Regardless where you are coming from, Napoli, Pozzuoli or Ischia, your ferry or hydrofoil will be arriving at the Marina Grande in Procida, the main hub of the island. During our 10-day stay we returned to the marina several times as we really enjoyed the atmosphere and loved walking on the promenade.

Procida had many surprises for me. When we arrived, after I got over my first shock about the crazy traffic, the next surprise was to see so many beautiful hydrangea bushes in the lush mediterranean gardens along the main road. I am a huge fan of these flowers and Procida has them in several different colours.

I really wanted to have a slow holiday. I wasn’t writing lists of things to see and do, I wasn’t reading guidebooks, I wasn’t getting prepared. I picked a place that was attracting me and I was sure we would have a great time there. I wanted Procida to surprise me, and it surely did, in many ways.

Finally in Procida

I have chosen Procida to be among the first destinations I write about, because it was one of my first trips with my daughter and also our slowest trip ever. L’Isola di Procida had been on my bucket list for many years. In 2007 I was dating a man from the Amalfi coast, so I spent more time around there than usual. The whole area enchanted me, and I wanted to discover every corner of the coastline. One day I saw a photo of funny colourful houses on what seemed to be a tiny island, I had never seen this view before.