Travel guide – naples
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Overview
Italy's third largest city thrives on the chaos that prevails amid its busy streets. This is the place where pizza was invented and its restaurants continue to serve some of Italy's finest cuisine.
Sheltering on the Bay of Naples and dominated by the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, Naples is naturally imbued with the best of nature's bounty. The city is somewhat schizophrenic in its juxtaposition of superb museums, Renaissance and Baroque churches alongside crumbling tenement blocks and squalor. Noisy markets sell a collection of items from high-quality food produce to fake designer goods. Roads are characteristically hectic with gung-ho moped drivers weaving wildly through the streets and frustrating traffic jams clogging the city's arteries. Despite its less refined elements, Naples is a fascinating destination and a great base from which to explore the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The city's transport hub is located around the immense Piazza Garibaldi, on the east side of Naples. The area's growing African population has imbued the streets with the flavours and favours of its immigrants. Southwest from here is the Piazza Bovio and branching to the left of it, the Piazza Municipio and nearby Piazza del Plebiscito. On the watery edges are the Molo Beverollo and the Stazione Marittima, the point of departure for ferries. From the reaches of Spaccanapoli one can explore the historic part of Naples with its numerous palaces and churches.
The rugged southern shore dividing the Bay of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno is a restful and picturesque area. Miniature towns shelter in precipitous coastal ravines and tranquil seas calmly lap the shores of quiet pebbled beaches. The Amalfi Coast is a great relaxation spot from which to enjoy coastal Italian culture. Precariously perched and threatening to tipple into the sea is the small town of Positano. A cliffside stairway provides the perfect vantage point from which admire its glorious sea vistas. Four miles (6km) down the coast is the quaint town of Praiano framed by caves, castles and sharp cliffs. A stroll from here towards Amalfi will take one to a ramp leading to Marina di Praia, a 400-year-old fishing village nestled in the embrace of a tiny ravine. Another notable stop between Praiano and Amalfi is the Grotto dello Smeraldo. The busy seaside town of Amalfi basks in the glory of its longevity as the first Sea Republic of Italy and as the hometown of Flavio Gioja, the inventor of the compass. It is referred to as the 'pearl of the coast' and has a bit of everything for the weary traveller. A pebble's throw away from here is the quiet village of Atrani. Its tranquil beach rests languidly on the water's edge against a superb backdrop of mountains. Further down the coast is Minori, notable for its lemon exports and a gentle place with villas and beaches to explore. The quiet town of Ravello retains the charm prized by Bocaccio who dedicated part of his famous work, the Decameron, to it.
Capri's beauty captured the imagination of the Roman Emperor Augustus in 29 BC and continues to draw admiring crowds to its picturesque banks. Ferries and hydrofoils transport travellers from Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Naples to its embarkation point at Marina Grande. From here a funicular runs to the town's Piazza Umberto. The island's main attraction is the Blue Grotto. The cave is illuminated by a fantastic neon blue created through the interplay of light and water. The ruins of Villa Tiberio can be explored through a 45-minute trek up the hill. Legend has it that Tiberius tossed those unfortunate enough to anger him off the precipice; walking down is luckily an option nowadays. On the descent along the path one can take a short detour to the Arco Naturale. The weathered stone arch on the island's eastern cliffs provides the perfect perspective from which to contemplate the vista that stretches to Paestum. Another interesting villa to explore is the Villa San Michele (in Anacapri), the magnum opus of Swedish author and physician Axel Munthe. Henry James described it as 'the most fantastic beauty, poetry, and inutility that I have ever seen clustered together.' It is open in summer between 9am and 6pm, and winter 10am to 3pm. Still in Anacapri, take the 12-minute chairlift to the summit of Monte Solaro to experience the breathtaking views stretching to the distant Apennines and Calabria mountains.
Climate
The Mediterranean climate of southern Italy is milder and sunnier than the north, with dry summers and wet autumns and winters in Naples. The coast has mild winters and warm, dry summers. July is the hottest month in Naples with average temperatures ranging from 64°F to 85°F (18°C to 29°C), while January ranges from 38°F to 54°F (3°C to 12°C). The west coast of the Italian peninsula is generally wetter than the east coast and the southern 'Sirocco' wind brings high humidity with the rain.
Health
There are no specific health risks associated with travel to Italy. EU citizens can make use of Italy's health services provided they have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Cases of the
N1 bird flu were found in swans in southern Italy and Sicily, but there is a low risk of human infection; as a precaution all close contact with wild, caged and domestic birds should be avoided, and poultry and egg dishes should be cooked thoroughly.
The basics
Getting Around
Naples has a public transport network consisting of buses, trolleys and a subway, which is complicated to use but preferable to taking on the city's notorious traffic jams in a hire car or taxi. Tickets for all forms of transport are uniform, and can be obtained at stations and kiosks that advertise the 'Gira Napoli' (Naples Pass). The city's ANM buses are fairly frequent, most departing from the Piazza Garibaldi. There are two metro lines, the 'Metropolitana' line being the one that serves downtown where most sights are located. Funicular railways run up the Vomero from stations at Piazza Montesanto, Amadeo and Augusto. There are taxi ranks in most piazzas, but using a taxi can prove expensive because of traffic congestion.
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