Pizzi di Sant'Andrea Trail

In the hills of Serrara Fontana, on the island of Ischia, you'll find a surprising formation, seemingly in contrast with the seaside geology you'd expect. In a natural gorge near Cavascura, a trail leads among other-worldly erosion formations that were sculpted by nature into narrow passages and crevices. The soft stone bears walls of incised and wind-swept "lace". It is a natural hewn masterpiece by Mother Nature in a remote corner of the island.

The trail is an old mule path once linked the higher reaches of the island with the bay of Maronti. You'll pass through native plants to find another world where sculpted columns line up like an impressionist temple. Sometimes called "pizzi bianchi" (white lace) or Pizzi di Sant'Andrea, the formations are found in the near of Capodimonte, in the hamlet of Noia. (There are signs directing you to the trail.) The lunar-like landscape is downhill in a canyon. The trail then continues down past the Cava Scura spa, ending at the Bay of Maronti. You can take a bus to the starting point if you want to walk the entire length, otherwise you'll need to do a roundtrip from Noia to the Pizzi Bianchi and then back.