5 Best Sights in Procida, Capri, Ischia, and Procida

Perched under the citadel of the Terra Murata which encompasses Palazzo d'Avolos (a 1500s palace turned prison and now cultural center), the Marina Corricella is Procida's most memorable sight. Singled out for the waterfront scenes in Il Postino (The Postman, the 1995 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film), this fishermen's cove is one of the most eye-popping villages in Campania—a rainbow-hued, horizontal version of Positano, comprising hundreds of traditional Mediterranean-style stone houses threaded by numerous scalatinelle (staircase streets).

Within Terra Murata is the Abbazia di San Michele. San Michele (St. Michael) is the island's patron saint and a key figure in its history and traditions. Legend has it that in 1535, when the sultan of Algeria's admiral laid siege to the island, San Michele appeared above the pirate force and put them to flight (the 17th-century painting depicting the scene is in the choir of the abbey's 17th-century church; one of the invaders' anchors can also be viewed). On the wall close to the church's richly coffered ceiling is another depiction of San Michele, attributed to the Tuscan Luigi Garzi (1699). As you walk around the church, note that the floor's marble flagstones have holes, which were, in effect, trapdoors through which bodies could be lowered to the underground crypt. The maze of catacombs (closed indefinitely) lead to a secret chapel. Mass is held every Sunday at 9:30 am, and the cultural association Millennium offers free guided tours by request.

Reopened in 2016 after 14 years, the small crescent-shaped island of Vivara, a terminal segment of a volcanic cone and Carlo III's 18th-century hunting lodge, is today a living museum of natural history with unsullied Mediterranean maquis vegetation. Visitors cross a causeway to a Napoleonic-era fort near the entrance gateway, then follow the path winding up to a cluster of abandoned settlements at the highest point of the island (357 feet above sea level). The main cultural interest lies in the island's rich archaeological finds dating to prehistoric times, especially the Bronze Age, as testified to by a wealth of Mycenaean pottery fragments. It's at its best in springtime, with most of its plants in flower and lots of birds on the move. Admire the dense maquis on either side, growing unchecked for over 50 years, with characteristic plant species like tree heather, strawberry tree, and rockrose, the latter of which sports delicate pink flowers in spring. Although you'll hear birds—especially the blackcap—don't expect to see any of these skulking warblers, except perhaps around the clearing at the center of the island. At migration times, watch for two of the Mediterranean's more exotic-looking summer visitors: the hoopoe, a bird that looks more in keeping with the African savanna, and the bee-eater, with a splash of unusually vivid colors. The only way to visit the island is by taking a guided tour booked in advance through the comune.

The easily distinguishable and now abandoned Palazzo d'Avalos—sometimes called Palazzo Reale or Il Castello—was the 17th-century residence of Innico d'Avalos, cardinal and mayor of Procida. The building was then used as a prison from the 1830s until 1988. Guided tours can be booked through the comune.

The renovated 16th-century ex-convent of Santa Margherita Nuova is perched precariously at the top of a cliff facing the small bay of Corricella; a breathtaking view is guaranteed.