Sightseeing in Naples

Sightseeing in Naples starts with the view. The gulf is closed by Vesuvius to the east and the Sorrento peninsula to the south, with Capri, Ischia and Procida set in front, and the shared two-hour panoramic drive puts that picture together: Piazza del Plebiscito, the waterfront past Castel Nuovo to Castel dell'Ovo, the oldest castle in the city, on the former island of Megaride at the end of a causeway just over 100 metres long, and last the Posillipo terraces. The headland's name comes from the Greek Pausilypon, roughly 'pause from sorrow'. Walking routes cover the old centre from Piazza Municipio and Piazza del Gesù Nuovo. The rest of the sightseeing here is a day out of town.

Naples sightseeing tours that leave the city go by sea or by road. Hydrofoils for Capri sail from Molo Beverello below Castel Nuovo, and one guided day meets at the port at 8:00, sails at 8:35 and lands at 9:30. A boat for twelve follows the Sorrento coast to Positano and Amalfi, passing from the Gulf of Naples into the Gulf of Salerno, with a swim and an aperitif on board and a full refund if the weather stops it. A private skipper plans days among Capri, Ischia and Procida. By road, coaches, minivans of up to eight and private cars cover Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, Caserta and the Amalfi Coast, and cruise passengers are collected at the terminal against the ship's hours.

Practical. Port authorities, not operators, suspend hydrofoils in rough water, and departures thin out in winter, so give a Capri day slack: the guided one lasts nine and a half hours. The sea in Naples runs 25-27C from July to September, 21-22C in October and 15C in January, against air highs of 31C in August and 13-14C in winter. Cruise listings are built around the ship's call, so check the stated return time before you pick a longer day.