In short… A fourth-generation, family-owned resort renowned for its ancient, spring-fed thermal spa and flavorful, inventive Ischian cuisine.
The surroundings… The San Montano Resort and Spa, run by fourth-generation family owners, sits atop Monte Vico on the island of Ischia, overlooking both the Gulf of Naples and the Bay of San Montano. Built in a 1970s postmodern style, the gleaming white building is ensconced amidst seven acres of flora, with a view down to a private beach cove. The guest rooms are scattered between 11 thermal seawater pools, and fragrant lavender, bay, lemon and wisteria trees scent the air.
The vibe… San Montano feels like a serene and sprawling village. Each area where one dines, swims, relaxes or spas is tucked within its own corner of the hotel, lending a feeling of privacy within the lush and wild Mediterranean landscape.
The rooms… Bougainvillea-lined trellised walls separate the most exclusive rooms, some with private infinity pools. A tasteful, eclectic design incorporates various elements of Italian artistry, from contrasting tile patterns and modernist paintings to vintage furniture that creates a stylish blue-and-white Mediterranean energy. Comfortable beds, crisp white linens, showers and Aqua de Parma bath amenities feel luxuriously pampering.
The wellness… It’s hard to imagine a more unique spa experience. The Ocean View Spa offers treatments that range from traditional thermalism incorporating spring water and mud—whose therapeutic effects have been renowned since Roman times—to various well-being therapies with water fed from the Nitrodi Spring, the oldest spa in the world, sacred to Apollo and Nitrodes nymphs.
The food & drink… An arrival Lemontano drink sets the tone, featuring lemon juice from the 400 fruit trees that dot the property, stevia sweetener and mineral water. If you never left the property, you’d still eat the finest of Ischian produce, prepared impeccably. All three options for on-site dining have jaw-dropping views over the sea. The lunch restaurant, Franco’s, offers fresh salads and classic pizza options. I loved the expertly grilled fresh octopus, sea bream and prawns. The poster-child dish of these regions, spaghetti alla vongole, tasted like the ultimate expression of place here: perfect al dente noodles, tangy buttery sauce, and tiny briny clams bursting with every bite.
At the Sunset Bar, an icy, round-bowled glass of Aperol spritz sipped at sunset while listening to lilting piano music, is an ideal gateway to dinner.
Dinner at La Veranda: my final day culminated in one exceptional meal starting with the lobster panzanella—lobster, tender potato cubes, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, tropea onions, little toasted bread cubes. This is a totally inventive interpretation of a classic dish, the whole epitomizing the textural contrasts of this preparation. For the pasta course, I chose spaghettoni di gragnano—olive oil, garlic, red chili pepper, and lemon-flavored croutons topped with small raw shrimp. A slight spice, silky lemony texture of the sauce, culminating with the bracing flavor of an impeccably fresh local prawn, plucked from the sea below, was extraordinary.
As a main course, tuna from the Tyrannian Sea was a natural choice; seared and perfectly rare tuna placed on top of tomato gazpacho dolloped with buffalo mozzarella. The unexpected superstar ingredient that tied the whole dish together was the local friggitelli green peppers and croutons. Here the Italian adage prohibiting fish and cheese is thrown out the window.
Be sure to… Eat a meal of rabbit, an Ischian island specialty, cooked at the San Montano in a ragu, but also served in many spots around the island. Yes, it tastes like chicken, but it’s the most delicious, chickeny chicken imaginable. It is the cacciatore-style progenitor!
Drink the local white wine called Biancolella and visit the Crateca garden vineyard winery located nearby on the fertile terrain of an ancient crater.
And book your ferry from Naples to Ischia into the port of Casamicciola. There are two options, and this one is a short 10-minute drive from the hotel.
Parting words… The San Montano in Ischia feels today like an exclusive luxury hotel in Capri 30 years ago, before it was overrun with summering hordes.
Date of stay… June 29, 2024
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