WhatIconic cave restaurant carved into tuff rock at the summit of Monte Epomeo (789m)
SpecialityConiglio di fossa (pit-roasted rabbit) · bruschetta · goat cheese · fried potatoes from their own fields · local Biancolella wine
SettingDining inside the volcanic tuff cave — one of the most extraordinary restaurant settings in Italy · family-run since 1965
Getting thereHike up from Fontana ~1hr (bus CS from Forio €1.50pp) · no road access — the climb is the way in
Note✓ Confirmed via WhatsApp (Fiorella) · coniglio pre-ordered · open 9:00–18:00 (Feb–Nov) · cards accepted
PlanHotel 08:30 → drive/park Fontana → hike up ~1hr → summit ~10:00 → explore church & views → lunch at La Grotta 12:00 → hike down → back in Forio ~14:40
Paid so far (Marshal): €503.66 flights + €1,750 hotel + €220 Palazzo (24 Jun · Iberia card) + €133.44 boat deposit = €2,607.10 Still due: €580 boat balance on 28 Jun + remaining dinners + ferries Heidi's hotels: Palazzo Pandola €1,041 (pay at stay) · Puro by Unico Relais €159 (Conf. HM-0011) — both Heidi's bookings Marshal's extra night: Palazzo Pandola 24–25 Jun €220 — paid with the Iberia card (self check-in · changes rooms on the 25th) Hotel note: Invoice will show €1,750 for the first 7 nights (Booking.com pays their €127.27 share separately) · the added 4 Jul night was arranged directly with Marco — rate TBC. Heidi's flights (Lufthansa 7OTLBS) are her own cost and not included above.
Getting around Ischia — buses, taxis & the Epomeo hike
Public Bus · EAV (Ente Autonomo Volturno)
Island Bus Network
CS — Circolare Sinistra
Anti-clockwise route
Ischia Porto → Casamicciola → Lacco Ameno → Forio → Cava Grado → Serrara → Fontana → Barano → Ischia Porto
✓ Takes CS from Forio to Fontana for Epomeo
CD — Circolare Destra
Clockwise route
Ischia Porto → Barano → Fontana → Serrara → Cava Grado → Forio → Lacco Ameno → Casamicciola → Ischia Porto
✓ Also reaches Fontana (longer route from Forio via Ischia Porto)
Ticket price€1.50 single (on bus: €2.00) · Day pass €4.50 · Weekly pass ~€15.50
Buy ticketsTabaccheria (tobacconist) · bars · newspaper stands · hotel · at the bus terminal at Ischia Porto. Buy in advance — not always available on board.
ValidateAlways stamp your ticket in the machine on the bus — fine if you don't
Hours04:20–01:50 (summer) — very frequent during the day
From ForioBus stop near the port / Piazza Municipio area. Ask at hotel for exact stop.
To FontanaTake CS from Forio towards Fontana — ~30min · €1.50pp. Alight at Fontana church (large white statue of Jesus)
Other linesLine 1 (Ischia Porto–Forio–Sant'Angelo) · Line 2 (Ischia Porto–Forio–Citara/Poseidon) · Line 21/22/23/24 (Forio local routes)
Minimum fare: ~€15 · Night surcharge (22:00–07:00): +€3 · Prices are fixed routes, not metered. Taxi stands in Forio near the port. Also available at Ischia Porto (Piazza degli Eroi & Piazzetta San Girolamo).
🥾 Thursday 2 July · drive to Fontana · hike up Epomeo · lunch at the summit (La Grotta da Fiore)
Option A — Bus to Fontana (recommended)
Step 1Walk to Forio bus stop · take CS bus towards Fontana (~30min · €1.50pp)
Step 2Get off at Fontana — look for the church with the large white statue of Jesus
Step 3Cross the road, turn left, follow signs to Monte Epomeo (3km · ~1hr uphill)
Step 4Summit! Visit San Nicola church, carved into tuff rock (1459) · small museum
Lunch★ La Grotta da Fiore — cave restaurant at the summit · our table 12:00. Rabbit Ischian style · bruschetta · local wine. Open 9–18 (Feb–Nov). Book ahead for July.
ReturnAfter lunch, same path back down to Fontana (~40min) · then the short drive to Forio
Option B — Walk from hotel (more challenging)
RouteFrom hotel, walk uphill through Forio to Santa Maria al Monte (~45min) · then summit trail (~50min)
AllTrailsSanta Maria al Monte → Epomeo · 3.1mi out-and-back · Hard · 1,374ft gain · 2.5–3hr
NoteThe AllTrails page notes this as the highest elevation gain trail on the island — stunning but tough
Logistics & tips
Start earlyLeave hotel by 08:00–08:30 · cooler, less crowded, haze clears for views
KitHiking shoes (mandatory) · 2L water each · sunscreen · light jacket · snacks
ViewsOn a clear day: Capri · Vesuvius · Procida · Ponza · Sorrento peninsula · Napoli · Forio below
Summit foodLa Grotta da Fiore: also serves freshly squeezed lemonade and espresso — famous for the rabbit in tuff cave setting
Back bySummit ~10:00 · lunch at La Grotta ~12:00 · start down ~13:30 · back in Forio by ~14:40
Great for accessing beaches only reachable by sea, or quick island-hopping.
From Sant'Angelo (approx. fares)
→ Le Fumarole / Cavascura€3 pp each way
→ Sorgeto hot springs€5 pp each way
→ Citara Beach€100 for up to 6
→ Forio / Ischia Porto€120 for up to 6
Water taxis depart from Ischia Ponte, Sant'Angelo, and Maronti. They serve beaches inaccessible by road. Much cheaper than land taxi for coastal journeys.
Bus CS: ~30min · €1.50 Taxi: ~€25–28 Scooter: ~20min
Ischia Porto / Ponte
Bus CS/CD: ~35–40min · €1.50 Taxi: ~€30–37 Scooter: ~25min
Sant'Angelo
Bus Line 1: ~25min · €1.50 Taxi: ~€20–25 Scooter: ~15min
Lacco Ameno
Bus CS: ~20min · €1.50 Taxi: ~€15–20 Scooter: ~15min
Casamicciola
Bus CS: ~25min · €1.50 Taxi: ~€18–25 Scooter: ~20min
Poseidon / Citara Beach
Bus Line 2: ~10min · €1.50 Taxi: ~€12–15 Walking: ~20–25min
Maronti Beach
Bus via Barano: ~45min · €1.50 Taxi: ~€40–45 Water taxi from Sant'Angelo: €3pp
Sorgeto Hot Springs
Bus + walk: ~20min Taxi: ~€15–20 Water taxi from Sant'Angelo: €5pp
Pro tip: Buy a day pass (€4.50pp) if you plan to take 3+ bus trips. Bus passes are also valid on the ferry between Ischia Porto and Casamicciola. In July, buses can be busy — allow extra time and consider the scooter for flexibility.
Naples Airport → Palazzo Pandola — taxi without the scam
Capodichino is a small, easy airport — one terminal, and the taxi rank is a short walk straight out of Arrivals, so there's no maze to navigate. There IS a legitimate fixed fare. The scam is simply not telling you about it. Do one thing and you're protected.
Say this BEFORE the trip starts
The one phrase that matters
Say it as you get in — before the meter goes on
“Tariffa predeterminata per il centro storico, per favore.”
tah-REEF-fah pre-deh-ter-mee-NAH-tah per il CHEN-troh STOH-ree-koh
= “The fixed fare to the historic centre, please.”
This claims the official fixed fare of €21 per car to the Centro Storico — all-inclusive, no extra for bags, night, or airport supplement. You must claim it upfront, before he starts the meter. If you don't ask, you're legally on the meter and the driver can charge that instead — which is exactly the gap they exploit, quoting €25–45 to people who don't say the phrase.
Fixed fare · per car, not per person
What it should cost
Airport → Centro Storico (Palazzo Pandola)€21
Palazzo Pandola is at Piazza del Gesù Nuovo — squarely inside the Centro Storico fixed-fare zone.
The rate rose from €18 to €21 in a September tariff revision. It is all-inclusive: no baggage fee, no night surcharge, no airport supplement.
Drivers who skip the fixed fare typically quote €25–45. That's the scam — there's no fake meter, just a missing sentence.
Do these · in order
Step by step at arrivals
1 · WhereWalk to the official taxi rank outside Arrivals. Use only the white taxis in the line.
2 · IgnoreNever go with anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a taxi or “private car”. Always touts.
3 · Say itAs you get in, say the phrase — before he engages the meter.
4 · CardThe official fare card is posted in the cab (page 2 is in English). If there's pushback, point to the Centro Storico line.
5 · ReceiptYou can ask for a receipt: “una ricevuta, per favore.”
✓ Roughly €21, fixed — but only if you claim it before the doors close.
What the official rank looks like
The white-taxi line outside Arrivals
The official rank just outside Arrivals — a line of white taxis. This is the only place to get one.White taxis queued at the rank barrier. Join the line; don't accept anyone who waves you over elsewhere.
Capodichino airport layout
Where the taxi rank sits
Official airport map. The TAXI rank is right by ARRIVI / Arrivals (left). Walk straight out and turn to the rank.
Tap ▶ to hear the pronunciation spoken aloud. Works best with headphones.
Greetings
Buongiorno
bwon-JOR-no — Good morning / Good afternoon
Buonasera
bwon-ah-SEH-rah — Good evening
Ciao
CHOW — Hi / Bye (casual)
Arrivederci
ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee — Goodbye
Essentials
Mi dispiace, non parlo italiano. Parla inglese?
mee dees-PYA-cheh, non PAR-loh ee-tal-YAH-no. PAR-lah een-GLEH-zeh? — I'm sorry, I don't speak Italian. Do you speak English?
Per favore
pair fah-VOH-reh — Please
Grazie
GRAH-tsyeh — Thank you
Prego
PREH-go — You're welcome
Scusi
SKOO-zee — Excuse me (formal)
Non capisco
non kah-PEES-koh — I don't understand
Può ripetere, per favore?
PWOH ree-PEH-teh-reh, pair fah-VOH-reh? — Can you repeat that, please?
Getting Around
Dov'è…?
doh-VEH? — Where is…?
Il bagno, dov'è?
eel BAHN-yo, doh-VEH? — Where is the bathroom?
Quanto costa?
KWAHN-toh KOS-tah? — How much does it cost?
Può chiamare un taxi, per favore?
PWOH kyah-MAH-reh oon TAHK-see, pair fah-VOH-reh? — Can you call a taxi, please?
At the Restaurant
Un tavolo per due, per favore
oon TAH-vo-loh pair DOO-eh, pair fah-VOH-reh — A table for two, please
Il conto, per favore
eel KON-toh, pair fah-VOH-reh — The bill, please
Acqua naturale / frizzante
AH-kwah nah-too-RAH-leh / freet-SAHN-teh — Still water / sparkling water
È delizioso!
eh deh-leet-SYOH-zo! — It's delicious!
Cheers & toasts
Salute!
sah-LOO-teh — Cheers! (literally “health”) · the all-purpose toast
Cin cin!
chin chin — Cheers! · said while clinking glasses
Alla salute!
AH-lah sah-LOO-teh — To your health!
Alla nostra!
AH-lah NOS-trah — To us!
Facciamo un brindisi!
faht-CHAH-mo oon BREEN-dee-zee — Let's make a toast!
Emergencies
Aiuto!
ah-YOO-toh! — Help!
Chiami un'ambulanza!
KYAH-mee oon ahm-boo-LAHN-tsah! — Call an ambulance!
Mi hanno rubato il portafoglio
mee AHN-no roo-BAH-toh eel por-tah-FOH-lyoh — My wallet was stolen
Trip Gallery — photos & video, by day
A field guide · Napoli & Ischia
Mangia & Bevi
Every dish, sweet and drink worth seeking out across Naples and Ischia — what it is, when to have it, the little history behind it, and how to order it so you blend in. Built around your own reservations.
Blend-in basics · tap 🔊 on any card to hear it said in ItalianNo cappuccino after a meal · order a whole pizza each (don't share) · 'pepperoni' means peppers · water is bottled & paid-for · sip limoncello, don't shoot it · there's no percentage-tipping custom — a small coperto covers it, just round up.
Thu 25 JunLa Locanda Gesù Vecchio · Naples (Spaccanapoli) — classic trattoria: la Genovese, pasta e patate con provola, parmigiana, polpette, baccalà
Fri 26 JunPalazzo Petrucci Pizzeria · Naples (San Domenico Maggiore) — Michelin-listed pizza: the 'Domenica' (ragù, provola, polpette, friarielli) & the stuffed calzone
Sat 27 JunUmberto a Mare ★ · Forio (your hotel) — seafood, acqua pazza, spaghetti vongole, Ischia whites
Tue 30 JunSaturnino · Forio port — fresh fish, 220+ wines (ask for Biancolella / Forastera)
Wed 1 JulDa Ciccio · Ischia Ponte — seafood by the castle: vongole, fritto, acqua pazza
Thu 2 JulLa Grotta da Fiore · Epomeo summit — coniglio all'ischitana, bruschetta on pane cafone, caprino, house Biancolella
Six tables now booked — two in Napoli, four on Ischia. Your other Napoli meals and the free evenings on Ischia are open, so the street food, sfogliatella and gelato below are yours to chase.
🍴 More Napoli tables worth a look
Lombardi 1892 · Via Foria 12, near the Archaeological Museum (MANN) Historic family pizzeria since 1892 — Neapolitan pizza on 12-hour dough, plus excellent fried starters (fritto), mussel soup, and classic trattoria dishes. Roomy two floors with summer seating on Via Foria. 📞 +39 081 456220 · ↗ lombardi1892.it · ↗ Map
Insolito · Cucina & Pizzeria · Via Placido Pasquale 10, Spaccanapoli Neapolitan pizza alongside cucina and seafood (fritto misto, classic primi). Has a terrace for outdoor eating, English-speaking staff, and vegetarian options — handy and central in the old town. 📞 +39 081 0636026 · open daily to ~23:45 · ↗ Map
Scicchitano · seafood — two locations Giuseppe Scicchitano, third-generation of the family behind the famous 'A Figlia d''o Marenaro. Quality Naples-bay seafood with a modern, showy touch — signature Pacchero alla Scicchitano (scampi, lobster, prawns) and the table-side Mare Fuoco. New waterfront room (Via Nazario Sauro 15, behind Santa Lucia) has sea & Vesuvius views; original at Via Foria 180. ↗ scicchitanoristorante.com · ↗ Map (waterfront)
Personal recommendations — not booked. Lombardi & Insolito are walkable from Palazzo Pandola; Scicchitano's waterfront spot is a short taxi toward Santa Lucia.
Start here · Naples is its birthplace
Pizza, the Neapolitan way
The styles you'll see, and the customs that quietly mark a local from a visitor.
A dough pocket stuffed with ricotta, provola, cicoli (pork cracklings) and pepper, then deep-fried until puffed. The cheaper, older cousin of baked pizza.
Year-round
WhenStreet snack, eaten hot in hand
HistoryNeapolitan fried dough is old, but it boomed after WWII when wood ovens were scarce; sold on credit — 'oggi a otto' (eat today, pay in eight days)
Seen inSophia Loren sold it in De Sica's 1954 film L'oro di Napoli
A small disc fried FIRST, then topped with tomato, cheese and basil and flashed in the oven. The mirror image of pizza fritta (which is stuffed then fried).
The puffy, blistered outer rim — locals call it il manico, 'the handle'. Dark 'leopard-spotting' from the ~450°C oven is the prized sign of a proper pizza.
Year-round
Heads-upA little char is intentional and good — not 'burnt'
UNESCOThe art of the Neapolitan pizzaiuolo was inscribed by UNESCO in 2017
How to eat pizza like a local (not a tourist)
Naples is the birthplace of pizza — a few habits instantly separate locals from visitors.
Order one whole pizza per person — they arrive uncut and personal-sized.
Start with knife and fork while it is molten, then switch to hands — both are fully local.
To eat by hand, fold a wedge 'a libretto' (lengthwise into a channel) and hold the crust.
Expect a soft, wet, foldable centre ('the soup') — that is correct, not undercooked.
Pair it with a cold beer or a chilled fizzy Gragnano red — both are the true local match.
Eat from the tip/centre outward, saving the cornicione for last.
Don't
Ask for 'pepperoni' — you'll get peppers. Say diavola or salame piccante.
Order pineapple, ranch, or extra cheese, or pile on toppings.
Share one pizza by passing slices around the table, American-style.
Send it back for a soft middle or expect a cracker-crisp crust.
Tip American-style — there's no percentage-tipping custom here; a small coperto (cover) is already on the bill, so just round up or leave a euro or two.
Eat the crust first or ask for it pre-sliced / a to-go box.
Naples on a fork
The classic savoury dishes
Centuries-deep home cooking — much of it from cucina povera and the Bourbon kitchens.
Whole cuts and rolls of meat (beef, pork ribs, sausage, braciole) melted into dark tomato over 4–6 hours. The sauce dresses the pasta; the meat is a separate course.
Year-round
WhenThe Sunday-lunch dish; heartier in cool weather
CustomIt must 'pippiare' — barely bubble for hours. Eduardo De Filippo wrote a poem about it
Two Campanian shapes you'll meet constantly: scialatielli (thick fresh noodles, born in Amalfi in the 1960s) with seafood, and paccheri ('big slaps') — huge smooth tubes.
✦ In season late June
Order'Scialatielli ai frutti di mare' is the summer-coast signature
A dense ring of lardy, black-peppered dough packed with salami, cheese and pork cracklings — casatiello cradles whole eggs on top under dough crosses; tortano chops them inside.
Off-season for your trip
WhenAn Easter / Pasquetta-picnic bread — you'll just miss it in June
NameFrom Neapolitan 'caso' (cheese); the egg-crowned ring nods to the Resurrection
Rabbit browned and braised in a terracotta pot with garlic, cherry tomato, white wine, wild thyme and chilli. The sauce dresses bucatini first (the primo); the rabbit follows as the secondo. One pot, two courses.
★ Island specialtyYear-round
HistoryIschia's signature, not seafood: farmers raised rabbits in deep stone-walled pits ('fossa'); the pit-raised rabbit is a Slow Food Presidium
CustomThe communal 'conigliata' once celebrated a newly built house
🍽 On your trip: The house specialty at La Grotta da Fiore (Thu 2 Jul, your Epomeo-summit lunch)
A whole white fish — classically pezzogna, scorfano or dentice — gently poached in a light broth of water, olive oil, garlic, cherry tomato and parsley. Simple, fresh, light.
✦ In season late June
Heads-upA broad southern-fishermen's dish (Ponza/Capri claim it) — not invented on Ischia; 'crazy water' refers to salting with seawater
Ischian twistThe island version is fragrant with wild fennel and capers
🍽 On your trip: Look for it at Umberto a Mare ★, Saturnino & Da Ciccio
Whatever the morning boats land: totani and calamari (squid), frittura di paranza (mixed small-fry), alici (anchovies) and the day's whole fish — ask for the pescato del giorno.
✦ In season late June
WhereFishermen still sell the catch on the piazza at Ischia Ponte and the ports of Forio and Sant'Angelo
🍽 On your trip: The heart of the menus at Umberto a Mare (★), Saturnino & Da Ciccio
🥪
Ischia · the sandwich
La Zingara
TSEEN-gah-rah
Toasted pane cafone filled with prosciutto crudo, fresh fior di latte, tomato, lettuce and mayo. The island's beloved beach-and-bar sandwich.
The island's other half: vines terraced up the volcanic slopes on dry-stone walls, worked by hand and little monorails — 'heroic viticulture'. A glass of house Biancolella is the island's default table wine.
✦ In season late June★ Island specialty
HistoryGreeks planted vines here ~700 BC; Ischia was among Italy's first DOC zones, 1966
Pairs withCrisp whites with seafood; Per'e Palummo red with the rabbit
🍽 On your trip: Sip the house Biancolella at La Grotta da Fiore & Saturnino
Seafood that's actually in season — late June
Good news: the Tyrrhenian trawl rest (fermo pesca) falls in autumn, so summer day-boats are landing plenty around Ischia right now. Lean into pesce azzurro — the freshest, cheapest and most sustainable summer fish. Tap 🔊 to hear how to order each one.
Order freely — in season now
Aliciah-LEE-chee — anchovies, a summer star
SardeSAR-deh — sardines
Ricciolaree-CHOH-lah — amberjack
SgombroZGOM-broh — mackerel
TrigliaTREE-lyah — red mullet
ScorfanoSKOR-fah-noh — scorpionfish, made for acqua pazza
Pezzognapet-TSOH-nyah — blue-spotted bream, the Bay's prize
Ricci di mareREE-chee dee MAH-reh — sea urchin — closed season in Campania; don't order now
CozzeKOT-tseh — mussels — past their cool-season peak
SpigolaSPEE-goh-lah — sea bass — often farmed; ask 'di lenza'
Orataoh-RAH-tah — bream — often farmed; ask 'selvaggio'
The local move: order pezzogna all'acqua pazza — the Bay of Naples' classic summer fish — and at Umberto a Mare ★, Saturnino and Da Ciccio just ask what came in that morning.
Drinks · the strongest customs
Coffee
Naples is Italy's coffee capital — and where the anti-tourist rules matter most.
Caffè freddo is cold, ALREADY-sweetened espresso (not watery iced coffee). Shakerato is espresso shaken hard with ice into a frothy chill; granita di caffè con panna is the icy treat.
✦ In season late June
CustomNeapolitan mothers make sweetened coffee the night before and take it to the beach
The one coffee rule that gives you away
Cappuccino and any milky coffee are a morning-only thing — essentially never after a meal. Ordering a cappuccino after dinner is the single clearest 'American tourist' tell.
Ischia's flagship native white — dry, light, citrus and sea-breeze minerality with an almond finish. Grown on terraces so steep they're worked by little monorails.
✦ In season late June★ Island specialty
Pairs withAll the island's seafood; the everyday Ischia lunch white
NoteIschia was among Italy's very first DOC wine zones (1966)
🍽 On your trip: The house pour with rabbit at La Grotta da Fiore
🍾
Wine · Ischia white
Forastera
foh-rah-STEH-rah
A native Ischia white making light, fresh, easy wines — a touch rounder than Biancolella, often blended with it as 'Ischia Bianco'.
✦ In season late June★ Island specialty
NameFrom 'forestiero' (foreigner) — it was brought to the island; now grows almost only here and on Procida
Irpinia's two great DOCG whites: Greco di Tufo (structured, stony, ageworthy) and Fiano di Avellino (peach, hazelnut, orange blossom). Dinner whites with depth.
✦ In season late June
WhenWith a proper seafood dinner rather than a poolside sip
Chilled, lightly fizzy red — dry to gently off-dry, ruby, low-alcohol, with a faint smoky-sweet edge. The true Neapolitan pizza wine, served cold (~6–8°C).
✦ In season late June★ Island specialty
Heads-upA chilled, fizzy red surprises most Americans (who expect sweet Lambrusco) — the trip's most refreshing red
A cold golden lager is the true match for Neapolitan pizza. Reach for Nastro Azzurro or Sardinian Ichnusa — or local craft Kbirr for a 'drink local' moment.
✦ In season late June
Local moveBeer with pizza is 100% correct here — insisting on a big red is the less-local choice
