AN HOUR’S FERRY RIDE FROM NAPLES takes you to this lush island, formed long ago by volcanos. Though there are no longer eruptions, there is lively action underneath the island’s surface that creates springs of mineral rich water and smoking plumes of air, that shoot through fissures, turning caves into curative saunas. Much of this goodness is fed into treatment facilities—from luxury spa hotels to thermal parks, totaling over three hundred, making Ischia the largest thermal-water destination in Europe. Along with the spas are rolling hills of vineyards, lively port towns, and remnants of the ancient Greeks and Romans who soaked here.

Women have left their mark all over Ischia. As you approach by boat, you’ll see an Aragonese castle where Vittoria Colonna, a beloved Renaissance poetess, lived and surrounded herself with an elegant court. She later moved to Rome where she became Michelangelo’s soul mate and he wrote poems to her, addressing her as “thou spirit of grace.” In the town of Forio is La Mortella, an exotic garden created by the late/great Lady Susana Walton. She was born in Argentina, came to Ischia with her music composer husband in the early 1950s, entertained such illustrious visitors as Vivian Leigh and Maria Callas, and then turned a barren plot of land into a showpiece that’s visited by thousands every year.

Here are some favorite places to take the waters:

Free Spa

• Sorgeto, Panza (www.sorgeto.it): It’s an adventure to discover Sorgeto—either by boat from Sant’Angelo or taking the bus to Panza, then zig-zagging down about two hundred steps. You arrive in a marvelous cove where thermal springs gush into the sea, creating shallow hot bubbling pools. Go ahead and join in with the pleasure seekers—that may range from local housewives to Australian tourists. Standing by will be Nino, a hippie dude, with a bucket of thermal mud, which he’ll slather on you for a small tip, and then he may even offer you a cooked potato he’s boiled in one of the pools. There’s a club set above the rocks with changing rooms, lounge chairs and umbrellas, and a restaurant that serves fantastic fried seafood and bruschetta made with the delicious tomatoes grown in the fertile soil of the island.

Thermal Park

• Poseidon Thermal Park, Forio, (www.giardiniposeidonterme.com): I love bringing groups of women here for a spa day during our Golden Week in Southern Italy tour. Poseidon is Ischia’s largest and most popular thermal park, with over twenty pools of varying temperatures, set into the hillside, with palm trees, gardens, a sauna carved into the rocks, and an idyllic beach on the Bay of Citara. Among the many great treatments, a favorite is reflexology, for deep relief from days of walking on cobblestoned streets.

Luxury Spa Hotels

• L’Albergo della Regina Isabella, Lacco Ameno (www.reginaisabella.com): Queen Isabella of Spain came to the springs around here in the nineteenth century, pregnant and needing R&R. Before her visit the waters were named after Santa Restituta, a Christian martyr whose body washed ashore nearby in the third century, but the Queen’s stay was apparently such a major deal they became known as Regina Isabella in her honor. The sprawling Spanish-style resort was built by film producer Angelo Rizzoli in the 1950s over the ruins of ancient Greek and Roman baths. It immediately became a hot spot for celebrities like Ava Gardner, Gina Lollobrigida, and Anna Magnani. These days it still has a mid-century retro vibe and is one of Ischia’s most exclusive places, hosting an international film and music festival every summer, with outdoor movies and concerts. I stayed in a room with my very own thermal tub on the outside terrace, got treated to mud baths, relaxing massages, and the delightful atmosphere of laid-back resort by day and old-world formality at night. Restaurants include the Michelin-starred Indaco.
• Mezzatorre Resort and Spa, Forio (www.mezzatorre.it): This former fifteenth-century watchtower is now a tranquil, romantic oasis, offering spectacular views from its promontory setting, a heated sea water swimming pool and a private beach. I loved floating under the pine trees and then taking their indoor thermal circuit, an ingenious system of pools with massage jets that progressively target different areas of the body—from my shoulders to feet. They also offer outdoor massages, under a gazebo, where the sound of the waves and soft breezes enhance the relaxing experience. Dining here is divine, especially in the French-inspired Chandelier restaurant. It’s perfect for honeymooners.
• Terme Manzi Hotel and Spa, Casamicciola Terme, (www.termemanzi.com): Tucked into the island’s green hills is this dazzling place, designed as an homage to Ischia’s history—with Roman-inspired statuary, Arabic mosaics, vibrant paintings of dancing Neapolitan peasants, and everywhere colorfully painted tiles that this area of southern Italy is famous for. The heated indoor pool is all glittery, and the outdoor one is set facing the island’s largest peak, Mount Epomeo. Waters pumped in from the nearby Gurgitiello springs have been praised since Roman times for their anti-aging mix of minerals that the spa signora told me, “turn back the clock.” Restaurants include the elegant Gli Ulivi, featuring a patio where pizzas are cooked in wood burning ovens and the Michelin-starred Il Mosaico, where you can have a fabulously entertaining culinary experience with a seat at the chef’s table in the kitchen, in view of master Chef Nico Di Costanzo. Among my dinner’s many memorable courses was crudo (raw fish), served on glimmering blocks of Murano glass, and a dessert, presented to me with ear buds, so I could listen to Neapolitan music over a delightful plate of sweets.

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The Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante