Pianta & Pietra Design: Negombo Thermal Gardens, Italy

In the bay of Naples near the famous island of Capri is the volcanic island of Ischia. Since the time of the Greeks people have been going there for its thermal restorative water that can be reached by drilling down pretty much anywhere on the island. There are so many thermal spas on the island, I doubt you could find such a high concentration anywhere else in the world. It is one of my favorite places to go in Italy and while you will find many European and Italian vacationers, you would be hard pressed to find an American as it is pretty well off the radar of all the big tour operators. While there are plenty of interesting cultural sites on the island the real draw is the thermal water. Everyone who goes there is there to relax and soak in the waters.
My favorite of the thermal hot springs spas is Negombo thermal gardens. It is a beautifully designed landscape of pools terraced into the walls of an entire bay with its own beach. They use a lot of the classic Italian garden plants, with new additions from the southern hemisphere to modernize the mix. The plantings are done in a more naturalistic manner than classic Italian gardens too and this also makes it feel a bit updated and blend more seamlessly with the still naturalized areas of the surrounding hills.