The Tyrrhenian Sea

Just off the coast of Italy there are a string of volcanic islands that strung together like a pearl necklace. The most famous of this group is Capri, the pearl of the Gulf of Naples with its famous Blue Grotto and captivating coastal cliffs. Originally it was settled by the Greeks and later used by the Romans where it was a popular resort area for Roman nobility. Augustus Caesar built roads and aqueducts but it was Tiberius that made it famous by building his royal house and for a time ruling Rome from there. Today the island is under siege from tourists enjoying the legendary beauty of the island and exploring the famous Blue Grotto.

The other famous island in this group is Elba, where Napoleon was exiled to and later escaped from to briefly lead France into more battles seeking to capture his former glory. You can still visit Napoleon’s villa, which is beautifully hanging atop the plunging rugged cliffs of this historic island.

What is not talked about so much are the other volcanic islands that follow the Italian coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea, such as Giglio, Ponza etc. Probably my favorite island in this group is Ischia. It is every bit as beautiful as Capri without nearly the number of tourists mobbing around the streets. It is the island that Italians go to for vacation. As you approach the island from the north you can see the distinctive crater of the volcano that created this now lush green island. Grottos can also be found along its shoreline and sheer cliff walls rise a couple hundred feet from the ocean. It is not uncommon for the ocean depth to be over 100 feet deep just few feet from the dramatic coastline.

We anchored out in the bay under the shadow of an old fort that once defended its population. The next day we sailed over to the other side of the island to visit the still active hot springs. There are several hot springs on the island but the most popular is the ones that run directly into the ocean. They have stacked stones to form hot pools from the shore and the closer to shore you get the hotter the pool until the one that is next to the source is scalding hot and very dangerous if you should fall in.