Tucked away in a tiny elbow of San Montano Bay, the Negombo Thermal Spa is one of several dozen volcanic thermal baths that dot the enchanting island of Ischia. On our second visit there, this time together with a small group of our Ischia Sailing School participants, we luxuriated in warm, hot, scalding and freezing pools, the dozen or so whimsical watering holes scattered across this unique park with its naturalistic, fantasy-like setting. Our group came to sail, but their morning at Negombo was one that they will never forget.

Negombo is one of the two most popular thermal spas on the island, the other being the Greco-Roman, classically styled Poseidon. In contrast to Poseidon’s manmade feel, Negombo seems as though it grew from the steep cliffs, its fantastical grottoes, Easter Island like stone fountains and its natural looking pools shrouded in wild, yet subtly managed vegetation. Sightlines are restricted, making you feel alone even when the park is jammed to capacity.

On our second morning on Ischia the park was anything but jammed. Arriving just after opening time, we were able to score pool chairs around one of the more traditional pools, an enormous irregularly shaped pool with water heated to near 90 degrees. We set up camp on one corner of the pool, practically proclaiming it an American colony and set off to explore the specialty pools.

First stop was the pool of fountains, a large rectangular pool filled just below knee level, with towering obelisks spilling water from above in noisy, splashy streams. The warm water was perfect for massaging tired muscles, the gravity and sheer mass of the water pummeling knotted tissue into submission.

Just up the hill from the fountains was a series of interconnected ponds built into the side of the cliff, offering an amazing view of San Montano Bay below and, just off in the distance our hotel, the Mezzatorre. It was here on our previous visit that I learned first hand of Italian’s lack of issues with personal space, an aged woman in a bikini practically sitting in my lap in the pool, talking to no one in particular about the “perfect relax.” We were spared her and most everyone elses’ company this day, but her message remained spot on.

The next phase was my favorite, a series of pools, chambers and crannies all supplied by a natural hot spring, the source of this one apparently close to some underground volcanic activity given the scalding water it produced. Here, boiling water trickled out of the spring and ran down a stone trough, releasing steam in a dark tunnel lit only at the end by a small opening to the outside. Other pools were filled with that steamy water, including a large manmade pool just inside the cave opening and a small bottomless pool hewn out of and enclosed by the walls of the cave. At this point Negombo was not just soothing the body, but relaxing the mind.

We then worked our way down hill to a double pool, the first framed by a small waterfall and filled with warm water. The adjoining pool was a small plunge pool filled with icy water. After a very brief plunge in the frigid water one races to the warm water, the shock to the system jumpstarting your circulatory system and releasing tension (just as the ice plunge released an involuntary cry for help).

Another hot-cold pool awaited. The Kneipp bath was a Japanese-garden looking affair, with two long, narrow, shallow segments laid side by side, separated by a stone wall with a slit of an opening at belly button level. The floor of each pool, both of which were filled to knee height, was covered with small rounded stones which must assist the circulation in your feet as you slowly march over those stones from one end of the pool to the other, emerging to change direction in the opposite pool. Meanwhile, the change of temperature from the alternating hot and cold circuits seems to shock your legs into increased circulation. Not really my cup of tea (walking on rocks while carrying around the remains of decades of too much pasta on my generous hips is not the most comfortable proposition around), the peaceful architecture of the Kneipp pool is its own reward.

There are other specialty pools at Negombo – traditional hot tubs, hot showers, swimming pools – as well as a restaurant, snack bars and a lovely if somewhat crowded sandy beach, all of which our group enjoyed. But alas, we were on Ischia to sail and so our morning odyssey at this odd seaside spa would have to be cut short. But later that day and throughout the week as we sailed past San Montano Bay it was clear to see and easy to see why our group’s thoughts couldn’t help but wander back to our enchanting visit to Negombo.

Ci vediamo!
Bill and Suzy