Baia di Sorgeto
Forio (NA)
KnownIn the water & diving
The story
On Ischia, where boiling thermal springs gush among the rocks and mingle with the sea, the bay of Sorgeto offers a warm bath even in winter, under the stars.
Access
FREE
The story
The Baia di Sorgeto, at Panza di Forio on the island of Ischia, is an open-air, natural thermal park: here springs of boiling water gush directly onto the shore and mix with the sea, creating warm pools you can immerse yourself in even in winter. As early as 1588 the physician Iasolino described its thermo-mineral waters.
What to see
An amphitheatre of volcanic rock where the steam rises from the water and the warm sea meets the smoking springs: a natural hot bath facing the Tyrrhenian, among the most characteristic places of thermal Ischia.
How to get there
- Hydrofoil
- Ferry
Tips
The springs are boiling and mix with the sea in an unpredictable way: some pools can scald, so always test the temperature before immersing yourself and watch the children. You go down to the bay by a long stairway from Panza (the climb back is demanding) or arrive by sea. Bring rock shoes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Baia di Sorgeto?
A natural open-air thermal park at Forio, on the island of Ischia, where springs of boiling water mix with the sea forming warm pools, enjoyable even in winter.
Is the Baia di Sorgeto dangerous?
The springs are boiling and mix with the sea in an unpredictable way: some pools can scald. Always test the temperature before immersing yourself, with attention to children.
How do you reach the Baia di Sorgeto?
By a long stairway from Panza (the climb back is demanding) or by sea; rock shoes are useful.
More gems in Forio
Sacred artChiesa del Soccorso
Forio
White and plain on the headland of Forio, the sailors' church faces the open sea: here, among majolica tiles and ex voto, people come to wait for one of the island's most famous sunsets.
NatureGiardini La Mortella
Forio (NA)
Above Forio, the gardens that Susana Walton cultivated for her composer husband: tree ferns, water lilies and streams in an amphitheatre of volcanic rock facing the Ischia sea.
In the water & divingParco Termale Poseidon
Forio (NA)
On the bay of Citara dozens of pools at different temperatures face the sea, among flowering terraces and the sunset that sets the water of Forio ablaze.
MuseumsIl Torrione (Museo Civico Giovanni Maltese)
Forio (NA)
Built in 1480 to spot Saracen sails, this cylinder of tufo (volcanic tuff) became four centuries later the home-studio of the sculptor Giovanni Maltese, who lived here into the twentieth century. Today his sculptures still inhabit the tower that once had to defend Forio from pirates.
- ◆ Nature
Giardini Ravino
Forio
Between the vineyards of the Epomeo and the sea of Forio, a garden of cacti and succulents: one of the richest collections in Europe, among century-old saguaros and rare species.
- Villages
Centro storico di Forio
Forio (NA)
The alleys of Forio are not crooked by chance: they were designed to confuse Ottoman corsairs, a labyrinth that stole precious minutes from the escape. To walk them today is to get lost on purpose, just as they were meant to.
More gems: In the water & diving
In the water & divingParco Sommerso di Baia
Bacoli
A Roman city swallowed by the sea through bradyseism: mosaics, columns and statues visited from a glass-bottomed boat or with a mask.
In the water & divingGrotta Azzurra
Anacapri
You enter lying flat in a small rowing boat through a low cleft, and inside the water lights up in a luminous blue that seems to rise from the depths.
In the water & divingVerde
Capri
The water turns emerald green where light filters in through a submerged opening, and at the far end a small pebble beach lies hidden.
- In the water & diving
Grotta Bianca
Capri
Pale limestone walls in a two-chambered cavity hollowed out by the sea, once a shelter for boats and a hiding place from pirate raids.
- In the water & diving
Meravigliosa
Capri
A stairway carved into the rock leads to a vault thick with stalactites and stalagmites, suspended above the Grotta Bianca and the island's thousand-year-old strata.
- ◆ In the water & diving
Punta Pizzaco e Solchiaro (snorkeling)
Procida
On the southern side, between the cliffs of Solchiaro and the walls of Pizzaco, clear water and rocky seabeds invite you to swim with a mask, far from the crowds.