One Day Visit to Naples, Italy

In the March issue of the Metropolitan Airport News, I wrote about a Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Rome. One of the ports we were supposed to visit was Naples, Italy.

However, due to bad weather in Naples, we were unable to stop at this port and ultimately had an extra sea day. Just recently, Jon and I had the opportunity to fly to Naples on a seasonal nonstop from JFK on Delta Air Lines.

We stayed at the Hotel NH Napoli Panorama, which is a 30-story skyscraper in the Naples historic center. Our room was on the 27th floor, and it had a magnificent view of the city and the Port of Naples. We arrived just in time for rush hour, and the taxi ride was an adventurous experience. The downtown is only 6 kilometers from the airport, but the ride took half an hour. There were no speed limit signs, and motorcycles came so close to cars while speeding through red lights.

The first thing we did was walk to the historic area. There are narrow cobblestone streets lined with local shops, cafes, and pizzerias serving traditional Neapolitan fare. Pizza was invented in Naples during the 18th and 19th centuries as an affordable street food for the working class. There are churches on almost every corner and many piazzas (squares) everywhere you walk. Walking through these narrow cobblestone streets can be challenging. Cars seem to squeeze through, while mopeds speed without paying attention to pedestrians. The traffic is worse than in New York City. The pedestrian crosswalks are completely ignored, and the “YoYo” (You’re on your own) rule applies.

We proceeded to the Duomo di Napoli, the main church of Naples and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples. The architecture and artwork are amazing.

Our next stop was Castel Nuevo, a medieval castle located in front of Piazza Municipio and the city hall. It is one of the city’s main architectural landmarks. We had a wonderful view from our hotel room. It is also called Castel dell’Ovo, which means ‘Egg Castle’. There is a legend as to why this was named ‘Egg Castle’. A Roman poet placed an egg in the foundation of the castle. Should the egg break, the castle would perish together with the city of Naples.

Another wonderful area we walked to was the Riviera de Chia. It is a distinctive waterfront stretch in Naples. The neighborhood has a scenic waterfront promenade offering views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. The area was under a lot of construction, so there were few restaurants open. It is known for its boutiques and cafes. The day we were there was very hazy so we could not get a good picture of Mount Vesuvius. We found a cute cafe overlooking the Bay of Naples and had lunch.

From here we walked to the Piazza del Plebiscito. It is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Naples. Many of the city’s cultural events take place here, along with concerts during the summer.

The next destination on our walk was the Galleria Umberto I. It is one of the most popular shopping arcades in Italy and a near replica of the arcade next to the Duomo in Milan. It is beautiful, with a unique glass-and-steel architecture. There are several shops and restaurants here. Outside the Galeria, there is a pedestrian shopping street which is very popular.

The Port of Naples is also worth visiting. We discovered that some ferries and hydrofoils serve other areas of the Amalfi Coast and take only 50 minutes. These ferries depart for the following destinations: Capri, Ischia, Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi. When we visited the Amalfi coast 30 years ago, we drove to Sorrento and Positano on narrow winding roads in terrible traffic. We remember well that while driving the Amalfi Coast roads, most mirrors on the driver’s side were broken.  We were thrilled to see this direct ferry service, and we hope to return to Naples and take a boat ride to one of these locations.

When we drove through Naples on our way to the Amalfi coast 30 years ago, it had a reputation for crime and pickpockets. Back then, we didn’t want to stay in the city because of it. On this trip, we never felt in danger as tourists, but it is still wise not to carry valuables. Also, this is a quote from Ricksteves.com, “Strolling Naples is an adventure sport. Mopeds are bold, and red traffic lights are considered decorations.”