Naples

NAPLES – WHY GO?

Gateway to the Amalfi coast, Naples is changing its reputation from something of a crime hotspot to become a tourist hotspot offering a wealth of art museums, Italianate squares and narrow lanes criss-crossing the ancient centro storico. Watch out for the motorini (scooters) weaving tirelessly through the traffic.

MUST SEE, MUST DO

Centro Storico
Peer into some of the centuries-old narrow streets leading off Scaccanapoli, which bisects the old centro storico, sit with a cappuccino in one of the cafes around Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, and admire the beautiful interior of the church of San Lorenzo.

Pompeii
Do get a local train out to fascinating Pompeii, whose archaeological remains are a riveting reminder of everyday life in a city destroyed by a devastating eruption from Mount Vesuvius.

Amalfi coast
Naples is the ideal place to begin or end a holiday to the islands or the famous resorts of Amalfi, Positano and Ravello along the Amalfi Coast. Mountainous coastline from the southern end of the Bay of Naples leads to a rocky peninsula that stretches to Sorrento and Capri.

Food and drink
Don't leave town without first sampling a local calzone (stuffed pizza) and a plate of fritto misto, complete with clams, squid and octopus. Naples is the home of pizza and authentic Neapolitan pizzas are made with local tomatoes from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius and buffalo mozzarella from nearby farmland.  

Museums
The city's National Archaeological Museum is packed with mosaics and statues from ancient Pompeii, and if that all sounds a bit dry and dusty, the ancient erotica showcased in the museum's one-room Gabinetto Segreto will add some sauce.

MAKE A DATE

June
Local and international music stars gather for Neopolis, a festival held in a 1930’s arena.

September
Naples' ten-day Pizzafest celebrates the city's most famous dish in every size and flavour.

NAPLES ROMANCE

Enjoy a pizza per due in a charming restaurant in the old town before taking a stroll through the narrow streets.