This summer I had the pleasure of riding over on the Isle of Ischia twice. The route, pictured below, is just over 36 km long, and puts you through 1091m of climbing with a maximum altitude of 772m. Needless to say, it's quite the ride, and while the distance and climbing may be grueling, the vistas along the way are breathtaking! The climb is mostly road to the top, with plenty of places to stop for breaks and to pick up additional food and water. At the top, you descend on some of the best single track I've ridden in Europe, swooping down along the ancient volcano, finally reaching Porto Ischia for mandatory carb-loading (read: German beer and Italian pizza). Ischia attracts many German tourists, and as such, the beer selection on the Isle is typically better than on the nearby mainland city of Napoli.
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| The route: 36km, 1091m of climbing! |
I live on the mainland, in the small town of Monte di Procida, which features a small port were small ferries operate during the summer. The ferries are only large enough for passengers, and take foot bound traffic (and bicycles) over to the nearby isles of Procida and Ischia. Unlike the larger car ferries that operate out of Pozzuoli and Napoli, these little pedestrian ferries move a lot quicker. Typical travel time on a ferry out of Pozzuoli to Ischia is about an hour. The ferry from Monte di Procida to Ischia is just 20 minutes! Not only are these ferries from my hometown faster, but they also save me from the additional trip via train or car to Napoli or Pozzuoli. Added bonus! So, for the first ride of the summer over to Ischia, my friend, Rich, and I met up at my house early that morning, did some last minute maintenance on the bikes, and rolled down the hill to the port. Once at the port, we bought our roundtrip tickets and waited for a few minutes for the ferry to arrive. After about 10 minutes, the ferry pulled up, we rolled the bikes over "the hook" and got settled up on the bow of the boat for the short trip to Ischia.
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| Rich checking out the view from the top deck of the ferry. Ischia far off in the distance (center), with the smaller isle of Procida just off port side (left). |
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| Our two bikes safely stowed on the back of the ferry. |
The ferry pulls into Porto Ischia, a small port town on the north eastern side of Ischia that is overrun with tourists from all over Europe. Taxis and buses rush them off to other parts of the isle, as most tourists are there for the wonderful beaches and volcanic hot springs. We begin our journey by starting a short climb out of Porto Ischia to the west toward Forio. On the way toward Forio, we pass through Casimicciola Terme and Lacco Ameno. There are a number of shops in both of these towns, most of them selling typical tourist fare, however these are great places to pick up some fruit and water for the ride. And if you like super yachts, this is the place to see them. With all the British flagged vessels, you think all of London's financial district takes vacation here. I feel lucky that I can enjoy this island with just a short ferry ride!
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| Looking back toward Lacco Ameno. My yacht is parked |
After we ride through Lacco Ameno, we begin the ascent over the small hill that separates Lacco Ameno and Forio, further to the south. The hill provides wonderful vistas of Lacco Ameno and Forio, and our route between the two towns is along the dramatic (steep!) coastline. The Mediterranean is beautiful from up there!
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| Looking south toward Forio |
The road that leads into Forio along our route became cobblestone covered and twisted back and forth, even going through an arch at one point. Some of the best urban "trail" riding I've experienced! Once down in the town of Forio, we rode along the road that parallels the beach. We stopped for a quick break at a local fruit stand, where I enjoyed a fresh nectarine. Sure beats a Power Bar! We continued through Forio, taking another moment to enjoy the vista from the Church of Soccorso. We rode down a steep staircase, to the road below, and continue along the beach, until we reached the base of Monte Epomeo. The next couple hours would be spent climbing to the top of this ancient volcano! (ugh!).
We maintained a good pace on the way up, taking breaks whenever the need arose. The heat and humidity added to the challenge, however we were well prepared. I alone was carrying two liters of water in my Camelbak, with an additional water bottle full of Gatorade.
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| House atop a large volcanic boulder, with a surrounding vineyard. |
The road we follow toward the top of Monte Epomeo provides some wonderful views, which help keep your mind off the heat and the climb. Vineyards, fruit trees, and small villages line the route, with expansive views of the Mediterranean below.
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View of the Mediterranean as we ride along...
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| Almost at Fontana, looking back at our route and Panza in the distance. |
We continue to climb along the road, until we reach Fontana, where we take a short lunch break. We also buy some more water at Fontana, because the remainder of the route is away from civilization and off road. At this point in the ride, I've already drank all two liters of water in my Camelbak, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to refill along the way.
After we refill our water, we continue on our route, turning off the main road, looking forward to the final leg of our climb. This last section of the climb is the most difficult, as it's extremely steep, and by this point we're pretty tired from a couple hours exertion in the heat. Once at the top, we enjoy the trails atop Monte Epomeo, and take another break to enjoy the view of the towns and sea below us.
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| Enjoying the view from the top (and the break!). |
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| Atop Monte Epomeo |
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| Rich enjoying the trail atop Monte Epomeo. The peak is in the background. |
After playing around a bit on the trails atop Monte Epomeo, we point downhill! We descend along the trail we followed to the top, turning off this trail into the wood just below the peak of the mountain. The fast singletrack descent begins here! The trail follows along the ridgeline from Monte Epomeo to the east. The trail is lined with trees and brush, and along the way we got nipped by a few thorns. The trail twists and turns, at one point leading us through an abandoned farm. The buildings were overgrown with ferns, which covered much of the field that we were riding through. We continued on, descending the mountain, coming to a rest area for horses, where a local group of riders were having lunch. Our aluminum steeds pushed on, pointed downhill, and picked up the pace as the slope became steeper. We ride down through a dark, root covered crevasse that looks as though it belongs in the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Arc. We finally break out of the forest in Cretaio, where our tires meet asphalt for the first time since we started our descent. Back on the road, we continue onto a park that sits just above Porto Ischia. This park is a relatively new cinder cone from the most recent eruption on the island, dating to 1306. A short climb to the top of the pine tree covered mini-volcano is followed by the final downhill of the day. Once through the park, we were back on the road just above Porto Ischia where our ride began. We rode down into the port and stopped off for a well deserved beer and pizza while awaiting our return trip to the mainland. What a bella giornata on Ischia!
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| Alas; Beer and Pizza! :) |
