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Campania [7]

Campania - Campania is a bewildering mix of dramatic coastal scenery, ancient sites and modern sprawl. About 3 million people live in Naples, in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. The Greek temples of Paestum are among the best preserved in the world. Travel down the Amalfi Coast or out to the magical islands, Capri among them.
Naples’s old centre, once the heart of ancient Neapolis and now bristling with ancient churches, a medieval university and countless eateries and cafés. Naples stretches along the waterfront and is divided into quartieri. From the waterfront behind the castle, ferries sail to the bay islands, Palermo and other long-distance destinations.
Sights are the Cappella di San Gennaro, the Cappella Carafa, the Basilica di Santa Restituta, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, the Castel Nuovo, Piazza Trento e Trieste, Teatro San Carlo, Certosa di San Martino, Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte and the Catacombe di San Gennaro.
Naples’ main festivals honor San Gennaro. On the first Sunday in May, 19 September and 16 December each year, thousands gather in the cathedral for the Festa di San Genanro. Napolis Rock Festival is held west of town at the height of summer. Neapolitan food is among Italy’s best. The pizza was created here and nowhere on earth will you eat it better.
The area west of Naples is called the Campi Flegrei, a classical term for the volcanic activity. Baia was once a fashionable Roman bathing resort known for its debauchery. Its extensive remains are now submerged some 100m from the shore. Inland and 5km from Pozzuoli is the lago d’Averno, one of three crater lakes.
Caserta’s Palazzo Reale is one of Italy’s most visited historical sites. In the surrounding urban spread there are a few historic gems: the Museo di Archeologia Industriale and Santa Maria Capua Vetere.
Surrounded by the green hills of the Apennines, Benevento is a provincial capital northeast of Naples. The Arco di Traiano commemorates the opening of the Via Traiana while the obelisk marks the Napoleonic invasion of Italy.
Capri has up to 5000 visitors a day stepping off the boats in summer. Capri has breathtaking caves and vegetation. Capri is 6km long and 2.7km wide. All boats arrive at Marina Grande, a small settlement that is essentially an extension of Capri town. Capri’s coast is studded with more than a dozen sea caves. The most famous is the Grotta Azzurra. Boats leave to visit the cave from the Marina Grande. The most important towns are Capri town and Anacapri. Capri is ideal for water sports. The main places to swim are Bagno di Tiberio and Marina Piccola. The island’s culinary gift to the world is insalata caprese.
Ischia is the most developed of the islands in the Gulf of Naples and a major tourist destination. Largely volcanic, it has long been noted for its thermal springs, which pull in the punters as much as the beaches. The main centers are the touristy towns of Ischia and Ischia Porto, Casamicciola Terme, Forio and Lacco Ameno, Ischia Ponte, Serrara, Fontana, Barano d’Ischia and San’t Angelo. Among the better beaches is Lido dei Maronti, south of Barano.
The island Procida has often been used as the celluloid image of Mediterranean paradise. Procida is the smallest of the islands in the Gulf of Naples and makes an attractive alternative to its more famous neighbors. The best way to explore the island is on foot - it’s only about 4 sq km – or by bike.
Ercolano is a Neapolitan suburb 12 km southeast of the city proper. Classical Herculaneum was a peaceful fishing and port town. The site is divided into 11 insulae carved up in a classic Roman grid pattern.
The Vesuvio dominates the landscape. Vesuvius is anything but extinct and scientists consider more eruptions a sure thing. The volcano erupted on 24 August AD 79 and destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Today Pompeii is one of Italy’s top tourist attractions. The Porta Marina is nowadays the principle entrance to the ruins. The original town was encircled by a wall punctuated by towers and eight gates.
Sorrento lines the cliffs that look over the water to Naples and Mt Vesuvius. Today it is a resort town. The town is handy for Capri and the Amalfi Coast. If you’re after a beach, head for Marina Grande, which has small strips of sand. Bagni Regina Giovanna is more picturesque. To the east is a small beach at Marinella. The Sorrento Film Festival, regarded as the most important in the country for Italian-produced cinema, is held annually in November.
The Costiera Amalfitana is one of the most breathtaking coastlines in Europe. It stretches 50km east from Sorrento to Salerno. A narrow asphalt ribbon winds along cliffs that drop to crystal-clear blue waters and passes through the beautiful towns of Positano and Amalfi. Peering down from its lofty lookout is the stunning hillside village of Ravello. The area is also famous for its ceramics.
Positano is the most picturesque and photographed of the coastal towns. Positano is split in two by a cliff bearing the Torre Trasita. West of this is the smaller Spiaggia del Fornillo beach area. East is Spiaggia Grande. Positano’s most famous sight is Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, with its ceramic dome gleaming under the sun.
Amalfi might no longer be a maritime superpower but its name lives on in tourist brochures across the world. In Conca dei Marini, about 4km along the coast towards Positano is the Grotta dello Smeraldo, a grotto so named for the emerald color of its sandy floor. The Regatta of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics, which rotates between Amalfi, Venice, Pisa and Genoa, is held on the first Sunday in June.
Ravello is a stylish town affording spectacular views. Ravello sits like a natural balcony overhanging Amalfi and the nearby towns of Minori and Maiori. The 7 km drive from Amalfi up the Valle del Dragone passes through the soaring mountains and deep ravines that characterize the area. The Festivale Musicale di Ravello is held in the second half of July.
Atrani, just round a headland, is a pretty extension of Amalfi. Further on are the towns of Minori, Maiori and the fishing village of Cetara.
Salerno is an important transport junction and an excellent base for exploring the Amalfi Coast to the west and Paestum and the Costiera Cilentana to the southwest. Important sights are the cathedral, the Castello di Arechi and the Museo Pinacoteca Provinciale.
Paestum: one of the enduring images of southern Italy is that of three Greek temples standing in fields of wild red poppies. The site is a Unesco World Heritage Site. The small town nearby is close to some of Italy’s better beaches.
The wild and empty highlands of the Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Valle di Diano are the perfect antidote to the holiday mayhem along the coast. Occupying the area southeast of Salerno up to the regional borders with Basilicata and Calabria, it is a little-explored area that boasts barren beauty and a number of worthwhile sights. There are two cave systems, the Grotte di Pertosa and the Grotte di Castelcivita. The World Wide Fund for Nature has a wildlife sanctuary, Oasi Naturalistica di Persano.
The beaches on the Costiera Cilentana are not as popular as those further northwest or southeast in Basilicata and Calabria. Agropoli is perched on a high promontory overlooking the sea and topped by a crumbling old castle. It makes an excellent base for Paestum and the beaches to the northwest. The beaches from Ascea to Sapri are good and the water usually crystal-clear.

Accommodations in Campania [7]