Italy Amid Covid: Around Naples

Around Naples

Upon leaving the Amalfi Coast, we transited north to see the area around Mount Vesuvius, on our way towards Rome. We overnighted in Torre del Greco, a seaside city south of Naples.

The way there is a bit, let’s say, dizzying. The car ride is switchbacks up and down mountains. My poor children suffered a bit. Even I was a little queasy.

Torre del Greco

We chose Torre del Greco as our landing spot to explore the area, primarily because of a well-located Airbnb and the promise of black sand beaches. And we weren’t disappointed. The sand was as black as promised and the water was clear and warm. We only had a few hours of beach time, and enjoyed every minute.

In the evening, we walked to a restaurant recommended by our Airbnb host, and finished the night with, of course, gelato. Italian vacations are just so tasty.

Mount Vesuvius

Hiking Vesuvius sounded perfect for a sunny, warm day. And this is something I’d never done before. Its a relatively easy hike – if you begin at the entrance you can take as little as 30 minutes, or maybe up to an hour and a half if you take your time and hike the crater trail, which is what we did. Starting from the very base of the volcano can provide all day hiking, as well.

At the little tourist shops scattered at the top of the crater you can see some great examples of the different rocks found in the crater, which is fun if you’re into geology.

Herculaneum

I know, I know, you want to know whether or not we went to Pompeii, that most famous site of ancient opulence and destruction.

And here’s where I tell you we didn’t, and why. Its because Pompeii is, at minimum, a 4 hour tour, and if you want to really SEE it, it will take up most of your day. And although I expect a lot from my kids (and myself) when we travel, wandering around in the steaming hot sun in July with an 11 year old and a 9 year old for 4+ hours sounded terrible, no matter how mature of travelers they are.

Lucky for us (and you, perhaps), there’s a fantastic alternative that’s quite similar, but smaller – the Herculaneum.

During the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, when nearby Pompeii was covered with ash and other volcanic debris, Herculaneum was being buried beneath 16 meters of ash and mud. Where Pompeii and its residents were preserved due to pyroclastic flows and raining ash, in Herculaneum the layers of mud and ash preserved homes and left a lot of other interesting things also intact, including organic remains like wood and food.

It takes about 2 hours to tour the entire site, a perfect amount of time when the sun is blazing.

Mini Naples Walking Tour

I’m actually skipping a few days here, as we caught a train from Naples to Rome, then back to Naples to catch our plane home. So we had one afternoon and night to see Naples. Naples is a bustling, lively, flamboyant city, full of honking horns, laughing children, and zigzagging Vespas. It was a little bit crazy. We loved it.

And so if, like us, you only have a little time in Naples, here’s my recommendation for a walking tour.

1. Starting from Napoli Centrale train station, are you hungry? If so, take a 5 minute walk to Attanasio – Ristorante tipico napoletano e Pizzeria. It looks touristy but came recommended and we weren’t disappointed; the food is incredible.
2. Still hungry? How about some traditional Neapolitan dessert? Walk over to Sfogliatelle Attanasio and eat it there, sitting in the sunshine, or take it to go.
   

   
3. Now that you’ve eaten, time to start the tour. Walk back to the station and take the metro to Universidad Station: get out and look around for 5 minutes because its cool and there are holograms on the walls; the artist is Karim Rashid. Get back on the train.
   

   

   

   
4. Get off at the next (or maybe 2?) stop, Toledo. This is supposedly the most beautiful subway station in Europe, and it really is glorious. Also, its where you need to go anyways to start the walking part.
5. Exit the station and walk southwest. Get lost in the winding alleys of the Spanish quarter for a little while. This is where we stayed, also, at a small hotel called Real Giardinetto a Toledo; we definitely recommend it.
6. Shift and head east. See the Fontana del Nettuno. Continue towards the water to the Castel Nuovo. Go inside if you want (we didn’t, it was closed).
7. Head west towards the Galleria Umberto I; which is just a shopping area but a really beautiful one. Across the street is the Teatro di San Carlo, a historic opera house.
8. From there continue towards the Palazzo Reale di Napoli, another place you should see from the inside if you have the time.
9. Lastly, walk along the water until you reach the Castel dell’Ovo; an old castle with a fairy tale. Called the Castle of the Egg, Virgil supposedly buried an egg at the site, saying that when the egg breaks, the castle and the city will fall. This castle is a fantastic sunset spot.
   

   
10. To finish the walk, grab some Neapolitan pizza – here are some recommendations: Pizze D’autore Maestro Pizzaiolo Gigi SORBILLO (where we ate), or Pizza Brandi (a Naples institution).
    

    

    Ready to tackle the pizza.

    

    “This is my dream!”

    

    The kids pizza – covered in french fries and hotdogs.
11. And after dinner, what else but some gelato before bed? Head towards Via Chiaia – there are plenty of options. Casa Infante is a famous one, but was closing when we arrived so we tried Il Gelato Mennella. It was excellent, no surprise.

We had far too little time in Naples, which was bittersweet. We wanted to stay. but it was also quite crowded, and crowds of people make you feel a bit anxious during Covid-19, so it also felt like a relief to head home. Still, Naples is on the list to explore more in the future.