Viewpoint: Procida

Lying quietly between the Neapolitan mainland and the tourist haven of Ischia, the unspoilt island of Procida is the Bay of Naples’ best-kept secret…

Procida, Campania

With a land area of just four square kilometres and a permanent population of just ten thousand, for most people Procida is just a passing glimpse of land on the way to the hotels and spas of Ischia. Yet for those who do stop here, the reward is a busy yet peaceful little island where the locals live much as they always have: by fishing, boating and welcoming visitors to their little piece of heaven. In high summer its few beaches are full of sun-worshippers, but for the rest of the year you will feel the sense of having discovered a little part of Italy most people would never think to visit. Not that its charms are entirely unknown: The Postman (Il Postino) and The Talented Mr Ripley were both filmed here, giving the island a new tourist attraction: its very own film festival.