The Castello Aragonese and its causeway

The rock was fortified in antiquity and rebuilt over and over; what stands today is largely the work of Alfonso of Aragon, who in 1441 also had the stone causeway built that still joins it to Ischia. That causeway is the best thing here for a camera: about two hundred metres of open stone with sea on both sides, the town at one end and a fortress filling the frame at the other.

Walk out at first light and it is empty. The castle faces roughly west towards the island, so the early sun lands on Ischia Ponte behind you and the rock stays cool and blue; by late afternoon the light comes over your shoulder and the walls turn warm. Both work, and they are completely different pictures.

Inside, a lift and a stepped tunnel cut through the rock lead up past the church of the Immacolata, a ruined cathedral, terraces of prickly pear and a vine-covered walk, ending at a viewpoint over the whole bay. The paths are stone and often wet in the tunnel section.

The castle is privately run, charges admission and keeps its own opening hours, which shorten in winter. Check the day's hours and any rules on tripods or organised shoots before planning a session inside rather than on the causeway.