Our flight from Dublin to Naples arrived early and once landed and through security, we hopped on the bus to take us to the central station in Naples which takes about 20 min and cost 5 euro each. Despite all the restrictions we read about regarding Covid, it was interesting that nothing bar our passport was checked when going through security.
We arrived at the station and once there, we hopped on the metro to get us to our hotel. Our hotel is actually less than a two minute walk from the metro stop which is handy. We’re staying at the Hotel Correra 241 which is budget friendly and very central. Despite the grimy look outside our hotel, it’s pretty clean and the room is simple but adequate.
We dropped the bags and set about finding somewhere nearby for lunch. Our receptionist suggested a place called Vaco e’press which was just across from the metro stop. It was actually pretty ok, it had a local vibe about it despite being bang in the middle of a tourist heavy area. C ordered a hot pasta dish with bits of beef, I opted for the pasta and salmon, we also got some charred veg, mushrooms, aubergine and courgette. The lunch was decent but nothing special, however, as we would find out later, it ended up being one of our better lunch choices.
Now, let’s call a spade a spade, Naples is filthy, there’s litter everywhere and not just plastic and cardboard, but food waste, broken glass, old clothing, the list goes on. Add to that, the streets are just one giant outdoor ashtray, there’s cigarette butts everywhere. All this along with graffiti, dirt and grime – you get the idea.
After lunch, we walked all around the centre which was crazy busy with locals and tour groups. There are dozens of places to have an outdoor drink, provided you don’t mind looking at piles of rubbish. Every narrow street is filled with hawkers, scooters, poxy food stalls and this coupled with the noise and heat adds to the madness.
We wandered for several hours stopping here and there grabbing an occasional coffee as we went. Our plan for dinner was to have the authentic, real deal pizza that Naples is famous for. While there are several places claiming to be the best, we went with a fancy place called L’Ilbero Visconti. We picked here as it was busy and down one of the cleaner streets.
Despite visiting Italy on numerous occasions, I’m not a fan of Italian food and have always found it completely over-rated – sure they have some fantastic produce and I cook Italian dishes on occasion at home, but I just don’t rate it. Anyhow, to start, we ordered focaccia and a fried potato croquette and for mains C opted for a more cheesey pizza and well, I went with the famous margarita pizza. The focaccia was decent, the croquette nothing special, it lacked any form of seasoning, something else we will discover on this trip – how all the food is under-seasoned. As for the pizzas, both were nice, not the taste explosion I had hoped for, but not bad at all.
After dinner, all that was left to do was wade back through the filth to our hotel for an early night as the following day is going to be a busy one.
Breakfast at our hotel was as expected, simple, continental consisting of some straight out of a package croissant with coffee and some bowls of fresh fruit.
After we hit the streets and made our way to the station to get a train followed by a bus to take us to the infamous mount Vesuvius. The train is actually more of a subway packed to bursting with tourists. Once at the stop, you can arrange your bus to take you to the start of the rim walk along with your park entrance tickets. The train took about 30 minutes and the bus also took just over a half hour to get to the mountain. Just a note, things move slowly and nothing is on time as we also discovered on this trip.
Once off the bus, you head towards the park entrance and show your ticket. For the most part, it’s a relatively easy trek to the top which took us a leisurely 40 minutes. However, with the heat and the very stony surface some may find it difficult – definitely wear proper footwear and don’t wear sandals. Once on top or rather as high as you can go, you get to walk around about 65% of the rim before turning back. There’s not much to see so you have to use your imagination as to how powerful the eruption was based on the diameter of the volcano. If you’re expecting to see bubbling lava below, you’ll be disappointed, it’s just lots of rubble. However, there are some plumes of smoke you can spot as you make your away around. There’s also some places to have a snack and buy some souvenirs if you like.
The trek down takes no time and there’s a disorganised system for getting back on your bus for the journey back to town (you’ll be informed of the pickup time when you first get to the park). Once back to town, we set about getting lunch. We kept it simple, a sambo of cheese, tomatoes and ham that’s not toasted and some fries which were ok.
Our next part of the outing is to visit the runes of Herculaneum which was also devastated by the eruption in AD 47. Herculaneum plays second violin to the much more famous Pompeii and is often overlooked by mass tourism. Herculaneum is less than a 10 minute walk from Erculano station and despite a good few people visiting, it was really not that busy. If you are really into ruins and finding out a lot more about the history of Herculaneum, you could easily knock out about three hours or more to take it all in. All in all we spent about 90 minutes wandering around the ruins.
It was a long day but we covered quite a bit and once back in Naples we checked out the Duomo cathedral before grabbing a drink in the courtyard just outside. We had no plans for dinner but we spotted a place called Etto, which looked good as it was busy and food being served looked decent. A table had just finished so we grabbed it and placed our order. They do mainly buddha bowls of sort which is far removed from normal Italian fare. I had the breaded chicken to start and the pulled pork for mains, C went with the vegan bowl, which was actually the best dish. The food overall was pretty decent and the staff were friendly. We finished up and went back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep.
The next day we checked out (checkout time is an early 10:00am). We left the bags at the hotel as we had more wandering to do. We did a lot more walking and took a few snaps here and there. The main shopping street is called Via Toledo and it was crazy busy. As lunch time rolled around rather than waste time finding a half decent spot, we just went back to Etto. After lunch, we headed back to the hotel, grabbed our bags and headed towards the station to get the train to our next stop, Sorrento.
There are two options to get to Sorrento, the slow subway train (the one we used to get to Vesuvius) which can take over an hour and a half or pay extra for the express which takes about an hour, which is what we did. The real difference beside the price was a slightly cleaner train which was really just a subway carriage.
After the cesspool of Naples we had no idea what Sorrento had in store but we had hoped it could not be any worse than where we came from.
Sorrento is fabulous. Despite being busy, it’s really clean, really nice streets with fancy shops and plenty of places to eat and drink and the weather while warm, was pleasant – such a change, it was great. We are also staying in some better digs than Naples. We’re staying in a boutique B&B called Il Monestario Conservatorio. Check-in was a breeze by the super friendly staff who were really well presented and polite. Our room is a good size and spotlessly clean.
Once settled we hit the streets heading first to take in the view of the port. We then walked along the streets admiring the view along the coast which was fantastic and this was soon followed by some champagne cocktails at the plush Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria hotel – ‘we have most definitely arrived’!
We fancied something simple for dinner so we found a bar just on the outskirts of the main centre that served burgers and steaks. I had a salad to start and C ordered the bruschetta – the portions were pretty big but overall lacked any real flavour – since when is iceberg lettuce part of a Caesar salad? The mains, a burger each were also disappointing. After dinner, we headed back to the main square which was hopping and had one more drink before calling it a night.
Breakfast the next morning was great. Freshly squeezed orange juice which you squeeze yourself so you can have as much as you like, this along with breads, fresh fruit, cold cuts, cakes, pastries and eggs cooked to order – what’s not to like.
After a filling brekkie, our plan was to hit what is probably the most visited and popular attraction in this part of the world, the city of Pompeii. There’s two options to get there, train or bus, we took the very inexpensive train, it was just 2 euro each. The journey takes about 30 minutes and the station is right outside the entrance. Buy your entrance tickets at the main ticket booth – entrance was €11 each. Once inside it’s obvious this place is huge, at a guess 6 or 7 times the size of Herculaneum – we were in for a long day. Add to this and to be expected, dozens and dozens of tour groups.
Without a doubt, it is well worth seeing and if you don’t have the time to visit both Herculaneum and Pompeii – visit here as there’s a lot more to see as long as you don’t mind the crowds.
We returned to Sorrento and walked down the main shopping street to check out the stores before stopping for a pre-dinner drinkies and doing some people watching. For dinner we did something we rarely do – used a certain website to see the top places to eat in Sorrento and a place called Qui Sorrento was number one so we headed there for dinner. Qui Sorrento is about a 15 minute walk from the centre and when we got there it was not as busy as we expected and we had no trouble getting a table. For starters we had a chicken ballotine type thing and for mains we ordered Hake for myself and for C some sardines. The food overall was pretty desperate – we could see what they were trying to do – make the food look fancy and describe the dish the same way if you were eating in a Michelin star restaurant. But that coupled with so so service, in what was essentially a tent right beside the main road into Sorrento was not enjoyable.
The following day, we had arranged a tour of the Amalfi coast. The tour was a full day and while not a private tour, it was a small group of just eight. The cost was 65 euro each but there were some add-ons which we later discovered. The tour left almost on time and before long we were winding our way along the coast. On a side note, we had plans to hire a car but given the crazy prices we decided against it when planning the trip. Actually this worked out really well, given the amount of concentration needed for traversing the windy roads along with slightly crazy Italian drivers – you would miss out on the fantastic scenery. We made several stops along the way to admire the view and our first town stop was Positano where we were planning on spending a night after Sorrento.
Back on the road, the next stop was the town of Amalfi. We decided soon after arriving we would pick here to stay rather than Positano. The first ‘add-on’ was here. A boat trip around the bay taking in the view, which we opted for, 20 euro each please. Still though the view was impressive. Once back on the road we continued up the mountain and stopped for lunch which was optional and 15 euro each where you got a choice of pizza or Caprese salad along with cake and a drink. This was the only option for lunch but that’s how the doing a tour thing works, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.
Back on the road we had one final stop at the cliff top village of Ravello before the return journey back to Sorrento. It was a long day but worth it – the advantage of not having to drive is actually a plus.
Once back at our B&B we rested up for a bit – booked a place to stay in Amalfi for the following night then hit the town in search of dinner. For dinner, we dined in a place called MoMos which is part of the group who run our B&B. The food was better than what we’ve had so far (which would not be that difficult). We both shared a nice tomato salad to start and I had veal for mains, C went with a simple pasta. After we headed back to the champagne bar for one last drink in Sorrento.
The next day we checked out and headed to the station to get the bus to Amalfi. We’re staying at a budget B&B in Amalfi which was advertised as just 150 meters from the beach – which it was, but it was not stated it was uphill and several flights of stairs. So this coupled with our luggage and almost 30C heat, you get the idea. Still though the place was clean and our host, Gianfranco, was a super friendly guy and really helpful. We also got Gianfranco to book a restaurant for us that evening.
For the most part, Amalfi is small but very busy. The main piazza is where most of the bars are and it’s the best place for people watching. The church is the main attraction and everyone takes photos of the steps leading up. In fact, several weddings were taking place in our time there. After wandering around we headed towards Lo Smeraldino for dinner which has a fantastic location on the waterfront and a nice view back at Amalfi. For starters, I ordered the ravioli stuffed with ricotta which came with a basil oil and spicy tomato sauce C went with a veggie dumpling thing for mains. I stuck with pizza for my mains. Once again the food was not the best and the service lacking. Still though we had a nice stroll back to the town stopping at some swings along the way.
Breakfast the next morning was pretty dismal – but the view from the rooftop where we were seated was fantastic. After checking out, we dropped the bags at the luggage storage at the tourist office – not fancying the walk back up the stairs to our B&B. With a few hours to kill, we checked out a paper museum which was actually really interesting to see. There’s a short but informative tour that goes through how paper was made in Amalfi from the 1700s through to the 1960s. After we stopped in at the Pasticceria Andrea Pansa to try the famous sfogliatella. C had the sfogliatella, I just had a apricot croissant- both were really tasty, finally some good baked goods.
Our next port of call was the island of Capri which was about a 45 minute ferry journey from Amalfi. Once off the boat, we set about finding our driver to bring us to the town of Anacapri where we are staying. On a side note, the amount of touts offering you trips to the grotto or tours around the island was crazy, borderline annoying to say the least.
Anacapri is about 15 minute drive front Capri town. We’re staying in the budget friendly Hotel il Girasole Capri which has a nice location with views out over the bay, it’s also less than a 10 minute walk to the town centre. Our room is very plain and the outside looks like a motel but it’s clean. As it was lunch time, we grabbed a quick snack at the poolside bar which was just a basic sambo but it sufficed. Next we headed into the town centre for a wander around. There’s not a lot to do in the town but it has some nice shops and a few places to grab a drink – which we did.
We returned to the hotel and arranged a place for dinner called Da Emilia alla curtiglia, which came recommended by the receptionist. The handy part is they pick you up at whatever time you like and bring you back to your hotel when you finish.
On arrival at Da Emilia alla curtiglia it looks really cool, it offers great views out to sea and it’s very open and airy. Unfortunately that’s where things ended. The food was nothing special and way overpriced. I had calamari to start that had no seasoning whatsoever and not even a sauce of sorts, C had some battered sardines which were not too bad. I had salmon for mains served with some cold courgette and about three small tomatoes. They made a mistake with C’s order so we had to wait, actually I had my mains finished by the time it arrived. C’s main was ‘green’ pasta (their words) with fish. Basically the fish was some bits of tinned tuna thrown in with some pasta which tasted of just fish stock – it was desperate.
The next day we made our way to Capri’s most famous attraction – the blue grotto. There are two options to get there, charter a boat from the port of Capri or get a bus to the main landing area which was our option. Once there we waited in line for about an hour before hopping into one of the small row boats. Once in the boat, you’re brought over to another larger boat where you pay and once that’s done, you’re brought into the grotto which involves lying as low as you can to get through the small opening. My view of the grotto was the polar opposite to C’s. She loved it, said it was better than she imagined and stated we’ll have to come back some day. I saw the entire thing as a money grabbing tourist trap – especially when the guy rowing the boat insisted we tip him. Sure the blue reflection of the water looks nice but that’s it and the entire thing takes barely five minutes.
Once back on shore we grabbed a coffee at a nearby restaurant which has a nice location on the edge of the cliff. After we hopped on the bus and headed back to Anacapri to grab some lunch which was just a simple flatbread sambo. Once done with lunch we took a trip up to the highest point on the Island. It has a pretty cool chairlift which goes right to the top. Once at the top there are some fantastic views. Although on our visit it was a tad hazy and cloudy but still it was nice to see. There’s also a coffee/gift shop if you fancy a cuppa. There’s also the option to hike up and/or down but we took the chairlift back down, wanting to save the legs.
After we got back down to Anacapri, we headed back to our hotel for a splash around in the pool which was nice. After, our plan for the evening was to go to Capri proper and check out the atmosphere. We hopped on the bus which only takes about 15 minutes to get there. Once there it was obvious, this is the ‘real’ Capri. All the top brand name clothes shops, shoe shops, jewellers are all here. Add to that, this is where the jet set hang out, or rather the yacht-set. There’s also several very fancy hotels and Michelin star dining options if you like. The place was hopping, it was much nicer here than down at the port of Capri. After a good wander around, we stopped up for a cocktail which was decent and soon after we found a spot for dinner. After dinner, we made our way back to the bus station to get the bus back to Anacapri.
The following morning it was time to leave the island and head back to the mainland. We had to spend one more night in Naples as we did not want to chance missing our flight home the following day on the off-chance that the early morning ferry would not depart. Once back in Naples, we made our way to our hotel which is right beside the train station, we purposefully picked here as it is right beside the bus stop for the airport. The hotel was fine, we grabbed lunch here and both went for the same thing as nothing else on the menu appealed, asparagus with tagliatelle which was once again, under-seasoned and just boring.
To pass the afternoon, we wandered around a little more and visited the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, which was actually worth visiting. It had some fantastic displays and you could easily spend a few hours here. That evening for dinner, once again, we went to Etto. It was the best food we had throughout the entire trip so we stuck with it. After our meal, we had one final drink before calling it a night. The next morning, we grabbed breakfast, checked out and hopped on the bus the airport for the return flight home.
Overall, we had a good time in this part of Italy. For both of us, Sorrento was the highlight we really enjoyed our time there and will certainly consider returning at a later date. Capri lived up to C’s expectation which was great as there is nothing worse if your expectations for something you always wanted to see fails to deliver. Without a doubt and even with mass-tourism, the Amalfi coast is well worth seeing and has loads to offer with impressive scenery and small delightful towns and villages. As for Naples, avoid at all cost, such a shame as the city has such history attached to it but the place is a dump.
Until next time,
Bye for now,
C&J
cjfoodandtravel 