Vacations To Cabo San Lucas

Naples is incredibly attractive, spanning the gorgeous Bay of Naples in the Mediterranean Sea. From the bay you can see the islands of Ischia and Capri which also draw thousands of visitors every year who want to enjoy this sun-kissed part of the world. In an effort to draw tourists much money has been spent on trying to renovate Naples and make some of the tatty older buildings look better.

However the city has a reputation for being the base of the notorious Italian mafia, known as the ‘Camorra’. So powerful are the mafia that when they decided to put there waste management companies on strike, Naples filled up with rubbish displaying the altogether more unsavoury side of the city. Tourists are advised to avoid the Quartieri Spagnoli, where the mafia hold sway, even though you are of little interest to them.

Naples is polluted and it can be dangerous but there are so many sights here worth seeing that it would be a crime to miss them.

Naples is one of the most atmospheric of Italian cities. It has many roots in ancient history such as the city of Pompeii in nearby Campania. In 79 AD Pompeii was covered in ash by the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The ash which fell preserved many objects of antiquity and made Pompeii one of the world’s foremost archaeological sights and tourist attractions. To find out more about Pompeii you can go to the National Archaeological Museum at the piazza Museo Nazionale.

Another site of historical interest is Herculaneum, a town which was caught in the mud slide from the Vesuvius eruption. Definitely make the time to see this during your trip but just keep a watchful eye on your belongings as Herculaneum is in one of the poorer areas of Italy. And don’t forget to do a trip to Mount Vesuvius itself – if you dare – this is one of the only active volcanos on the European continent.

Getting around is easy with car hire Naples and considerably less hassle than taking the bus or the train. Naples international airport is a busy international hub with flights from all over Europe.

Over the years many different peoples came to live in Naples including the Roman, the French and the Spanish and they have left there mark making Naples one of the most cosmopolitan of Italian cities. Much of the old Naples architecture is baroque but you will often see contrasting buildings of different eras and styles within a mere stone’s throw of each other. The Duomo is one of the standout edifices and it is dedicated to the patron saint San Gennaro.

Naples is a fantastic place to see great collected artworks and the Capodimonte museum at via Capodimonte has pieces from many masters including Titan.

Naples will also have pride of place within Italy as the home of pizza. To try it at its best go to da Michele at 1 Via Cesare Sersale. This excellent restaurant is closed on Sundays. Another place to do fine Neapolitan food is the Cantina della Tofa in vico della Tofa, also closed on Sundays. For aperitifs and good coffee there are many places to choose from so stroll around and have a look. The Piazzi Bellini is aptly named and this is where the beautiful people of Naples hang out and have fun.

This article was put together by Ric Rubichello, the Italian correspondent for www.anyairportcarhire.com. He used car hire Naples and Car Hire Naples Airport to get around this city by the bay and find out what makes it tick. In terms of food and history there are few cities in the world to rival it.