The Unwritten Beauty of Naples!
Naples
From what I read online before travelling I saw a lot of negative reviews and thoughts on Naples, which I want to prove wrong. When you think Italy you think Amalfi Coast, cobbled streets to stroll through, a romantic city in the sun… this is not quite the same for the adventurous nature of Naples – but there is so much more!
Streets of Naples
Naples is described as crazy and chaotic and I cannot disagree, although there is a beauty that is often unnoticed about this Italian city. This crazy and chaotic feeling is injected into the city, making you dodge the locals driving scooters down cobbled streets at 50mph (with whole families squeezed on)! But on these same cobbled streets of madness there is history and culture, as well as amazing pizza! A phrase that was once used when speaking about Naples was “Vedi Napoli e poi Muoir,” which means in English ‘See Naples and die’. Because of the beauty of Naples it was once thought that once you had seen it you could die, because then you’ve seen it all!
Although my wanderlust heart won’t allow me to agree with this, I’d understand why someone could feel this way about the unwritten beauty found in this city.
Naples Harbour
When I first arrived in Naples I noticed the clear poverty that is felt in this area of Southern Italy but that wasn’t enough to put me off just yet – get the wrong area in any city and you’d think the same. Instead I decided to give Naples a chance before I made my mind up too soon and I’m glad I did!
Authentic Naples Pizza
After getting checked into the hotel (just somewhere for us to rest our heads after exploring the city and surrounding area), we headed for some infamous Napoli pizza. I read so much online before going to Naples I knew I had to try Pizzeria Di Matteo on Via dei Tribunali. It did not disappoint, one of the best pizzas I have ever had at such a good price – no wonder there was a queue out the door!
Day to day I found that there was a lot to see and do around Naples, so even if you weren’t so keen about Naples you’ll find plenty of activities to occupy yourself inside and outside of the city.
You can so easy get lost in the winding cobbled streets of Naples and as they say, the best way to see a city is to get lost in it. Just stay alert in the bustling city center – I was advised not to walk alone through the streets at night so I was sure to follow that advice!
The streets of Pompeii
In school, I learnt about Pompeii and I remember being completely mesmerised and wanting to explore the ancient ruins myself one day… my Naples trip allowed this dream to come true! With Pomepii just half an hour away you can escape to the amazing ancient ruins and take in some culture and history. I couldn’t recommend the tour of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius enough, it was amazing.
We were picked up from near our hotel in a comfortable coach with the tour group. Then we drove to Pompeii and were able to explore around the ancient city before having a traditional Italian lunch – pizza! This got us ready for the hike up Mount Vesuvius to experience the amazing views from the top. It was a dream come true for me, adventure and history combined (as well as seeing something I’d dreamed of since a child!)
Although we opted for the Pompeii tour with Mount Vesuvius, there are many other tours including a trip to the Amalfi Coast. We decided we would make a whole day of exploring the beautiful Amalfi Coast with stops in coastal villages along the way. I had been to the Amalfi Coast before but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore some of the villages along this beautiful coast. A day with stunning views and great photo ops!
Amalfi Coast
We may have spent two days away from the city but we spent the rest of our week-long holiday discovering Naples. We loved wandering through the cobbled streets but little did we know what lies below ground level in Naples. As this was a holiday of adventure and exploration we decided this was something we couldn’t miss seeing! The tour of underground Naples gave us a glimpse into the past and how life used to be here. From Christian Catacombs to Greek aqueducts and even World War II air raid shelters… you really just don’t know what lies beneath the bustling streets of a city!
Water Fountain in Naples
For me, an overcast day calls for a trip to the Museum. Although I rarely enjoy a cloudy day on holiday, I welcomed this because it’s the perfect excuse to immerse yourself in history and culture inside. A trip to the National Archaeological Museum is a must – especially if you loved visiting Pompeii! It has amazing collections from Pompeii and Herculaneum, definitely worth spending an afternoon of your travels to soak up some culture and see the artefacts.
Ovo Castle, Naples
Needless to say, we got our fill of history and culture on this holiday and whilst we never made it to the castle tours we walked near and around them ourselves – a week just isn’t long enough!
Overall, I really enjoyed our holiday to Naples, regardless of what the internet wanted to tell us. I love adventure and exploring cultures of new places so I really can’t complain. Naples was our base on this holiday and somewhere to lay our heads at night when we spent the day seeing beautiful coastlines and interesting historical sites… whilst indulging in Italian cuisine!
There really is so much to do in Naples, so don’t let the small stuff get in the way of visiting this vibrant and crazy city in Northern Italy.
I am an avid traveller with an extreme case of wanderlust. I don’t remember the last time I didn’t have a trip booked to look forward to! I’m ready to take on travelling the world and life as a newlywed. Engaged and planning a wedding and our dream honeymoon, all while trying to fit in weekend trips away in between!