Guide: How to spend a day in Procida, Italy
Planning a trip to Southern Italy this summer? Well, if that’s the case, you don’t want to miss Procida, a small island situated just 5 km off the coast of Naples. After reading this guide, I can guarantee that you’ll want to visit this hidden gem!
Procida is often overlooked in favour of more famous islands in the Bay of Naples, such as Capri and Ischia. However it’s an absolute stunning place, and offers a calmer, more authentic atmosphere than the more well-known neighbours. Prices are also a lot lower than in Capri or the Amalfi Coast, it’s definitely a great spot for budget travellers, and everyone else who’s looking to find a hidden gem.
Due to the proximity to Naples (Italy’s third largest city) Procida is easy to get to and I’ll tell you everything you’ll need to know in my guide so you can plan your upcoming visit.
Where is Procida?
Procida is located just off the western coast of southern Italy. The nearest airport is Naples Airport. Proscida is a rather small island, and I’d recommend it for a day trip with Naples as your base. You can stay overnight as well, but if you want to spend more time in the same place, I’d recommend the significantly larger islands Capri or Ischia instead.
Getting to Procida
The easiest way to get to Procida is by taking a taxi to the harbour of Naples, and then the ferry to Procida. If you’re coming straight from the airport and planning to stay there, you can also take a taxi straight from the Airport.
The ferry to Procida
Procida by ferry
The ferry system in Naples and the Amalfi coast is fairly easy to understand, and there are boats departing for the islands several times a day. There are currently three companies operating the route, these are SNAV, Caremar and Alilauro. Frequency depends on the season you’re travelling and the trip can take between 20-40 minutes, again depending on which company you go with.
There’s usually toilets and a snack counter on the ferry, but other than that, there aren’t many conveniences. It’s a fairly comfortable ride so there’s a minimal change of getting seasick.
Expect to pay around 15-20 Euro one way. It is possible to pre-book tickets for the ferries, but I wouldn’t say that it’s necessary. Instead, I’d suggest walking up to the counter and ask for a ticket into the next available boat. Purchase tickets for your trip back as well to ensure that you have a spot to get back to the mainland. Boats back to Naples can get crowded in the late afternoons and evenings. If you have your ticket, your spot is guaranteed.
For more information concerning ferries to Proscida and other places around Naples and the Amalfi Coast, I recommend that you visit the Direct Ferries website by clicking HERE.
Once you’ve arrived to Procida, you’ll find yourself in the Porto Marina harbour. There are a few shops and restaurants in the area, but I’d highly recommend venturing the cobblestone streets (should take around 20 minutes by foot) towards Marina Corricella.
How to get around in Procida
Although Procida is fairly small and easily navigated by foot, there are other options as well. You can get from the harbour to Marina Corricella by by bus, and there are taxis available as well to take you around the island.
Things to do
Although Procida is a rather small island, it’s breathtakingly beautiful, and sufficient to entertain most people for at least a few hours or a day in most cases. Below are a few suggestions for things to do on your trip:
Explore the shops
There are plenty of souvenir shops, art galleries and other interesting venues with unique goods available for you to take home. The main shopping street stretches from the harbour and through the streets towards Marina Corricella. There are also a few shops near the beaches in the southern part of the island but it’s mostly concentrated in the harbour and Marina Corricella, which are also the most frequently visited spots by tourists.
Enjoy the view from Terra Murrata
This, along with Marina Corricella and the harbour is the main attractions of the island. You reach this viewpoint and monastery simply by continuing on Via Principe Umberto onto Salita Castello instead of turning left on Via S. Rocco towards Marina Corricella. It’s definitely a little hike, especially in warm weather but it’s totally worth it.
Explore Marina Corricella
Procida tours
I definitely think that Procida is easy to navigate on your own, by foot. However, if you want to take a guided tour, there are several options available. I’m an avid user of TripAdvisor, and you’ll find some well-rated and good tours available HERE. A tour can be a good idea if you want to visit more than one island in a day, if you want a guide or if you simply don’t want to take the ferry and navigate the island on your own.
Beaches in Procida
While Procida isn’t particularly well known for it’s beaches, they have a few that you can enjoy on those scorching hot Italian summer days. The most well-known one is Chiaiolella. It’s actually a volcanic sand beach with shallow waters. It’s particularly known for being kid-friendly. The beach is quite the walk from the main towns of Procida, so make sure that you come prepared.
Where to eat
There are a few restaurants lined up by the water in Marina Corricella. There are also a few establishments scattered elsewhere on the island, but Marina Corricella is probably where you’ll find the widest selection. For additional food reviews and recommendations, I recommend you to check out THIS link from TripAdvisor.
La Lampara Restaurant
During our visit, we decided to try out La Lampara Restaurant, which is located on a small hill right by the water in Marina Corricella.It’s actually part of the hotel La Corricella. The view from their terrace is stunning. The price point is a little bit higher than the other nearby restaurants, but the quality of the food was impeccable, and the location is by far the nicest in the area.
One of my dominating memories from this restaurant was that I managed to put my phone inside the menu, and when the waiter came to grab the menus, the phone was still inside. I panicked a few minutes later when I realized that my phone was gone, and explained that it must be inside one of their menus. The guys there had good laugh at it, searched a few menus and found my phone. That is definitely one of those things that make you remember the restaurant a little extra.
Want to stay overnight?
Although Procida is quite small, there is definitely a possibility to stay overnight. It’s the perfect place for a relaxing vacation as you have all the necessities, beautiful scenery but less tourists than on the neighbouring islands. For more information and tips on hotels in Procida, I recommend you to take a look at TripAdvisor reviews HERE and Airbnb stays HERE. My dream hotel in Procida would be Hotel San Michele Procida, a small boutique hotel with ocean views right by Marina Corricella.
I hope you’ve enjoy my guide to Procida and that you’ve found it useful. Let me know if you have any questions, I’m more than happy to help you plan your trip!
