Parco Termale Castiglione

What to expect

Parco Termale Castiglione is one of Ischia’s big thermal gardens, the kind of place where you rent a spot for the day and drift between pools, a lounger and lunch. It sits on a steep slope on the island’s north coast, on Via Castiglione in the comune of Casamicciola Terme, about halfway between Ischia Porto and Casamicciola’s harbour. Terraces of pools, pines, palms and flowering shrubs step down the hill toward a small bay that belongs to the park.

It has been open as a thermal park since 1977. The site started as the private seaside home of Baroness Marie Ursula von Stohrer, who built a house here in the early 1940s and later set about developing the thermal springs on the property. The park took shape in the 1970s with help from the Walde family, who were involved in several of Ischia’s large thermal gardens. A four-star hotel, the Hotel Oasi, sits inside the grounds, and there is a restaurant, La Sibilla, with sea views.

The water comes from Ischia’s volcanic underground. The operator says it rises at up to 158°F70°C and is rich in bicarbonates and sulphates. It is cooled before it reaches the pools, which run from 86°F30°C to 104°F40°C.

This is a swimsuit place, with staff, changing rooms, showers, lockers and a cloakroom. Free parking is included. It is not a wild soak and it does not feel like one.

The pools

The operator lists ten pools, two of them covered. Temperatures are the operator’s figures:

• Olimpionica: a large seawater pool. Its temperature follows the weather. Children under 12 may use it.
• Perene: 86°F30°C. Also open to children under 12.
• Aegina: 100°F38°C, with thermal water falling from channels cut in the rock.
• Lotus: 104°F40°C, the hottest, paired with a 68°F20°C freshwater plunge.
• Leukotea: 90°F32°C, with jets and a falling-water massage.
• Kalypso: 93°F34°C, with jets.
• Oinone and Dione: twin pools at 97°F36°C and 90°F32°C, both with jets and a rain cover.
• Nizzola: a seawater pool next to the sauna, used for hot and cold rounds.

There are also Kneipp paths, Turkish baths and a spa with massages and treatments. Some thermal cures here (mud, baths and inhalations) are offered under Italy’s national health service, which matters mainly to Italian residents with a doctor’s referral.

Children under 12 are not allowed in any pool except the Olympic and Perene pools. The operator also advises pregnant visitors and people under medical treatment to stay out of the hotter pools.

Prices and booking

Castiglione sells spots rather than plain entry tickets. Every ticket includes a deckchair or sunbed with an umbrella in a place you choose when you buy, plus the thermal pools, the path down to the sea, the funicular and parking. The 2026 prices for a full day (10am to 6pm) were:

	High season (May 30 to Sep 13)	Sep 14 to Oct 4
1 deckchair + umbrella	€33	€29
1 sunbed + umbrella	€55	€49
2 deckchairs + umbrella	€58	€52
2 sunbeds + umbrella	€78	€69
Extra deckchair (third person)	€19	€19
Child under 12	€17	€17

Half-day tickets (1pm to 6pm) cost €25 for one deckchair or €41 for one sunbed in high season, €22 or €37 in September, and €13 for a child. The 2026 price list does not show the spring rates from opening day to May 29, so check the site if you go early in the season. Passes for 2 to 30 days are sold only at the park ticket desk.

Booking is not required, but buying online lets you pick a spot on a panoramic terrace, by a pool or in the sea area. Towels and bathrobes can be rented at the cloakroom. Swim caps are compulsory in every pool and are sold there too. Pets are not allowed.

Getting there

Most people reach Ischia by ferry or hydrofoil from Naples or Pozzuoli. Boats land at Ischia Porto and Casamicciola.

• From Ischia Porto: the park is about 2.3 km (1.4 miles) west by road, roughly a 7-minute drive along the coast road toward Casamicciola. A 2018 guide put the walk at about 20 minutes.
• From Casamicciola harbour: about 1.9 km (1.2 miles) east, a few minutes by car or taxi.
• By bus: the island’s EAV buses run along the north coast between Ischia Porto and Casamicciola. Ask the driver for the Castiglione stop and check the current timetable, which changes by season.

The road ends at the park’s own car park, and parking is included in the ticket. The grounds are steep. A funicular links the upper and lower levels and runs down toward the sea area.

When to go

The park opens only in the warm half of the year. In 2026 it ran from April 24 to October 4. It is closed all winter, and the operator says 2027 dates will be posted later.

Late spring and September are the sweet spot. The sea is warm enough for a swim from the bay, the hot pools are pleasant rather than punishing, and prices drop from mid-September.

July and August are the busiest months on Ischia. Book a spot online if you want shade or a particular terrace.

Rainy days are not wasted. Two pools are indoors and two outdoor pools have rain covers.

Where to stay nearby

• Hotel Oasi is inside the park and opens on the same dates. Guests have the pools on the doorstep. Ask the hotel for rates ([email protected]).
• Ischia Porto, 2 km away, has the widest choice of hotels, restaurants and ferry links.
• Casamicciola Terme and Lacco Ameno, just west, are quieter and have their own thermal hotels.

Most hotels on Ischia close in winter too, so check dates before booking a shoulder-season trip.

Safety notes

• Heat: the hottest pools reach 104°F40°C. Keep soaks short, drink water and get out if you feel lightheaded.
• Footing: the park is terraced and wet. Walk, do not run, and wear sandals on stairs and paths.
• Sun: a lot of the park is open to the sky. Book an umbrella spot in summer.
• Children: keep under-12s to the two pools they are allowed in.

Nearby stops worth adding

Ischia has several other thermal sites worth combining with Castiglione. On the south side of the island, Fonte delle Ninfe Nitrodi in Barano is a garden built around a 82°F28°C spring where you shower rather than soak. Down on Maronti beach, Terme di Cavascura has baths cut into a tuff ravine that has been used since Roman times. For another big thermal garden, compare Giardini Poseidon at Forio or Negombo at Lacco Ameno. If you want a free soak, Sorgeto Bay has hot water bubbling into the sea.