Naples is the gateway to the south of Italy or ‘mezzogiorno’ and offers a completely different atmosphere to even Rome, which is only a couple of hours away. The hustle and bustle of daily life is partly due to the fact that it is a major sea port and the city has therefore grown up around the trades that have made it prosper, but also with the distant shadow of Mount Vesuvius about 5 miles away, but always visible from the city, an element of risk or danger creeps into the psyche of the Neapolitans. Not that the volcano poses a direct danger currently, as it has not erupted since 1946 and none of its eruptions have been as severe as that which smothered Pompeii and Herculaneum back in AD79. The pace of life in Naples is punctuated by the eclectic mix of cars, moped, lorries and livestock all jostling for position on the busy streets. Naples is the perfect place to start or end a tour of the southern coast and is well worth a few days stay. A visit to the Archaeological Museum is an absolute must for anyone planning on visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum, as it houses most of the artefacts salvaged from these sites.
Local highlights
Cultural highlights The Museo Archeologico Nazionale , the Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte and the gallery of the Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte. which has numerous works of art by Perugino, Botticelli, Lippi and Brueghels. The Castle of Sant’Elmo at the top of the hill overlooking the old city of Naples is an impressive 14th Century fortification, still partially in use today. Festivals Naples hosts numerous music festivals and art exhibitions through out the summer months. The city’s Saint, San Gennaro, is celebrated on the first Saturday in May and again in mid September and mid December, when the preserved blood of the saint is said to miraculously liquefy. Being the home of the Margherita Pizza, there is, of course, a Pizza Festival which lasts for ten days in September. Pizza chefs or ‘Pizzaiuoli’ from around Italy congregate in Naples to out wit each other in the perfecting the art of pizza-making! Gastronomy The world renowned Pizza comes from Naples and the local pizzerias serve some of the best tasting pizzas you are likely to ever sample! Locally caught fresh sea food is also superb and does not need to be expensive. Simple, fresh ingredients, particularly tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and large varieties of fruit are grown locally and are superb.
Getting out and about
It is easy to take the hydrofoil from Naples port to the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida. Please ask our reservations team for more details. There is a good rail service along the coast to Herculaneaum, Pompeii, Sorrento and beyond. For those who are looking for a spot of physical activity it is also possible to scale Mount Vesuvius. A bus service runs from out side the station at Herculaneum up to within a couple of hours walk from the crater.
Travel arrangements
How you get there Scheduled and low cost flights fly into Naples Capodichino airport regularly (British Airways operates a daily service from Gatwick). We organise private car transfers to and from the airport direct to your hotel. Alternatively, for passengers arriving by rail the main station is Naples Centrale station and we can arrange a private transfer to and from your hotel.