Ischia with kids: all you need to know for a perfect island stay and why you’ll love it

Our family guide to Ischia with kids: best towns, beaches, things to do for families, and all our Ischia travel tops, based on our now travels to this stunning, family friendly island in Italy.

Ischia is a stunning island in Southern Italy, and one of the best island destinations in Italy for families looking for a beautiful, relaxed, truly Italian and kid-friendly place to enjoy some sea and sun.

Ischia is just in front of Naples, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast and share with its neighbours the colors and flavors of this stunning part of Italy: Ischia is a dreamy palette of luscious green hills, crystal blue sea views, hot pink bougainvilleas and bright yellow lemons.

However, Ischia has something its more internationally famous neighbords don’t offer in quite the same among: a relaxed and local vibe!

Make no mistake: ischia is well know to international tourism, this is not a hidden gem no one else has ever been to. However, Ischia is outside the tracks of mass tourism, cruisers and, to a large extent m day trippers, so it retains a quieter and more real atmosphere.

Also, it is an exceptionally family firefly place so if you are looking for a family destination in Italy that has elements of the Amalfi Coast but a more chil-oriented vibe and sandy beaches, you’ll love Ischia.

I know this because I love Ischia myself. Our favourite place on the islands is Forio and we come here anytime we want some sea, sun, amazing food and a slow island pace, yet still options to explore. On this page, you find my guide to Ischia with kids, with all our tips and finds. I hope you enjoy it!

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Why go to Ischia with kids

There are several reasons why Ischia works so well for families:

• It’s green and spacious: Ischia is a small island but not so small to be oppressive or limiting. You can pick one homebase (see below how to choose the best one) and you will be able to explore the rest in a matter of days, without stress. You don’t e even need to get a car
• Beaches are accessible and varied, with both sandy and pebbly options. Unlike the Amalfi Coast, there are wonderful sandy beaches on Ischia
• Thermal waters offer unique experiences even for older kids and teens: this is a fantastic option outside of sea swimming season
• Local life feels authentic, not just curated for tourists
• Distances are manageable and you do not need a car

Best towns to stay in Ischia with kids

Ischia has several towns and while all have something to offer, there is one that has my heart when it comes to a family stay: Forio!

Forio d’Ischia

Vibe: relaxed, lively without being chaotic, beach-focused

Forio is my top recommendation for families and the town I most often suggest. I absolutely love it and, personally, never tire of it.

Forio has:

• Direct ferries from Naples, arriving here is super easy
• Long, accessible, sandy beaches with a family friendly vibe
• a pretty historic center with colorful houses, shops and lovely local vibe
• plenty of restaurants and gelato stops
• good bus connections

The main thing I love about Forio is that feels local but welcoming, and evenings are lively in a low-key, family-friendly way. I also love its stunning beaches: Chiaia is large, sandy and full of families. San Francesco a little further down the road is smaller but also sandy, kid friendly and stunning, just under a green rocky promontory that adds charm!

A great family hotel in Forio are Le Canne Family Resort which is close to the beach and specifically equipped to welcome families with kids. Also a great place to meet other families. You can find here >> My complete guide to Forio with kids

Ischia Porto

Vibe: energetic, practical, town-like

Porto means ‘port’ in Italian so it may come as no surprise that Ischia Porto is the main town ferries arrive to. This is the best served town in the island, when it comes to ferry connections, and the place most day trips come to, since it is so easy to access.

The towns is pretty, has colorful houses and a family friendly vibe, great for a day strolling and exploring. I find it a nice and handy place to stay early and late in the season, when sightseeing may take precedence over beach time (for beach time, Forio is my favorite)

Best accommodation to stay in Ischia with kids

OraBlu Villas – incredible find! Beautiful, calm but well located, fantastic if you want apartment style accommodation

Le Canne Resort – a favorite for families for facilities and welcome, a great place if you want to meet other kids

Other towns to experience in Ischia for kids

Forio is my favorite town to stay in Ischia with kids but I highly recommend you also visit other towns on the island, as each has something to offer.

Sant’Angelo d’Ischia – for an elegant resort feel

Sant’Angelo d’ischia is one of the most scenic towns on the islands, a once sleepy fishing village now turned elegant resort.

Sant’Angelo is on the southern side of the island and is a place that elicit mixed feelings: since it is now elegant and manicured, some love it, some find it too artificial and inauthentic.

No matter on which side of the spectrum you find yourself standing, however, there is no doubt that Sant’Angelo is worth seeing!

You can come here for a few hours to enjoy the views and the shops, you can get a boat trip to Spiaggia dei Maronti (beach) which is beautiful or you could even decide to use it as a homebase, for instance if you stay in the stunning Borgo Romantica and enjoy the wonderful facilities is has to offer.

Ischia Ponte: charming and historic town with castle

Vibe: postcard-pretty, quieter, romantic

Ischia Ponte is likely to be the town you have in mind when you think of Ischia: the one with the stunning Aragonese Castle overlooking the sea.

Ischia Ponte is adorable if you like exploring: the town has pretty alleys, shops, and with the castle it offers some proper sightseeing. Spiaggia dei Pescatori (beach) is nearby and has pretty views over the castle. It is ideal for a morning exploring and lunch with sea views.

The best things to do in Ischia with kids

There are several fun things to do in Ischia with kids.

Enjoy the best beaches in Ischia for kids

ischia has lovely beaches perfect for kids. Stunning ones I love are:

Chiaia in Forio – large, sandy, super family friendly with lots of locals and tourists

San Francesco in Forio – smaller, scenic, perfect for a quieter experience

Citara, again close to Forio, sandy and fantastic for kids too

Take a Boat trip

A gentle way to see Ischia from the water, often including swimming stops. Boat trips are wonderful especially in the highest affluence months of July and August, when they are a great way to escape crowds and the busy roads, without renouncing exploration and views.

Go to a Thermal Park

ischia is a thermal island and has some stunning thermal parks, also suitable for kids (to an extent).

The main parks on the island are Poseidon and Negombo and both are worth considering with kids.

Giardini Poseidon (Forio) – large, well-organized and with stunning views, Giardini Poseidon has thermal pools, normal pools and access to the sea, a combination of things that means you can enjoy it with kids too.

For safety reasons, kids under 12 cannot access the thermal pools but Poseidon has areas for them with special kids’ pools. You can find photos an exact info here > For tickets , I find the best site to buy is GetYourtGuide (I find the official one rather hard to naviagate, GYG is easier and has free cancellation Get tickets here

Negombo (San Montano Bay) – in beautiful setting, Negombo is another wonderful thermal park in Ischia with kid freiendly areas.

For safety reasons, kids cannot access the thermal pools but Negombo has special pools for them which are beautiful, access to the beach and they also have special rates for smal kids. All info here.

Visit Castello Aragonese

Castello Aragonese castle is a dramatic castle connected by a causeway, one of Ischia’s highlights and a place you are likely to have seen in photos of this beautiful island. It involves walking and stairs, so it’s best with school-age kids and up or anyway kids who don’t need a stroller but it is beautiful! You can visit in your own time while visiting pretty Ischia Ponte.

Explore gardens

Ischia has a lovely nature, both wild and man curated. A fantastic place for a stroll is La Mortella Gardens, beautiful and surprisingly engaging for kids who enjoy plants, fountains, and open spaces.

Take a day trip to Procida

Procida is the island neighbouring Ischia and it is a lovely place to visit for a day, if you have a longer stay in Ischia.

Smaller than Ischia and m ore secluded in feel, Procida has wonderful colorful houses and stunning views, and it is perfect for a more off the beaten track feel, for instance if one day you want to take to the see, explore and have a meal with seaview.

A fantastic way to see is is via this tour that shows you both lovely corners of ischia and Procida, with also swimming stops.

Best beaches in Ischia for families

Some of the most family-friendly beaches include:

• Chiaia in Forio – large, sandy, super family friendly with lots of locals and tourists
• San Francesco in Forio – smaller, scenic, perfect for a quieter experience
• Citara, again close to Forio, sandy and fantastic for kids too
• Spiaggia dei Maronti – long and scenic, better with older kids (water gets deep sooner than in others)

Many beaches have lidos where you can rent loungers and umbrellas, making beach days much easier with children.

How to get to Ischia and how to get around

Ischia is reached by ferry from Naples Molo Beverello. You can easily get tickets there and then and the ferries arrive in Ischia Porto and Forio, although Forio has fewer direct services. Travel time is under two hours.

Once on the island, the most common way to get around is by bus. The service is frequent and we fgoind it of good quality, although the roads are quite bendy and the buses do get full, so in high season, you want to keep moving around to a minimum.

Significantly more expensive are taxis which however and handy to get around if needed.

The best approach to Ischia, in my opinion, is to pick a good base like Forio so you have many things nearby, then use buses in the lower season (not July and August) or take a boat tour in high season to explore from the water.

I hope you enjoyed this quick guide to Ischia with kids and it helped you plan you stay. Safe travels!