Naples
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Vide Napule e po' muòre | See Naples and then die
Why visit
Naples rewards travelers willing to embrace chaos. Eat the world's best margherita pizza at Da Michele or Sorbillo, then pasta with seafood along the Spaccanapoli alleys. Visit the Naples Archaeological Museum for treasures from Pompeii and Herculaneum. Both day-trippable. Walk the buried Greek-Roman city beneath the streets at Napoli Sotterranea. The Capodimonte Museum holds Caravaggio's 'Flagellation,' and the cliff-top Castel Sant'Elmo offers the best bay panorama. Capri, Ischia, and the Amalfi Coast are all easy ferry or train rides from here.
When to avoid
Naples has real petty-crime issues. Pickpockets work the metro, train station (Garibaldi), and Spanish Quarter aggressively. Don't flash valuables or use phones obviously near scooter traffic. The Quartieri Spagnoli and Sanità districts can feel intimidating after dark. Stick to lit main streets. Vesuvius is an active volcano. Unlikely to erupt during your visit but worth knowing. Driving in central Naples is really insane. Don't attempt it. Sundays in August (ferragosto) shut much of the city down. Some shopkeepers short-change tourists. Count carefully.
