Holidays » Italy » Bay of Naples Holidays

A wonderful climate, a spectacular sea, and magnificent cities constructed centuries ago by the ancient civilisations that passed through the gulf, leaving behind them the traces of their art and architecture. The Bay of Naples, rich in archaeological, artistic, and monumental works, is renowned for the warmth of its inhabitants and their passion for music, dance, and the dramatic arts. From the vibrant and densely populated city of Naples to the elegant Sorrento and the ruins of Pompei, the bay offers a series of unique and unforgettable town and seascapes.

Vying with the beauties of the mainland, across the water lie the three small islands of the gulf – Procida, Ischia, and Capri. Chaotic and ebullient, the city of Naples itself presents a kaleidoscope of vibrant street life and striking art and architecture. Straggling westwards, it pretty much absorbs the neighbouring town of Pozzuoli, encompassing on the way a (now) little-visited landscape of fumaroles and bubbling craters. Southwards from Naples, development continues around nearly the entire bay, all the way to the pretty town of Sorrento.

The urbanisation is hardly new. Two thousand years ago and more, the area was effectively the Riviera of the Roman Empire. From Misenum to Sorrentum, this was a rich playground peppered with ornate villas and well-populated towns. And looming large over it all was – and is – Mount Vesuvius, whose most notorious eruption, in AD79, destroyed yet preserved the bayside towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The great layer of stones and ash from Vesuvius that buried Pompeii in AD79 conserved the entire township, so here you get a remarkable, detailed insight into how people lived. The site extends over 66 hectares, with 12 hectares currently open to the public and much excavation ongoing in closed areas; what you are able to see will depend on archaeological work and routine conservation. But you will almost inevitably be able to walk down the high street, where drinking troughs still stand; visit theatres, temples, and marketplaces; take a look at a local laundry and a bakery; see at least one bath house; drop by a villa or two, where frescoed walls are still in place; and look in on the town brothel with its saucy wall paintings. There is, of course, a wealth of other sights in Naples.

As well as wandering down Spaccanapoli, the historic artery of the old town, don't miss seeing something of the subterranean Graeco-Roman city that lies underneath modern Naples. Beneath the appealing French Gothic church of San Lorenzo Maggiore, at Via dei Tribunali 316, several ancient streets have been excavated and, complete with the discernible remains of a bakery, winery and laundry, are open to the public.