Ferry Naples-Ischia, Porta di Massa

There are several ways to get to Ischia from Naples. The most famous and fastest (and most expensive) - on a high-speed motor ship, it goes about an hour and costs about 20 euros. They depart from the docks of Molo Beverello, which is located next to the New Fortress. But I was in no hurry, so I chose the second option - I went to the island by car ferry from the Port di Massa (Calata Porta di Massa), located on the other side of the Sea station. There is another option - from Pozzuoli there are car ferries to Ischia Porto and Casamicciola.

Caremar operates on the Naples-Ischia line (caremar.it) and Medmar (medmargroup.it). On their websites, you can check the schedule and buy tickets in advance, but this will cost you more than at the box office. For a passenger seat in the spring of 2015, they charged 4 euros for online booking, and for a car, of course, there will be more. I think this is relevant for the high season, but in early April I arrived about 30 minutes before departure, and without any queue I bought a ticket (11 euros with kopecks). My Medmar ferry Rosa D'abundo was already parked at the pier with an open landing ramp, but there were no passengers or cars in sight.

About 10 minutes before departure, boarding began and I boarded. The first thing I did was climb to the topmost deck to take in the view of the harbor.

On the starboard side are large ferries of the company Tirrenia, operating long-distance flights to Sicily and Sardinia.

To the left are the Caremar berths, where smaller vessels that circulate in the Gulf of Naples are moored.

Behind Koroma are former port warehouses, now they house offices and warehouses of various trade and transport companies.

Then I went down to the saloon, which was completely empty. There are four hundred passengers in the cabin, but my fellow passengers on this trip were only twenty people and not one car.

I wasn't going to sit here, but I checked the comfort of the seats. The distance between the rows was quite comfortable - you can easily stretch your legs. A buffet with coffee and other beverages is available for passengers.

There is a small gambling area behind the buffet, where half a dozen "one-armed bandits"stand. Someone has already decided to try their luck.

Then I went back to the upper deck and watched the fortress of St. Elmo, which dominated the city, through a telephoto lens, while I waited for departure. It is almost impossible to see it from the streets of the city.

Just astern, the dome of the Basilica Santuario del Gesù Vecchio, covered with bright ceramic tiles, attracts attention. By the way, it is also impossible to see it from the ground, and many people do not even suspect its existence. Maybe that's why it has a ball with a lightning protection needle instead of a cross.

To the right of the dome above the roofs, you can see a bronze bas-relief on the pediment of the Friedrich II University.

Then I turned the lens to the modern office buildings on Via Nuova Marina.

Towards the market square stands a white hotel building, the upper part of which resembles a boiler house or power plant of the early 20th century.

While I was looking at the panorama of Naples, an airliner passed over the historic center of the city. Don't worry, it's the same plane, just two frames glued together by Hugin. Although the traffic is certainly very heavy, planes land every 30 to 40 seconds.

Finally, the ferry started its journey. I didn't check my watch, but it looks like the departure was without delay, which is rumored to be not the norm in Italy, especially in the South.

Ahead of us is a small but very impressive cruise on the Bay of Naples. Read about what I saw there in the following articles.