trails. I believe they all shared a lovely experience and wanted to simply let others in on the secrets to having a good time in Procida Island.

1. Albergo ‘La Vigna’
2. Hotel La Casa sul Mare
3. Hotel Savoia
4. La casa sul faro, Procida – was our actual choice for the trip. They are really cheap, have terraces, and the garden with lemon trees in bloom overhead created a wonderful outdoor scent in the air. **Plus, they have free parking available.**
5. Solcalante was a quick pitstop we hit over an afternoon for its indoor pool and spa services.

Watch my YouTube video on Procida Islan below ⬇️( Please SUBSCRIBE to my Channel xoxo)