I have been to many amazing beaches in my life. Thailand, New Zealand, Costa Rica and Mexico are at the top of my "favourite beach" list. And Italy, of course, with its turquoise sea and white sand or rocky beaches in Liguria, Puglia, Sardinia or Sicily. To be honest, the beaches of Procida are not that beautiful. Still, they have a secret, a special atmosphere, which is hard to explain. I list below some of the advantages of Procidan beaches.
- They are local. Most of the year you will only find local people on the beaches: kids playing in the water after school, mothers discussing the gossips of the island.
- They are wild. Narrow beaches with tall rock walls and natural vegetation in the background, plus black sand because of the volcanic activity.
- They are free. A few small sections are private, with a beach bar, sunbeds and sunshades for rent, but most of the beaches are free.
- They are empty, well, almost. In August everything is full with Italian families, but the rest of the year these beaches are very quiet, especially during weekdays.
- The water is warm. We were there at the beginning of June. You could already swim anywhere around the island, but the protected bays were so warm that we could play in the water for hours with my daughter. If fall is nice you can even swim in November.
- They are easy to reach. The sea is all around. The island is so small, that wherever you stay, you can surely walk to a beach in about 15 minutes. If you want, you can visit a different beach every day. Or pick your favourite and keep going back there.
- They are so Italian. Many beaches in Italy are beautiful, but they could be anywhere in the world. Similar beach bars and sunbeds, international icecream brands, people speaking in all languages of the world. But in Procida, you’ll get the unique south italian vibe.
So let me show you the beaches of Procida:
Our favourite: Chiaia
Chiaia beach was the closest one to our apartment, and also the best choice with a small child. You can only reach this beach by boat or on foot, so although it’s beautiful, it’s usually quiet. We stayed at the center of the island, close to Piazza Olmo, from where you need to take a small street to find the flight of steps (appr. 200 stairs), leading down to the beach.
From this part of Chiaia beach you have a full view of Corricella and Terra Murata, so you can enjoy the world-famous view while swimming. If you get hungry, La Conchiglia restaurant is right on the beach. We did not eat there. A family we met on the beach complained that it was expensive, but the overall reviews are good and the location is perfect if you don’t want to go back to town for lunch.
The beach is very long and we preferred the northern part, closer to Corricella. We usually walked on Via Vittorio Emanuele and then walked down the other stairway from Via dei Bagni. This part of the sea is protected by a breakwater and is very shallow and quiet. The sea was so warm already at the beginning of June that we could sit and play in it for hours, like in a bath tub. Wonderful place for small kids. We had some company every day, so my daughter was playing in the sand with local kids, while I was chatting to local moms, learning lots of interesting things about Procidan life.
The view from here is also very nice, you can enjoy the view of Terra Murata and the partial view of Corricella, while you can see the contours of the island of Capri and the Sorrento Peninsula in a distance.
There is a small area around the bar where you can rent sunbeds, but most of the beach is free. We visited the bar several times a day for icecream (my daughter can never have enough), plus they make the best bruschetta with fresh, ripe tomatoes, locally grown basil and olive oil of the region. That was usually our lunch, unless I shopped for picnic lunch at Piazza Olmo. This has become our favourite spot, and although we visited all the other beaches around Procida, we ended up on this beach almost every day.
The only downside of Chiaia beach is that because of the tall rocks behind the beach, the sun goes down early here, so late afternoon you can relax in the shade or you can go over to the western part of the island.
The longest one: Chiaiolella + Ciraccio
This is the longest beach on Procida, on the western side, and probably the most popular one as well. You can easily reach it by car, bus or e-bike. The southern part is called Chiaiolella (or Ciracciello), the northern part is Ciraccio, not easy names to remember. The two parts are divided by the Faraglioni di Procida, two rocks that ended up in the sea because of a landslide. The water is also shallow here, so although this beach is not as protected as Chiaia, it is also safe for swimming. The sun shines here all day long, so you can spend the whole day here relaxing and swimming, and even watch the amazing sunsets over the sea. Some days it can be windy, but the mistral wind actually feels nice on a hot summer day.
There are several establishments on this beach, bars, restaurants, lidos, but most of the beach is free. There is a long lungomare along the sea, so it’s also a nice place for an evening stroll. On the left you can see the small Island of Vivara, connected to Procida mainland by a bridge, and also the Island of Ischia in the background. The water here was much colder than in the protected bay of Chiaia and it was quite windy most days, so while this is the most popular beach on the island, we preferred going back to Chiaia.
The most famous one: Pozzovecchio (Spiaggia del Postino)
The small beach of Pozzovecchio can be found in the western part of the island. You can just walk there, or take the bus to the cemetery and walk down the street from there. Most of the beach is free and you can also get some drinks and snacks from the Annamaria bar. The beach is also called the Spiaggia del Postino, the Beach of the Postman. This beach has become famous as it was one of the locations of the 1994 movie The Postman (Il Postino).
Closest to the ferry: Silurenza
This beach can be found very close to the ferry terminal, just behind the Capitaneria di Porto. You can easily reach it by car or bus, just a few steps from the central bus stop. Families living in Marina Grande will walk down here for an afternoon swim. It’s a good choice if you are spending your day discovering the Marina Grande, shopping, eating or just walking around, and want to go for a quick swim. From this beach you can enjoy the view of the mainland not far away. Most of the beach is free, but you can also rent sunbeds. There is a bar nearby.
Just by the marina: Lingua
This is probably my least favourite beach on the island. If you walk all the way to the end of the Marina di Procida, you will find this small beach there. As the port with all the fishing boats and motorboats is just next to the beach, I’d guess the water is not the cleanest, but that’s just my feeling. It can be a good choice for swimming if you are staying somewhere around the Marina Grande. The beach is free and you’ll find a nice beach bar right at the corner. It’s surely a great place for a drink.
