Anywhere Italy
Stemma di Forio

Campania · Napoli

Forio

The largest Ischia commune by area, a Tyrrhenian coastal town with the white Soccorso church on a sea promontory and the Walton gardens above.

Known for

  • IL SOCCORSO

    Sixteenth-century white church on a sea promontory, the most photographed building on Ischia and the symbol of Forio.

  • LA MORTELLA

    Composer William Walton and Susana Walton created the two-hectare subtropical garden above Forio between 1956 and 1991.

  • CITARA THERMAL

    Thermal springs on the western coast feeding the Poseidon Gardens with twenty-two pools below the slopes of Monte Epomeo.

When to visit

Best · May–Sep

  • J
  • F
  • M
  • A
  • M
  • J
  • J
  • A
  • S
  • O
  • N
  • D
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

The festa: San Vito, 14 June

Why come

Forio sits on the western coast of Ischia, the largest commune of the island by area and the second by population. Seventeen towers, built between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries to defend against Saracen raids, are scattered through the town and surrounding countryside; the largest, the Torrione, anchors the old center. The Santa Maria del Soccorso church on a white promontory above the sea was rebuilt in the sixteenth century in a mix of Moorish, Byzantine and Mediterranean elements, and is the visual symbol of Forio.

Above the town the Giardini La Mortella were created in 1956 by Susana Walton on the hillside her husband William bought to compose on, a two-hectare garden of subtropical species opened to the public in 1991. The western beaches face the only sunset on the island. The thermal springs of Citara feed the Poseidon Gardens nearby.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Forio’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

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Forio — photo 1
Forio — photo 2

What to see

  • Chiesa del Soccorso

    Sixteenth-century white church on a sea promontory, the visual symbol of Forio, mixing Moorish, Byzantine and Mediterranean elements.

  • Il Torrione

    Fifteenth-century defensive tower in the centro storico, largest of the seventeen Forio towers, now a small museum and viewpoint.

  • Giardini La Mortella

    Two-hectare subtropical garden created by Susana Walton in 1956 on the hillside her husband William composed on, opened in 1991.

  • Giardini Poseidon

    Thermal park at Citara bay with twenty-two pools at varying temperatures, fed by springs flowing beneath Monte Epomeo.

  • Spiaggia di Citara

    Volcanic-sand beach on the western coast facing the sunset, the longest stretch of free beach in the Forio commune.

  • Baia di San Francesco

    Northern bay of the Forio commune, a quieter beach below the church of San Francesco di Paola.

The slow-trip planner

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We recommend

Where to eat and stay

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to — a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

  • Il MirtoRistorante

    Il Mirto has one Gambero Rosso fork (78/100) and a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • Il SaturninoRistorante

    Il Saturnino carries a spot in the Michelin Guide.

  • Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal SpaHotel

    Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa carries a La Liste score of 95, plus a Leading Hotels of the World listing.

  • Botania Relais & SpaHotel

    A Leading Hotels of the World listing, at Botania Relais & Spa.

Living here

  • Population 17,437
  • Off the beaten pathi
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Regional capital Napoli, 4 h 43 min drive

Thermal baths in town: Sorgente Sorgeto, Parco idrotermale Poseidon, Giardini Poseidon Terme.

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

  • Elevation: 18 m
  • Population: 17,437
  • Surface area: 13.08 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

Close by

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