Terme di Cavascura
Barano d'Ischia (NA)
KnownIn the water & diving
The story
In a gorge carved into the rock, pools and grottoes used since antiquity: you descend a canyon to plunge into scalding waters gushing from the mountain.
The story
The Terme di Cavascura are the oldest and most evocative thermal basin of Ischia, hidden in a narrow tuff gorge a stone's throw from the beach of the Maronti. The name — «cava scura» (dark quarry) — tells of its nature: a deep canyon where the light filters between the walls of volcanic rock and the thermal water gushes boiling from the slopes of the mountain. Here the Greeks and Romans already came to be healed.
What to see
Grottoes and pools carved into the stone, a natural waterfall and even a sauna carved into the rock, in an environment that seems out of time. The water, very hot at the source, is tempered in the pools for baths and treatments; its properties were known since antiquity for rheumatic and skin ailments.
How to get there
- Hydrofoil
- Ferry
Tips
It is reached by going down to the Maronti and walking for about fifteen minutes along the beach to the mouth of the canyon, then up the gorge: wear shoes that can get wet. The baths are open in the bathing season (generally from April to October): check hours and admission on the official channels before going.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Terme di Cavascura?
The oldest thermal basin of Ischia, in a tuff gorge near the beach of the Maronti, at Barano: grottoes, pools carved into the rock, a waterfall and a natural sauna, used since the Greek-Roman age.
How do you get to Cavascura?
You go down to the Maronti and walk for about fifteen minutes along the beach to the canyon, then up the gorge: footwear suited to getting wet is needed.
When are they open?
Generally in the bathing season, from April to October: it is best to check hours and entry arrangements on the official channels before going.
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