I must admit, I wanted to visit Naples for one reason and one reason only. Pompeii! But we’ll get to that later! Following on from Rome was always going to be a tough act. I can’t say that Naples blew me away, but it is the perfect location to base yourself for some incredible day trips. There are various hidden gems below the surface and more importantly, the pizza here is to die for!
Getting there…
Mum and I had booked ourselves onto a train using the Omio app that took us directly from Rome to Naples. This was both cheap and easy and it gave us the opportunity to nosey out the window at the Italian countryside. I would very much recommend trains as a primary mode of transport between destinations in Italy
Where to Stay?
From the train station we were able to walk to our Hotel, Via Ferrata. This was a very secure, very clean and well maintained hotel. The staff were so helpful and friendly and had great recommendations for food throughout the city. I would very much stay here again should I return to Naples.
Now onto the good stuff. What to do!
Duomo
Duomo, or Naples Cathedral is the main church in the city of Naples. It contains a variety of beautiful frescoes and paintings, a crypt and a vial of blood of the late Saint Januarius. The blood is bought out and displayed in the cathedral three times a year (May, September and December) when it by some miracle liquefies. Legend says that if the blood fails to liquefy then the city will be struck by a great disaster.
Napoli Sotterenea
Hidden beneath the streets of Naples lie some of the ancient aqueducts used by the Romans to bring fresh water into the city. Regular guided tours will take you through ancient tunnels re-used as bomb shelters during the war, three separate aqueducts and onto the remains of the old Roman theatre. As the most famous underground tour of the city you will need to queue up in advance to get in, but multiple guides split you into smaller groups so you have a more personal experience. It is well worth taking the time to do this tour!
La Neapolis Sotterenea
La Neapolis Sotterenea is the lesser known underground tour of Naples, located just across the street from Napoli Sotterenea. Following the volcanic eruptions from Mount Vesuvius much of the city of Naples was buried under many metres of ash. The city you see now was built on top, with the remains of previous eras hidden below. Head into the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore to purchase your tickets. A guided tour will take you down into an ancient Roman forum and fish market. Excavations have revealed incredible detail, including the well preserved cobbled streets and mosaic tile flooring. Although you can do this tour by yourself I would highly recommend using the guide to get a deeper understanding of what you are seeing!
Castel del’Ovo and Castel Nuovo
Castel del’Ovo is one of the best sunset viewpoints in the city of Naples. You can explore the castle and learn about its history from exhibits, as well as visit the nearby marinas and restaurants. It is the older of castles in Naples with Castel Nuovo further along the coastline also a tourist attraction. There are a number of sights within the castle walls including the Prisons and various chapels.
Mount Vesuvius
The main reason for my wanting to come to Naples was to visit the ancient city of Pompeii and the volcano which destroyed it, Mount Vesuvius. Following previous good experiences with Viator in Ho Chi Minh with Char, I had no qualms about booking this trip with them. We were picked up from in front of the train station and driven into the Mount Vesuvius National Park. Now dormant, Mount Vesuvius is one of the most famous volcanoes in the world for decimating Pompeii during the eruption of 79AD. The eruption was so large it has now split the volcano into two summits. It used to be double the height it is today!
The climb itself is fairly easy as you only have to do the last few hundred feet. Beautiful views of the coastline await you upon reaching the top. You can also make your way around most of the crater which still produces sulphorous gases.
Pompeii
Once back on the coach we were dropped off nearby the Pompeii arcehological site for some lunch. All of this was included in the price of our excursion and it turned out to be very filling. Our guide met us at the restaurant and led us through to Pompeii itself. She was friendly and informative and really helped us to understand daily life in the city, as well as what happened on the day of the eruption.
The site itself is enormous with so much to see, so I was glad to have a guide that could point things out I would have otherwise missed. The tour included the ampitheatre, the brothel, the high street and the main square, to name a few. It wouldn’t have been a complete tour without getting to see the famous body casts. This was quite a strange experience. It even made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! With the remnants of Mount Vesuvius sat overlooking the city it had once destroyed it was quite surreal.
Amalfi Coast
The port of Naples allows its visitors easy access to the Amalfi coast. For a reasonable price you can easily purchase a ferry ticket to take you out to one of the nearby islands (Capri, Ischia and Procida) or to Sorrento. All of these make for fabulous day trips, or can kick start an island hopping adventure!
Sorrento
Quite spontaneously one morning Mum and I decided we would take a day trip to Sorrento. The ferry took less than an hour and transported us from the bustling city of Naples to relative paradise! We spent our day exploring the town, observing the views from the clifftops and sipping Limoncello down by the sea. You can read more about our day trip here!
Where to eat?
One of the most incredible things about Naples is the pizza. I have never before (or since) had pizza like it! Of all of the incredible pizzerias in the city there were two that stood out. Dal Presidente and Pizzeria Pellone both blew us away. Not only were the pizzas bigger than my head, they were bigger than my torso. Even the calzones came out at quite a size. As if it couldn’t get any better, the pizza tasted amazing too! If you’re visiting Naples you must make sure you visit at least one of these restaurants. You will not be disappointed.
Overall I would have to say that I enjoyed my time in Naples. The many hidden gems around the city made our stay worthwhile!
Have you visited Naples yet? Let me know in the comments!
