Maddalena Trail (Sentiero della Maddalena)

The route at a glance

The Sentiero della Maddalena (Maddalena Trail) is one of the best-known hiking routes on the island of Ischia and one of the most representative in Casamicciola Terme. It starts in the Castiglione area, near the Castiglione Thermal Park, enters the Bosco della Maddalena (Maddalena Wood), climbs Monte Rotaro, skirts the Fondo d'Oglio crater and, through the Fondo Ferraro area, descends to the Fiaiano pine wood, a village in Barano d'Ischia.

It is a linear hike: it starts and finishes in two different places, both well served by public buses. The fact sheets for guided hikes on the island give a distance of 7–7.5 km, an ascent of about 150 metres and a descent of about 200, a maximum altitude of 265 metres and a duration of 3–4 hours including stops. The difficulty is graded between T/E and E, i.e. a hiking route: there are no exposed sections, but you need a basic level of fitness and suitable footwear.

Stages and what to see

The Bosco della Maddalena

The first stretch climbs through pines planted by Italy's State Forestry Corps between the 1930s and 1950s and the holm oaks of the wood's older section. The undergrowth is Mediterranean scrub: strawberry tree, myrtle, mastic, heather and broom.

Monte Rotaro and the Fondo d'Oglio crater

The trail climbs the Rotaro, which INGV's Vesuvius Observatory describes as a polygenetic volcanic centre formed over the last ten thousand years by at least nine eruptions. You walk along the rim of the Fondo d'Oglio crater, a wooded hollow created by Strombolian activity that partly demolished an earlier lava dome. From the more open points you can see the port of Ischia, the Aragonese Castle, Procida and, on clear days, Vivara and Capo Miseno.

The fumaroles

Along the ridge you will come across the Monte Rotaro fumaroles, small emissions of hot steam. Around them grows the fumarole papyrus (Cyperus polystachyos), a tropical plant that survives on Ischia thanks to the warm, humid microclimate created by the steam.

Fondo Ferraro and the Fiaiano pine wood

On the last stretch you enter the territory of the Montagnone-Maschiata volcanic complex: INGV attributes the Fondo Ferraro lava flows to its final phase. The trail ends in the Fiaiano pine wood, which grows on more recent lavas linked to the island's last eruption, that of the Arso in 1302.

Getting there and back

The starting point, at Castiglione, is on the coastal main road between Ischia Porto and Casamicciola, served by public buses; from here, take Via Bosco della Maddalena. At the finish, in Fiaiano, there is a bus terminus with services back towards Ischia Porto and then on to Casamicciola. If you prefer a shorter out-and-back walk, you can climb to the Fondo d'Oglio crater and return the same way.

Guided hikes

The trail often features in the programmes of hikes led by the island's guides and associations, such as the “Andar per sentieri” series promoted with the Amici del Maio. Dates, meeting points and prices change from year to year, so check directly with the organisers.

Safety tips

• Wear hiking boots with grippy soles: the ground is earth, lapilli and roots.
• Bring enough water: there are no drinking fountains along the route.
• Spring and autumn are best; in summer, set off early in the morning.
• Do not leave the path near the fumaroles, where the ground can be hot.
• After heavy rain some stretches may be slippery: check conditions before setting out.