There is no city on the planet quite like Naples. This frenetic, compelling charmer wears its sultry southern Italian heart firmly on its gloriously ostentatious sleeve. It’s impossible to ignore, impossible not to react to. For me it is impossible not to fall in love with either. Get with its larger than life pace and you will enjoy a thrilling trip with some of the best food in Italy, world class museums and epic views. And that is just Naples. Her beguiling isles, the buried historic towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, plus the world famous Amalfi Coast, also beckon too on the spectacular Bay of Naples.
- Neapolitan Food – One of Italy’s finest cuisines – and by definition one of the world’s great cuisines – dining out is an utter pleasure all across Naples and its surrounds. Food has not only real substance, provenance and flavour in Naples – it comes with a rich sense of history too. This, after all is the city that brought the world proper pizza in 1889 when the visit of Queen Margherita was celebrated by the creation of a special dish in her honour. Enjoying a margherita, wood fired with (preferably) birch, or even deep fried, is a quintessential Neapolitan experience. The seafood is top notch too as are the sweet treats, a legacy of when the House of Bourbon swept in here 18th century.
- The Street Life – Naples has an irresistible, irrepressible buzz and energy to its street life that no other city in Italy can match. At first it can take a little getting used to, but when you go with it and it’s outlandish hand gestures you’ll love it. Constant honking of horns and chaotic traffic become senses tingling. You cannot just take a walk in Naples, every time you head out is a street life experience with all sides of life dramatically on show. Keep your wits about you and the city centre is a great pace to walk. And walk and walk.
- Archaeological Museum of Naples – This is a truly unmissable cultural treasure up there with anything of its ilk in the world. The highlight are the remnants from Ancient Rome, but there are also rich treasures from Ancient Greece and the glorious Renaissance period. Of the Roman relics there are a swathe of pieces from the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The fabled Secret Room is a must see. This striking collection of erotic art was banned by various owners and local authorities over the centuries. It was finally opened to the public in 2000, though those under the age of 14 can only tour with an adult.
- Capodimonte Museum – Up there with the best of Italy’s art galleries. Originally built as a grand baroque hunting lodge for the Bourbon kings back in the 18th century, today it is truly breathtaking inside and out. It is remarkably spread over three floors and 160 rooms. Highlights include seminal works by such artistic luminaries as Caravaggio and Titian. It is not just a treasure trove of more classical art and the works of local hero Mimmo Jodice and Andy Warhol appear too.
- Pompeii and Herculaneum – Most people remember the story of how the town of Pompeii came to be buried under ash from reading about it in their schoolbooks. When Mount Vesuvius – still today mainland Europe’s only active volcano – blew her top in 79AD it was the end of life in Pompeii as a gas and ash cloud swept in at frightening speed, petrifying both houses and citizens forever. It’s an eerie, but deeply compelling, place to explore. Herculaneum is Pompeii’s little known sibling. That’s a little strange as it is actually better preserved and it was a more prosperous town, so the houses tend to be grander. Best see both!
- The Amalfi Coast – This deeply scenic oasis on the doorstep of Naples is Mediterranean Italy writ large. Here rugged mountains touch the blue skies. Plunge down their forested slopes towards the sparking sea and steep cliffs and crags sweep around the beaches. It’s worth visiting just to drive around its spectacular roads, taking in its natural beauty, but then there are its glitzy towns, still very much beloved of the rich and famous, including a constant stream of Hollywood A-Listers. The postcard pretty pastel hued buildings of Positano are jaw-dropping, while Sorrento tempts as the real gateway to the Amalfi Coast. The Voyageurs Collection are on hand with a private yacht cruise – very A-List!
- Capri – This is the undoubted star of the Bay of Naples islands, a glamorous island that in turn has long attracted a long list of Hollywood’s finest. Think Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. Think class, think glamour – think Capri. You can feel like the jet set too by flitting over to spend time in the chic cafes and walking its well polished streets. It’s a green beautiful island too and the views all around are stunning. You can also make a boat trip into the famous Blue Grotto or even better, scuba or snorkel in. Voyageurs Collection can offer a boat trip around Capri for you.
- The Bay of Naples – This vast natural amphitheatre is the star beyond everything else. Whether you spent the most of your time in the city of Naples, want to relax a bit more on glamorous or drive around the spectacular winding roads of the Amalfi Coast the bay and its ever changing light is the real star. You’d best pack an extra memory card for your camera or make sure there is plenty of space left on your phone before you arrive by the shores of this most beguiling of bays.
- This post comes in association with the Voyageurs Collection, who can organise luxury bespoke trips to Naples and all the destinations above.
