Naples & The Pontine Islands

Ladies Who Lit X Nautica Collective

Indulge in literary bliss at our exclusive reading retreat, where leisure meets literature, and like-minded women come together for a celebration of words.

Join us solo, or better yet, come with your best friend, sister or another incredible woman in your life for a weekend retreat that blends relaxation, literature, and laughter.

Location

Italy's Pontine Islands

Designed exclusively for the Ladies Who Lit community, this 8-day luxury sailing experience explores a slow-sailing loop through the pastel ports and story-soaked shores of Italy’s Pontine Islands.

From Naples’ faded grandeur to Procida’s painted houses, from Ischia’s thermal gardens to Ponza’s hidden coves, this is a voyage for readers, writers, and dreamers.

Inspired by the world of Ferrante’s Naples — where beauty and chaos intertwine — it’s a week of long lunches, sea-salted pages, and conversations that drift from books to life beneath the Mediterranean sun.

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Itinerary

Day One - Naples to Procida

Naples greets you with its wild charm - strong coffee, ancient streets, and the hum of a city steeped in stories. Step aboard in the afternoon, meeting your crew as the city fades into gold. Sail across the bay toward Procida, the
tiniest of the Neapolitan islands, painted in sunset pastels. Aperitivo on deck, then a long, slow dinner of Campanian flavours under golden light and soft conversation - the first pages of your story together.

Day Two - Procida to Ischia

Wake to sea breeze and espresso as the pastel harbour drifts by. A short sail carries you to Ischia’s golden shores - lush, volcanic, and alive with quiet beauty. Spend the afternoon soaking at Eden Gardens, where thermal pools spill into the sea and time melts away. Return to the yacht for a seafood supper paired with crisp Biancolella wine, pages open on deck as dusk settles over the bay.

Day Three - Ischia (no sail)

A day to linger. Slow breakfast, morning pages, a reading circle beneath the canopy. Visit Casa D’Ambra - vines curling over volcanic slopes, mineral-rich whites poured among the terraces. Later, slip into Negombo’s thermal springs, surrendering to the stillness of island life. Evening brings a light al fresco supper, laughter mingling with sea air and the quiet joy of shared stories.

Day Four - Ischia to Ventotene

Hoist the sails westward, pausing mid-sea for a swim in endless blue. Arrive in Ventotene - a speck of volcanic rock steeped in Roman whispers and slow rhythms. Wander cobbled lanes and sip local wine in the piazza before returning onboard. Dinner is rustic and soulful, a meal that feels like a love letter to old Italy, then stroll the harbour for a final digestivo.

Day Five - Ventotene to Ponza

Morning light fills the sails as you glide toward Ponza - limestone cliffs rising from turquoise water. Anchor in Cala Feola, dive into the shallows, and linger over a deck lunch of grilled vegetables, olives, and island cheese. Afternoon is for reading, journaling, or simply floating in the quiet. As night falls, the harbour hums with music; dinner unfolds under the stars, prosecco flowing as laughter fills the air.

Day Six - Ponza (no sail)

A day for slow discovery. Stroll Ponza’s pastel streets, browse the harbour markets, and gather local produce for lunch. Tomatoes warm from the sun, herbs from the stalls, fresh bread still fragrant - shared over a long, lazy meal onboard. As the sun dips low, gather for an evening reading or reflection, stories mingling with sea breeze. Dinner ashore at a buzzing
trattoria, a toast to friendship, freedom, and Ferrante’s Italy.

Day Seven - Ponza to Palmarola to Ischia

Sail early to Palmarola - wild, uninhabited, impossibly blue. Swim through hidden caves, explore quiet coves, share a picnic-style BBQ on deck. The sails turn east by afternoon as you trace your way back toward Ischia. Your final night is a sunset celebration - one group table, candlelight, sea air, and stories that will live long after you return home.

Day eight - Ischia to Naples

Coffee on deck, the skyline of Naples rising ahead - chaotic, cinematic, alive. Reflect on the week’s chapters: salt-streaked hair, laughter, late-night spritzes, and new friendships forged at sea. Disembark sun-kissed and restored, carrying a little of the Pontine magic - and maybe a few new stories - home with you.