Marina di Chiaiolella and the Vivara footbridge

Chiaiolella sits at the south-west end of Procida, about twenty minutes on foot from Marina Grande or a short bus ride, and it is where the island exhales. The harbour is a near-circular basin — the flooded crater of an old volcanic vent — ringed with low buildings, small boats and a handful of bars, with the long sand of Ciraccio and Ciracciello running away to the north.

What makes it worth the walk is the view west. A footbridge crosses from the harbour to Vivara, a crescent-shaped islet covered in dense scrub and holm oak that is a protected reserve; access onto Vivara itself is restricted and managed, but the bridge and the shore below give you the shape of it against the water, with Ischia beyond on a clear day.

This is the sunset end of Procida. The harbour and the bridge both face roughly west, so the last hour puts the sun behind Vivara and turns the boats and the bridge railings into silhouettes over lit water — the exact opposite of the morning colour work at Corricella.

The beaches here are dark volcanic sand and the shore is exposed, so a windy day feels windier than it does on the harbour side. In winter most of the bars close and the whole marina goes quiet, which for photographs is not a loss.