Procida, Naples

Procida is the smallest island in the Bay of Naples, and despite its location just a 40 minute hydrofoil ride from Naples, it receives nowhere near as many foreign tourists as the neighbouring islands of Capri and Ischia. On this tiny island you will find pastel-coloured fishing villages, black sand beaches, and a maze of narrow winding streets. The island is completely of volcanic origin, born from the eruptions of at least four different volcanoes (datable between 55000 and 17000 years ago), today completely extinct and largely submerged. In terms of formation and morphology, the island of Procida is therefore very close to the Campi Flegrei area, of which it is geologically part. The island is in fact made up mainly of yellow tuff and the rest of gray tuff, with traces of other volcanic materials such as basalts.

The best time to visit Procida is in late spring (May to mid-June) or early autumn (September to mid-October) – the weather is mild and not too hot.

The regular ferries from Naples make of Procida a good destination for a one day trip (even better, for a weekend or even for a week of relax). The best way to get around Procida is on foot and the island is so small (just 3,7 km²) that you could walk it entirely in just two days, and there is plenty to see and do in that time.

Why the houses in Procida are so coloured?

Bright colours cover the buildings lining the Port of Corricella on Procida island. It is said that fishermen painted their houses in different colours so they could identify them from the sea.

Which films did Procida set the scene for?

Procida has been chosen as a film set for several films (more than 30 movies) including The Postman and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Procida was also the site of filming for scenes in Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Specifically, the harbor of Procida was shown in scenes related to Cleopatra’s barge, where it was intended to represent the harbor of the ancient city of Tarsus in Asia Minor. In anachronistic Hollywood fashion, the baroque dome of the church in Procida can be seen in the background as the golden Egyptian barge of Cleopatra is docking in the port.

General informations

Useful information for your visit to Procida.

Location

Procida is one of the Flegrean Islands off the coast of Naples and it is located between Cape Miseno and the island of Ischia. Its tiny satellite is Vivara. Vivara flanks Procida to the south-west and is connected to it by a bridge.