Bosco del Cretaio (Cretaio Wood)

Where the Cretaio is

The name Cretaio refers to the high, inland part of Casamicciola Terme's territory, on the side of Monte Rotaro facing Barano d'Ischia. For many islanders Cretaio, Rotaro and Bosco della Maddalena are almost synonyms, because they refer to the same large wooded hill seen from different sides: to the north the wood runs down towards Castiglione and the sea, to the south it overlooks the Barano countryside, towards the Selva del Napoletano, Monte Trippodi and Piano San Paolo; to the east it borders the Montagnone.

The locality bearing this name, which also has a bus stop and the provincial road, lies partly within the municipality of Barano. The wood itself, reached from Casamicciola's Via Cretaio, is the upper side of the Bosco della Maddalena.

A name linked to volcanoes

Local guides link the name Cretaio to “clayey” (cretoso) soil and, together with the word “cratere” (crater), also trace the origin of the name Rotaro to it. What is certain is that the place name has entered volcanologists' vocabulary: INGV's Vesuvius Observatory calls the deposits of one of the eruptions of the Montagnone-Maschiata complex the “Cretaio Pyroclastics”; dated to about 1,900 years ago, it is considered the most energetic eruption of that group of eruptive centres. Shortly before, another eruption of the same complex had built a small tuff ring north-east of the Cretaio.

Next to it lies the Fondo d'Oglio crater, one of the craters of the Rotaro complex, now entirely covered by vegetation and a few minutes' walk from the upper edge of the wood.

The wood: pines, holm oaks and chestnuts

Between the 1930s and 1950s Italy's State Forestry Corps reforested the Rotaro and Cretaio hills, planting mainly pines, together with holm oaks and chestnuts. The pines, all the same age and densely planted, grew tall and slender in search of light; this is why the undergrowth is less dense than in other woods on the island, with rock rose, ivy, broom, mastic and strawberry tree. In the cooler areas holm oaks and chestnuts predominate, while Mediterranean scrub returns on the sun-exposed slopes.

Near the fumaroles grows the rare fumarole papyrus (Cyperus polystachyos), a plant that depends on the warm, humid microclimate created by steam rising from below ground.

How to get there

From the centre of Casamicciola you can drive to the Cretaio by climbing from Piazza Marina along Corso Luigi Manzi and Via Monte della Misericordia, then Via Cretaio. The roads are passable by car but narrow; near the wood, leave the car and continue on foot. Alternatively, you can enter the wood from below, at the Castiglione entrance, and walk up the Maddalena Trail.

Things to do

• Walk down into the Fondo d'Oglio crater following its rim, along the Fondo d'Oglio and Montagnone trail.
• Reach the highest points of the pine wood, with views of the port of Ischia and the Aragonese Castle.
• See the Monte Rotaro fumaroles, staying on the trails.
• Stop in the shade: the clearing near the crater is a peaceful spot for a break.

Useful tips

Wear closed shoes with grippy soles: the ground is earth and lapilli, slippery after rain. There are no refreshment points or drinking fountains in the wood. Respect the vegetation and do not light fires: pine woods are particularly at risk of fire in the summer months.