Atop Ischia's Monte Vico, just above the village of Lacco Ameno, sits the elegant San Montano Resort & Spa, revived by the De Siano family in 2008 and polished anew in 2025 alongside its induction into Relais & Châteaux — the first on the island. Seven acres of lemon groves, lavender and bay scatter down to a private cove, with eleven thermal pools dotted between them and sweeping views over the marina to Mount Vesuvius. Combined with inimitable hospitality and a location away from the crowds, it really does feel like its own little slice of heaven.
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Recently reimagined by the designers behind the family's Amalfi Coast showpiece, Borgo Santandrea, the interiors draw inspiration from post-war Italian masters like Gio Ponti. Think deep Mediterranean blue, terracotta floors, and plenty of raffia and thick linens. There are four places to eat and drink: La Veranda for refined Ischian dinners (lobster panzanella and ravioli with rabbit ragù), Franco's for terrace lunches and wood-fired pizzas, Acropoli for poolside bites, and the Sunset Bar for aperitivo with twinkling live piano or harp music. The Ocean Blue spa was Ischia's first with a sea view – and it's sublime.
The rooms and suites are adorned in deep, unmistakably Mediterranean blues paired with marble, terracotta and custom pieces from local artisans. All suites come with either a private pool or jacuzzi: the Amalfi Sunrise has an infinity pool facing Vesuvius, while the Ischia Sunset has a more intimate jacuzzi-for-two. The real showpiece, however, is the two-bedroom Lighthouse Suite. Housed in a former military lighthouse at the highest point of the property, it has a staggering 800 square metres of garden, a private pool, and 360-degree views across the Gulf of Naples.
Days revolve around the thermal pools, the beach cove (a short shuttle ride down) and the spa's volcanic mud wraps. Beyond the gates, take one of the hotel's speedboats in search of quiet coves, hike Monte Epomeo for views across to Capri, or head east to the Aragonese Castle, a medieval island-fortress linked to Ischia by a stone causeway. And do set aside an afternoon for a wine tasting: the indigenous Biancolella and Forastera grapes have been tended here for nearly three millennia.
The Lemontano welcome drink — fresh-pressed juice from the 400 lemon trees that grow across the property. Exactly what you want to start your holiday!
Book dinner at Franco's over La Veranda at least once. The terrace overlooks the bay of Negombo and the Neapolitan pizzas are fabulous. But if island rabbit ragu is on the menu, go for it...
Built into the hillside and spread across several levels, there's a fair amount of walking (and some stairs) between the pools, spa and restaurants.
A tiny island with a big following of those in the know.
