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Things to do in Naples

Beaches

A top activity for visitors to Naples has to be swapping the hectic city for a few carefree days at the beach. Running alongside Via Partenope is the city’s own 2.5km (1.5 miles) stretch of coastline, with fantastic views of Vesuvius. The best out-of-town beaches lie west of Sorrento, along the Amalfi Coast, and further south at Santa Maria di Castellabate.

Boat trips

Ferries and high-speed hydrofoils leave daily from Naples to the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida, and bobbing boats are on hire for island tours and trips to the famous Blue Grotto sea cave. On the Amalfi Coast, at Sorrento, join a boat trip that tours the precipitous coastline, stopping at highlight towns like Amalfi, Positano and Atrani. To transcend the tourist trails, hire your own boat (from €30 p/hour), and venture down the coast to explore otherwise inaccessible beaches and sea caves.

Diving

The tiny island of Procida is the location for some of the region’s best diving and snorkelling, where geothermal currents attract a wide array of sea life to the clear waters. Diving gear can also be hired on the islands of Ischia and Capri, as well as in Sorrento. All offer a range of diving packages as well as equipment hire. A single dive costs around €40.

Hiking

From walking around the vast archaeological ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Parco Archeologico di Baia to scaling the muscular slopes of Vesuvius, there is a wealth of spectacular and varied walking and hiking to be had in Naples. Beyond the city, the sheer mountain paths of the Amalfi Coast afford wonderful views over precipitous sea cliffs and across acres of lemon groves. Most surprisingly, the high glamour island of Capri offers some of the regions best hiking opportunities, with trails passing through verdant valleys and ancient vineyards.

Thermal baths

One of the real treats of the region’s volcanic geology are the numerous thermal springs and spas for which Campania has long been famous. The island of Ischia, an easy day trip from Naples, has 56 natural springs. Capri, too, has a healthy number of thermal spas, some of them highly luxurious. On the doorstep of Naples, Campi Flegrei (the Plegrean Fields that Virgil wrote about), sports its own thermal spa complex, the Terme Stufe di Nerone, which is modelled on an ancient Roman prototype.

Website: www.termestufedinerone.it

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