Marina di Campo – Lacona – Marina di Campo
Calendar 2018: dates on request
Price: adults € 50
Difficulty level: medium
Duration: 5 hours
Distance: km 16
Interest: photographic, geological, naturalistic
The departure is from Marina di Campo beach. We head towards the left side of the gulf, characterized by granite rocks and orthoclase, then continue to flank between the coast and the islet of Porto Caccamo. Sea kayaking allows us to pass among emerging rocks, giving us the chance to enjoy beautiful colours and scents. Continuing you reach the enchanting Ischia cove and its two small pebble beaches set among pinkish granite rocks. We then get to “Rota” where a series of small inlets carved into the black rock tempt us to stop for a first swim.
We cross the Gulf of Fonza, then round Priolo point, through which, with a suggestive passage among rocks, we reach Longio, a spot characterized by very white granite rocks enhancing the turquoise sea colour. An overlooking “Valle dei re” evokes archaic legends from the island’s past.
This area being particularly full of fish, in fact, it is likely to see small specimens flipping over the sea surface to escape predators.
Rounded Punta Mete and left on our right Triglia rock, we reach Ripa Nera first, then Cala al Fico and its distinguishing beautiful crystals of calcite embedded in sheer rocks on the edge of the sea, we then arrive at ‘Grotta dell’Acqua’: a small cave with a source of fresh water in it, popular among seabirds that use it to quench their thirst. Silence and the canoes compact size, enable you to enter this cave and observe animals that with spectacular aerobatics manage to get in it.
A few hundred meters from this cave, is “Secca delle Coralline”, a huge granite column vertically submerged 70 meters underwater. Once rounded the Coralline, we head up towards Lacona, a stretch of sea particularly transparent and rich in marine life, where you can often spot shags fishing; these elegant seabirds similar to cormorants have the peculiarity of catching fish by diving underwater, sometimes even at considerable depths.
A charming little beach hidden among the rocks, inaccessible to boats and rafts, is the ideal landing place for our canoes, here beside swimming, you can just rest in the shade of the cosy cave nearby.
Once left this small Paradise beach, we sail along Cala degli lnferno, home to one of the largest seagulls colonies of the island; this stretch with its poseidonia seabed is also the ideal habitat for redfish, octopuses and moray eels. We round Punta della Contessa, behind which, stand two WWII military outposts. After stopping at Lacona beach for a swim, we take to the sea again to head back to Marina di Campo.