Ischia's thermal spas: Sant'Angelo

Called the Swiss Ischia, the district of Serrara Fontana on Ischia island is characterised by deep gullies and green hills. In the past, donkeys were the main form of transport, carrying goods and people from Mount Epomeo's terraced fields to Sant'Angelo's port and back.

Today the focus has changed somewhat, from an agricultural market to a tourism economy, with the port of Sant'Angelo at the centre. A chic waterside hamlet of hotels, shops and nightlife, Sant'Angelo is home to some of Ischia island's icons of thermal spa relaxation, like the Aphrodite Apollon, connected to Hotel Miramare Resort.

Aphrodite Apollon is one of the smaller public spas on Ischia and probably older in terms of infrastructure and facilities, however, it is cosy for these very same reasons. A short and scenic walk beyond Sant'Angelo's port, Aphrodite perches above the beach stretch of Fumarole and has 12 pools in all, as well as a more risqué nudist zone.

The thermal centre of Hotel Tropical too is among the largest in this part of the island but for the more adventurous, the ancient Roman baths of Cavascura are still open today, offering the same water and steam that once eased ancient bones. To reach the Cavascura baths, quaint taxi boats shuttle back and forth from the port or a footpath winds above the hamlet to the ancient thermal site.

The town of Sant'Angelo itself has a relaxed and easy pace, perhaps because it's a nominated pedestrian-only zone. Regular markets are held along its entrance road, music is often hosted in the main piazza and bars set up their tables and chairs under outdoor umbrellas.

Looking across a small isthmus from the piazza, the Sant'Angelo islet once housed a monastery and defence tower, both destroyed by English cannon fire in 1808, and instead the area is now used for open-air concerts during summer and as a launch for scuba-diving expeditions in the hunt for black coral.