When we were planning this trip, we waffled about going to Naples. There was a point when we didn’t even think we would go for a day trip, but we ultimately added it to our agenda and stayed there for four days.
I had envisioned a dirty port city with decrepit buildings, a hot and dusty environment, pickpockets, and street vendors hawking fake Gucci bags. While I did experience those things to some degree (except the pickpockets), the city is so much more than the stereotype.
We stayed in a nice little hotel on Piazza Victoria on the water.
Our hotel room
The view of Piazza Victoria from our room
As it turns out, this is THE hip neighborhood for shopping during the day and for dinner/drinks at night. Gucci, Ferragamo, and other high-end stores were right around the corner from our hotel, and it was fun to window-shop. In the evening, the bars and restaurants would put tables and chairs out in the narrow streets, turning the whole neighborhood into one big social zone.
Anticipating a seafood lunch
An interesting planet window display at the Louis Vuitton store with old buildings in the reflection
A sculpture in our neighborhood
Ba-bar – we went here 3 times in 4 days, very cool restaurant/bar with mind-blowing cocktails
Our neighborhood was also an easy walk or cab ride to other interesting parts of the city. We saw a couple of castles.
The old castle, view from the boardwalk
Chad looking at the sea
An archway inside the old castle
The new castle up on a hill
A beautifully sculpted archway of the new castle
A detail of the main door on the new castle
We explored a huge park on top of a mountain in the middle of the city.
One of the trails in the park at the top of the city
We visited the main shopping street, Via Toledo, where I popped into one of my favorite stores, Desigual, and hit the jackpot of shopping. We also rode one of those red “hop on, hop off” tourist buses which was a great way to get an overview of the city.
My fave store outside of the US
Tourist bus
Even as I wrote this blog post and was searching through my photos, I was trying to figure out how the capture the feel of the city. Naples is a mix of stately old buildings, little alleys, views of the water, afternoon heat, evening breezes, and bustling action.
A quaint little street
Stately steps
Scooters (also known as motorini)
This square off the beaten path had interesting graffiti
But it’s also a city of little details – a row of umbrella pine trees flanking a boardwalk, teenage boys practicing skateboard tricks, tiny octopuses scooting around in a pan of water at a seafood shop, the scent of lunch from a basement apartment. If you can get beyond the city’s brash stereotype, you will find its quiet secrets.
Seafood displayed on the sidewalk outside a shop
A guy selling produce on the street
Little boats anchored in one of the harbors
We found a 3D map of the city made for blind visitors
In fact, we specifically didn’t go to Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, because we didn’t want to short-change ourselves on Naples. I’m glad we decided to focus on the city as I now have a greater appreciation for everything it has to offer. Plus, Pompeii now gives us an excuse to come back for another visit.
You really should be getting paid to write for a travel magazine! Glad you could find the charm beneath the grit of a port city.