I spent a long Easter weekend in Naples. We were searching for the perfect day trip. I was hoping to visit Ischia, had little interest in Pompeii and had already visited Capri and Sorrento, as well as the rest of the Amalfi Coast a few years back. That’s when we found Procida. Procida is the absolute perfect pastel fishing island off the coast of Naples. Less popular than it’s sister islands Capri and Ischia, Procida has all the charm, without all the glitz, glam and tourists. Here’s how to spend one day in Procida, Italy.

The ferry from Naples to Procida

The ferry from Naples costs about $40 per person roundtrip. In the high season, it’s recommended to book in advance. If you book in advance online there is a service fee, but it tends to be worth it to avoid the crowds at the port. We decided to book a one-way journey so that we had more flexibility when we returned. There are multiple ferry companies, so if you do it this way you can hop on whichever departs back to Naples next. 

The Procida website gives the best information. 

How to spend one day in Procida, Italy

Procida is the perfect island to visit in one day. The island is only about 1.5 m² (or 4 km², so you can easily walk or bike the entire island in a day. You can also take the public bus or a taxi from town to town if you prefer. We decided to walk. 

When to go to Procida

I recommend departing from Naples early in the morning. We took the 8:55 am ferry and arrived in Procida just before 10 am. At this hour, the streets were quiet and some of the cafes were beginning to open. I loved being able to explore the villages before more tourists arrived. 

Marina Grande

First up, Marina Grande. Marina Grande is where the ferry drops you off. From here, you can get an energy boost with an espresso at one of the many cafes. Then, walk out to one of the docks to get a good view of Marina Grande from the water.

Terra Murata

From Marina Grande, go up Via Principe Umberto to Piazza dei Martiri. Here you’ll find a church, Santa Maria delle Grazie, where you can continue to climb past towards Belvedere dei Cannoni. On the journey up you’ll want to stop to admire the pastel Marina Corricella below. From the top you’ll get the best viewpoint. So don’t stress too much. 

At the top, you’ll arrive at Terra Murata. Terra Murata is the highest point on the island. From here you can continue on to visit the Palazzo D’Avalos – a former palace turned prison. We decided to skip going inside, but this history sounds fascinating! 

Instead, we ducked into an Easter Sunday mass at church, met a local Procidian man who told us he preferred the view up a lady’s skirt to any of the panoramas he could see at his home, Terra Murata, and continued onto the viewpoint overlooking the other side of the island, Punta dei Monaci. 

Marina Corricella

We descended back the way we came towards the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. There are many arrows pointing towards narrow staircases that lead down to Marina Corricella and the sea. We chose the first one. 

The views from the staircase were some of my favorite. The Marina Corricella was quiet, early morning on Easter Sunday. A few of the cafes and restaurants were beginning to set up for Sunday lunch. The fishing nets were left untouched crowding the edge of the sea. 

We decided to take an espresso here before continuing our walk around Procida. 

Spiaggia Chiaia

Next, we continued on the port to the far end past a bar called Blu, and took the stairs up. We turned left to follow Via Marcello Scotti along the sea. At some point there was a sign pointing to the left towards Spiaggia Chiaia (the Chiaia Beach). We followed this to the beach. 

The Spiaggia Chiaia was empty, apart from a young family also enjoying the rough waves and black sand. On the day we were there it was very windy on this side of the island. We decided to walk along the beach towards the next staircase. Jumping the crashing waves and timing the tides just right. There is a pink building you can see in the distance, and an old dock. The staircase is just there. 

Belvedere Elsa Morante

From there we continued left again, along the road towards Belvedere Elsa Morante. This is a great viewpoint of the entire coastline. From here, you can continue to Punta Pizzaco, on the tip of the island, or follow Via Alcide De Gasperi to arrive at Marina Chiaiolella. 

Marina Chiaiolella

At the end of Via Alcide De Gasperi we took a quick right then a left to Via Rivoli. At the end of Via Rivoli we turned right on Via Giovanni da Procida to arrive at Marina Chiaiolella. Here you’ll find a lively marina, with a few restaurants, bars and what felt like hundreds of boats. I was shocked by the amount of boats on Procida. It seems like they might have more boats than people. 

You can choose to enjoy lunch or a spritz at one of the few bars, or continue on the road towards Spiaggia della Chiaiolella. 

Spiaggia della Chiaiolella

The beach here runs straight along the road. It’s more easily accessible than the Sipaggia Chiaia, but also less romantic. We stopped at Il Casotto Take Away, a roadside stop for take away lunch and snacks by the sea. Mike ordered a sandwich filled with eggplant parmigiana and meatballs. We ate it with the others by the seawall. Here you’ll also find some beachside restaurants where you can enjoy a leisurely lunch.

Instead, we chose to walk back to Marina Corricella and have a lengthy lunch there. 

L’olmo

We followed the road along the beach and cut back into the main road, Via Giovanni da Procida. We followed this pretty much all the way back. Note, this is a busier street, so be sure to stay to the side of the road. You can also take the bus from here back to the other side of the island. There are bus stops every few minutes or so. The bus is the L1 or L2. 

About 20 minutes in, you’ll arrive at a town called L’olmo. On Easter Sunday L’olmo was lively with families and churchgoers. We passed through to Via Marcello Scotti and passed down the same staircase we had come up to arrive back at Marina Corricella. 

Marina Corricella for lunch

We chose one of the marina restaurants to have lunch at. The marina was now very crowded with Italian families and tourists enjoying Easter Sunday. We probably should have booked a table in advance. Luckily, we snagged a spot at Ristorante II Maestrale. Honestly, we weren’t very impressed by the food or the service. Our favorite dish was the linguini alle vongole (linguini with clams). I would recommend trying an alternative restaurant if you can. 

I hear La Lampara has the best views and great seafood, though a bit pricier than the others. Reservations are highly encouraged. 

Back to Naples from Procida

After lunch, we took a different path up from the marina and headed back to Marina Grande to buy our ferry tickets back to Naples. We took the 4:05pm ferry and were back in Naples just in time for a pre-dinner nap. 

If you’re looking for more tips on Procida, the island has a great website. There are plenty more beaches and areas to explore, especially if you have more than one day in Procida.