Pontine and Flegrean Islands – Gulf of Naples

by admin · 07/10/2018

Pontine Islands 6-15th September

Ponza

We sailed from Ostia direct to Pontines – were going to go to Palmerole but Ponza closer and we were late leaving. Anchored Cala di Feola – gorgeous town very different from others we had seen. Pastel coloured houses up the cliffs and in many cases the houses were in caves back into the cliffs with doors and windows appearing in solid rock. The bay was small and a little shelter but good anchorage with winds from the E and S which we had and were forecast. As usual the bay filled up with lots of boats packed in for a beautiful evening.

Lightning and thunder unforecast early morning – got up at early as it started to rain to shut everything then suddenly a +20kt front came through and bedlam – the wind picked up our bows and we swung really close to another as we tried to up anchor. With too much weight on chain and still swinging luckily quick-thinking motor boat let out his anchor fast and we just missed his bow – which was pointing into the wind and we were side on. General panic as boats up anchored and tried to escape the weather.

We headed around the east side of the island for some shelter and anchored in the southern half of a bay – Cala Gaetanoa – lovely flat calm with the front having departed . All went for a snorkel to some of the grottos in the cliffs and had a swim around a huge natural arch standing in the bay.

We then went around closer to town to have a look and anchored below the an old villa close to the main town with ancient Roman fish farm grottoes. Not allowed to snorkel but entered in the RIB. These were really interesting since we had just read about the fish farms in Robert Harris’ book “Pompeii”. The first photo is the fish farm grottos and the later photo with caves above the rocks are the exit from the farms. In the fish farms there is a pond with the cut out of the rock for a gate or grill. Amazing structures, apparently the Romans farmed Moray Eels which were regarded as a delicacy!!

Later went into the small colourful town for cocktails – heaps of local boats in the cove. We were told that the fishermen used to paint their houses different colours so they could find their own from the sea. we were amused by the local squid boats which had 3 little rowing boats on the stern with generators and an array of lights on them. The little boats were less than 4 metres long – we came across them operating in the middle of the night later when we travelled from Capri to Procida.

AIS for Italian fishing boats is an optional device – you leave it off so no one knows where you are and only turn it on at the last minute if you think someone is coming too close. The night we came across the little squid boats fishing we could obviously see the lights but couldn’t locate the larger 30 meter mother ships on our AIS. suddenly when we were within less than a mile of these boats trying to find a way through 5 boats turned on their ID systems and immediatley turned them off again when we had passed through.

Ventotene

Arrived late afternoon. The town was an old roman harbour originally built for galleys. Great cordoned off bay below the cliffs which are also part of the remains. There are also two cisterns and aqueducts on the island also care of the Romans. You have to be impressed with the engineering feats of the Romans but I guess with a cheap supply of labour in slaves almost anything could be achieved. Now there is a desalination plant!

Great little museum as 4 shipwrecks have been found close to the harbour that were preserved as they were in very deep water. Tours to the roman villa and cisterns on different days.

We loved the way the old galley harbour had been left pretty much intact and is now used by smaller local boats. Around the harbour they are still using all the old walls and caves for shops, restaurants, garages etc. The town has a lot of character. A larger modern harbour had been built close by for ferries and larger boats.

Later afternoon they invited all yachts outside harbour if they would like to come in for very low fees- we asked in person when we were ashore and they said EU 25 – the guy made a mistake and when we got back to the boat the man in RIB also offered us a berth and he asked how much when I told him he said “that’s cheaper than chewing gum”!! By the time we got to the berth it was obvious the other guy had made a mistake but he stuck to the price and said he didn’t know it was a catamarano – even though I had told him – obviously saving face . No services but much more comfortable than the swell outside..

Wedding on in town and everyone – men and women wearing white. Looked great – went all night – including fireworks at 0230 am. Then in the morning as we got organized to depart a boat load of partiers came ashore in a RIB – they had obviously been swimming and were still under the influence!!

Santa Stefano

We sailed past in the norming and had decided that we did not need to go and look around a prison. Almost every island in and every island fortification seems to have been used as a prison at some time – some for far longer than others. This one was purpose built, by the prisoners of course!

Flegrean Islands

Ischia

Arrived at Ischia around lunch time and anchored and snorkeled Spiaggia Citara but not many fish. The most were on a big rock right behind us! Moved to another area for the night Lido di San Montano, a popular spot and lots of boats and just round the corner from the marina at Casamicciola where we could have anchored but too many boats so happy where we were. The bay was a thermal area and park and looked really lush and well planted but we decided not to go ashore.

There is a noticeable change in the weather form the 30 degree days to only 25 and therefore a lack of swimming by all the crew in the evening except myself.

All the day boats around us departed except for two who both had snorkelers on who went snorkeling after dark. I am unsure of what they were looking for as we did not have any underwater torches with us – next purchase. Also I had a problem in a very large cave when my camera battery died and I could not investigate the back!!

Aragon Castle is maintained by a Milan family and very good condition – best we have seen so far and all the gardens cared for – seems that private enterprise is better than state. Some great spaces and alot of art hanging in various parts of the castle. It appeared the family also underwrote an art restoration studio on the site. These enormous defensive castles must have consumed all of the local GDP when they were constructed in the 1500’s. A particularly horrid room in it was “house of tortures” – medieval torture instruments as well as armour and weapons. They had nasty minds in those days. Amusing to see male and female chastity belts!!

Below the castle in the bay where we anchored and close to the cliffs are outlets of fresh water and the sea water is full of bubbles – like champagne. Great to see. Also interesting thing was that the seagrass in the area eaten right down – like it had been mowed as the fish grazed on it. Lots of fish there and also crab nets from the locals. And a very oversized anchor for a little boat.

Between all the swimming some of the crew were busy learning to sail the yacht!! But the gym program in London to get fit didn’t quite provide enough arm strength!!!

Ischia town. Great enclosed deep harbour full of ferries and tour boats. Seems the commercial enterprises run the harbour as although it is a perfect place and built when an old lake which had been formed in an earthquake had a narrow channel cut through to the sea …. It is dirty, run down and purely functional. It had been raining in the hills and with the harbour full the water laps over the edge of the sinking pavements and pontoons on the southern side. The pontoons here are above the edge of the harbour and when we got back the dingy was sitting on the edge!! The town a few streets back is much larger than expected with many shops a huge number of restaurants on cute winding streets.

Had a good simple meal at a great restaurant called Da Raffaele – identified by chicken jugs for wine! Also one very funny waiter who had an act for everything and had one woman in tears she was laughing so much.

Procida

Nice little island, the western most portion is a nature reserve around an old caldera with a bridge to it from the main part of town. We remain mystified as how these nature reserves work as according to the charts everything is protected but the locals just carry on fishing, anchoring and everything else within the exclusion zones. Procida is a little fishing village – we stayed in the bay next to the main town. Very pretty with another fortification on the hill that we did not visit as running out of time.

After Procida we visited Messina and Pompeii (I will cover those in a separate post) before going to Capri, then we later returned to Procida for two nights because the anchorage was so good before we dropped off our three younger crew back at Capri.

Capri

We went to Capri with high hopes from all the stories of how beautiful it was but it was really a disappointment. Huge volcanic rock and great cliffs overrun by tourists and tour operators. Exorbitant prices. The marina wanted EU2300 for the yacht – if we had been the same length but a monohull only 5m wide it would have been EU280 obviously they do not want catamarans. Our first trip to Capri we stopped on a bay to the west and explored some caves in the bay. The next day we anchored close to the harbour to have a look around but just sent the kids ashore while we did some paper work.

The second trip when we arrived in the port and anchored in the same place we were first get there and so go the spot we wanted and stayed to drop off Sophie James and Ryan. Decided to have a quick look around town after they left but by that time – midday it was like a zoo . Ferries had been arriving all day and off loading people by the hundreds. The wharf / marina area is standing room only unless you are sitting in a restaurant. There are ques for everything – buses, trams, small ferries and boats to the grottos and the mini market – a complete Zoo. Puts you off so much that you do not want to be there.

We intended to stay for several days but with bad weather and only very deep anchorages we only lasted one night. The second night we left at 2200 as the wind got up and went back to Procida for the night and an extra day then came back to Capri to drop of James, Sophie and Ryan before we continued down the Amalfi Coast.