When we tell people that we are going to spend one day in Naples, we are often told that it is “dirty”, “dangerous” and to “skip it if you can”. We actually felt safe when visiting and thought it was authentic. Oh and the food… the food was something out of this world. Ending our Amalfi Coast Trip in Naples, we were excited to check out one of the most underrated cities in Italy.

We arrived late at night from Pompeii to Naples and checked into our slightly dodgy-looking apartment called Residenza Carlo III Luxury B&B (luxury is definitely not the word I’d use to describe it – it had no windows, just a painting stuck on behind curtains depicting a window with a beach view). Inside wasn’t too bad though and the price was very decent.  

We then went to grab some dinner, which proved to be quite challenging as it was 9pm. A few locals suggested we check out 50 Kalo which was only 3 minutes’ walk from our apartment. Straight away, we knew this was a great shout as people were queuing to the end of the street! There was quite a long waiting list as people and food delivery guys were surrounding the entrance. When we eventually got a seat, we decided to go for one Margherita pizza and one friend pizza. The pizza was soooooo good!

We then went back to our dodgy apartment and called it a night. When we woke up the next day, we grabbed coffee and pastry from the café next to us and walked to the meeting point of our walking tour. As the weather was so pleasant, ee decided to walk 30 minutes through the promenade to Castel del Ovo. It was a beautiful walk and time flew by.  

Castel dell’Ovo

We finally reached Castel dell’Ovo. Naples is often referred to as “the city of the seven castles” since it was the only place in the world to have so many castles. As we only had a day to visit Naples, we decided to see Castle dell’Ovo and Castel Nuovo.

Castel dell’Ovo, or Egg Castle as its often referred to is the oldest castle in Naples. It looks out to the Bay of Naples and was built to offer safety to the Greeks and Romans. Our tour guide mentioned that as the legend goes, a famous poet named Vigil buried a magical egg under the castle to support its foundation. He warmed that if the egg broke, the castle would crumble and Naples would experience disastrous events. Well, luckily nobody has crushed the egg yet!

Because we were tight on time, we only saw the castle from the outside, but it is free to go inside.

Castel Nuovo

We then passed by Castel Nuovo, and just saw this castle from the outside and it looked quite similar to Castel dell’Ovo. This was built in 1279 by the Aragon and Spanish rulers. It looked like a ‘true castle’ with its isolating moat and rook-like structures.

Piazza del Plebiscito

We finally reached the Piazza del Plebiscito, where the free walking tour was going to take place. We sat down in a café, sipping our cappuccino whilst waiting for the tour to start. Khaled and I were truly invested in a rather loud conversation happening in the table next to us with 2 American businessmen explaining how angry they were that they flew all the way to Naples for their Italian counterpart to be really late to the meeting and then not compromise on a deal. We shouldn’t have eavesdropped, but I mean… they were right next to us and the story was quite riveting. a

Eventually the tour started in the centre of Piazza del Plebiscito. The tour guide explained how this is a beautiful must-see city centre plaza that was named after the reference that pulled Naples into the unification of Italy in 1860. She also explained how in 1963, the Piazza del Plebiscito was transformed into a parking lot to deal with the chaotic increase of cars in Naples before being reverted back to a pedestrian plaza in 1994.

We walked past the San Carlo Opera House to get to the Royal Palace

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace of Naples was one of four royal residences used by the House of Bourbon during their rule of the Kingdom of Naples. Construction began in the 17^th century but had to be rebuilt after the palace suffered from bombing during WWII. Today it is used as a museum and serves as an important tourist attraction in Naples.

Galleria Umberto I

We then walked through the Galleria Umberto I. It was almost identical to the one we visited in Milan a few years back. This is a public shopping gallery in Naples that is lined with elegant shops and cafes. We were simply in awe by the ornately decorated Neoclassical fronts and the elegant glass-iron covered passage following a cross shape.

Spanish District

We then walked through the Spanish Quarters or Quartieri Spagnoli, one of the most well-known and densely populated working-class districts in Naples. It dates back to the 16^th century and was part of an extension to Naples ordered by Viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo. I loved walked around its characteristics narrow streets with its grid-like layout and buildings so close to one another that it barely admits any sunlight. It does get super busy with Vespa Scooters whizzing past and has a reputation for petty crime (be sure to keep a tight leash on bags!).

 I LOVED the street art here. We also saw the ten-story mural of the greatest footballer of all time – Maradona. I am a huge fan because of his vocal support for the Palestinian cause.

Via Toledo

We walked through the Spanish quarter to get to Via Toledo. This is Naples oldest street and is the principal shopping street which stretches for over 1.5km. It started of as a military road built by the Spanish Viceroy Don Pedro of Toledo who brought Naples to prominence in the 16^th century. This street changes quite dramatically in character as you head north – beginning elegantly and then… not so elegantly. Khaled quite happily sat in a coffee shop while I went shopping for souvenirs.

Make sure you also ride the metro to Toledo station – it truly is the most beautiful metro station in Europe!

Piazza San Domenico

We finished the tour in Piazza San Domenico which is pretty much considered the centre of downtown Naples. We visited Dan Domenico Maggiore Church and saw the San Domenico Obelisk in the middle of the piazza. This was one of the three “plague columns built in Naples after the 1656 epidemic.

This is where the walking tour ended, so Khaled and I popped over to a famous bakery called ‘Scaturchio’ and ate the most luscious pastry called ‘sfogliatelle’ – it was to die for!

After our short break, we walked back where we came from through the Spanish quarters and walked past this gallery, tucked hidden away in this courtyard. We heard the most beautiful music coming from upstairs and we were curious to see who was producing. When we walked up the shallow staircase, we saw this empty room opening up to a garden terrace with a piano and some benches. There was this elderly guy playing the piano and his companion singing in Italian. We took a seat and just soaked in the music. It is hard to describe, but there was something about it that just seemed so raw.

Pizzeria de Michele

At this point, we were getting hungry and didn’t have much time before we had to leave Naples – so of course, we grabbed some pizza. There are two famous pizzeria places in Naples – Pizzeria Sorbillo and Pizzeria de Michele. We went to Pizzeria de Michele and we were not disappointed. The place itself is not very large but the crowd outside was. That’s how we spotted the place – we the moment we turned onto the right street, there was no missing the crowd. After some confusion, we realised that we had to get a number from the large Italian man shouting numbers and when he shouts out our number, we grab our pizzas. Guys, we waited an hour for this pizza… an HOUR! If you’ve read my previous blog posts about food, you’d know that one of my pet peeves is having to queue for food.

When they eventually called our number out, we grabbed the pizza and sat ourselves down on the steps. We ordered one margherita and we were surprised at how simple they looked. In the UK, we put all kinds to our pizzas but here, they don’t need to – they keep it simple with just crust, sauce and cheese. I feel like I don’t even need to say this but yes, the pizza was the best pizza I’ve ever had – it was perfection. Our biggest regret was not ordered two pizzas because the were just so delicious

We had to quickly head back to catch our flight so we took a scooter from Castel dell’Ovo to where our car was parked next to our accommodation. We had such a short but wonderful time in Naples and would recommend anyone and everyone to visit!