Naples is the third largest city in Italy after Rome and Milan. And while Naples is famous for historical reasons, including the nearby ancient city of Pompeii, it is also know as the birthplace of pizza. Naples is situated on the Gulf of Naples, on the western coast of southern Italy.
Naples was about a 4 hours drive from Tuscany, and would be our first stop in what is considered the southern region of Italy.
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Royal Continental Hotel, a 4-star hotel located on the seafront promenade right in front of Castel dell’Ovo. The seafront location offers plenty of lively restaurants and bars along the promenade. There was nothing worth noting about this hotel other than it is more of a conference center type hotel and because of location, was fine for our short stay.
Naples – The good, the bad and the ugly
I don’t really have a better way to say it other than Naples has been our least favorite city in Italy. It came off as run down and dirty with trash bins overflowing, cigarette butts and weeds lining the gutters and cracks in the walkways. While you will find lots of articles stating that Naples is dangerous, I can’t comment on if it is actually dangerous we felt find walking around but maybe that was due to the police that were everywhere. I probably saw more police uniforms pass me in Naples than any other city in Italy.
In a blog post written by a local they called their city “Raw and Gritty” and I would agree with that label. Naples seems to be a city that is full of attitude – you know, that raw and gritty type. To me Naples comes across as an Italian city that is overflowing with attitude, and not always the most positive type.
But I will give credit where it is due, if you can look past the trash, graffiti, and possible riff-raff, you can find some amazing architecture. We actually had a short private tour and did get to see a few things before we had to cut our tour short due to rain. We toured the Cathedral and got to see a few of Naples notable sites:
Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of character there as well. There are dimly lit narrow alleyways that lead to crowded piazzas, a local group of kids playing street soccer, and if you look hard enough you can find a trendy wine bar here or there. The Galleria Umberto I (as you will se in the picture below) resembles the galleria in Milan, but while the building is similar, the atmosphere is not the same. The Galleria Umberto I of Naples is where you will find local shops and crowded cafes (and yes, that is a McDonald’s in the photo below), which is is vast contrast to the luxury filled galleria of Milan.
Probably the distinct difference from Naples to other cities we have visited is that their love of their football seems to be on steroids. I actually found this part of Naples quite endearing. As you walk through the old city you can look up any street and see flags or jerseys or the colors of the team hanging from the buildings. And can you blame them? Earlier this year (2023) they clinched their first “Serie A” title in over 33 years!
Nom Nom Nom
While Naples is known for its pizza, we also found another one of this regions culinary delights – Sfogliatelle. And that is not a typo – that is actually how you spell it. It is pronounced soft-ya-tel-le and is a puff pastry that has become the symbol of Naples with its shell shape. It is typically filled with custard but you can find it with a variety of yummy fillings.
We tried the pizza and yes, if you love pizza then you will find plenty of it here in Naples. But on our last night we wanted to find a local restaurant to eat drink and be merry so we ventured out and found a diamond in the rough so to put it! I say that because it was a little tricky to find! This restaurant, La Locanda del Cerriglio is located off of a main road about 20 meters down one of the narrowest alleys in Naples. The atmosphere and food was worth noting and we would recommend if you find yourself in Naples and looking for a great dinner spot!
Day trip to Pompeii
The best highlight of Naples is that is was our base to visit the ancient city of Pompeii. Pompeii, a thriving Roman city during its time, is now a vast archaeological site located in southern Italy’s Campania region. The city was buried under meters of ash and rock in 79 A.D. after the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius. Excavation began in the 19th century to uncover the ruins and still continues today.
The preservation of this site is unique in that the excavated ruins give invaluable insight into the everyday Roman life during that time. We had a private guided tour by an archeologist and it was absolutely fascinating. I was amazed at how large the site is. You walk through the excavated city streets and even tour through the remnants of homes, shops and other elements of the ancient city. As you stand in what once was the square and see Mount Vesuvius in the background one can only image what the inhabitants of this city felt as they watched the eruption not knowing it was their last day alive.
The Modern Nomads 
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