Pompeii, Capri and the Bay of Naples

The Sorrento peninsula and the Bay of Naples has attracted visitors for centuries in search of its outstanding scenery, tranquility and some of the most remarkable sights from throughout history. Invasions by the Greeks, Phoenicians and Saracens have all left their legacies - but none more so than the Romans. Even 2000 years ago the attributes of the region were well known with the Emperors Tiberius and Augustus, together with countless members of the ruling elite, having villas here. Sorrento came to real fame though, during the late 18th century when many of Europe’s aristocracy came to spend their winters here - attracted by its mild climate and outstanding natural beauty. Sumptuous houses and grandiose hotels were built along the cliff-tops and today Sorrento is everything you expect an Italian town to be: tiny cobbled streets and quaint squares with flowers decorating almost every building, tubs of geraniums, dark blue clematis climbing up pastel-coloured, almost crumbling walls, with pink hydrangeas and roses in almost every open space, all shaded by lofty palm trees offering welcome shade. Mouth-watering aromas drift from the numerous restaurants and bistros, some humble and homely, some grand and ostentatious with pavement cafés serving fine cappuccino on seemingly every street corner.

We see the legendary Amalfi coast, with every guidebook proclaiming it the most beautiful in Europe, and when you see it, it really is impossible to disagree! Deep red mountains covered with pine forests plunge dramatically into the calm blue Mediterranean. Then to Capri, which possesses a deserved reputation as a veritable Garden of Eden - it will come as no surprise why so many of the rich and famous have made it their home.

Wherever you travel in the Bay of Naples, the skyline is dominated by the majestic and still active volcano Vesuvius, rising loftily to over 4000 ft. No doubt you will be aware, it has erupted in spectacular fashion several times in its history - the most famous, of course, being in 79AD when the Roman city of Pompeii, together with many of its inhabitants, were entombed and whose state of preservation today is little short of remarkable.

All in all there can be few places where you will find so much of interest in an area of such outstanding natural beauty as the Bay of Naples.

Holiday Highlights

Return flights to Naples
Seven nights half-board in a choice of three-star or four-star hotel in Sorrento
Walking tour of Sorrento one of Italy’s most beautiful coastal towns
Cruise to the stunning island of Capri, home of the Roman Emperors
Visit to the magnificent volcano of Vesuvius
Visit to Naples and its Archaeological Museum
Guided tour of Pompeii a city frozen in time
Tour of the Amalfi coast - one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world
Visit to Ravello – setting for Wagner’s opera Parsifal
Service of an experienced tour manager

Itinerary

Day 1

You should arrive at the airport to take your flight to Naples. On arrival a coach will take us to Sorrento, a lovely base for our holiday (journey is approximately one hour, fifteen minutes). You have a choice of carefully selected hotels. They are all well managed and of a very good quality within their category. All have good restaurants where we take breakfast and dinner.

Day 2

Sorrento has been a resort for centuries and has developed with great style, so today we have a rather lazy day commencing with a short walking tour. The Romans were aware of Sorrento’s attributes and the area is dotted with the remains of their opulent villas. During the 18th century it became part of the Grand Tour for Europe’s aristocracy with classic hotels being built around the old cliff-top town. Today, spared the excesses of modern development, Sorrento is delightful and so typical of the south of Italy. Tiny winding streets lined with tall, seemingly crumbling buildings complete with their faded façades of ochre, yellow and magenta are now home to superb shops and cosy restaurants. The stylish young astride their Vespas are everywhere, and on every bench sit splendidly turned out senior citizens, superbly dressed no matter how hot the weather – all having time to pass a few words in the street.

Day 3

Capri is renowned the world over for its outstanding natural beauty and today we take the short boat ride to the island. It has long been the most sought-after part of the Bay of Naples: not only attracting three Roman emperors, but also writers such as D.H. Lawrence and George Bernard Shaw who sought inspiration here. Famous names such as Gracie Fields and Graham Greene, amongst many others, have made it their home. It is easy to see why it is so adored: as we approach the island you can see small fishing boats rising and falling with the gentle waves, with pretty shops and restaurants lining the busy quayside.

The picturesque main town is perched on the hill looking down on the quaint harbour below. You may wish to visit the famous Blue Grotto – the large cavern which can only be reached by boat and by a freak of nature is bathed in incandescent blue light, hence its name. Yes, Capri really does deserve its reputation as a Garden of Eden. We then take the boat to the mainland and return to our hotel.

Day 4

We all know the story of Pompeii, however, it is more than a series of ruins: the state of preservation is astonishing and even if you are not interested in history you cannot fail to be moved by the scale of the city, the construction of which appears to put our modern structures to shame, especially when you consider machines were unavailable. Much of our knowledge about the way of life of the ordinary Romans, their habits, social structure, class systems and domestic arrangements has come from here. Some of the baths are virtually complete as are various murals and mosaics, with some buildings having graffiti describing political events, romantic entanglements and gossip of the time! You can even see the traffic calming measures, how the one-way system operated and appreciate the very high standard of living evident in Roman Pompeii. The atmosphere is eerie, as preserved for all time are the pained facial expressions of the victims of Vesuvius.

This morning we will have a guided tour of this fascinating city before visiting the perpetrator of this cataclysmic act, Vesuvius itself. Bizarrely enough, the bottom of the volcano is now populated again with the lower slopes producing some of the finest wine in the area! The coach will take us most of the way up, giving panoramic views of the whole bay and the almost lunar landscape caused by the last eruption. We then return to the hotel in time for dinner after an interesting, thought-provoking day.

Day 5

Today you have a free day in Sorrento to spend as you wish. You could take a boat trip, shop in the high class boutiques, have a lazy lunch or simply catch up on some reading – the choice is yours.

Day 6

Today, we take the drive north around the bay to the cosmopolitan city of Naples where we visit the Archaeological Museum which is one of the finest of its kind. When the excavations commenced in nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum, the best of the finds were brought here and displayed to an eager public. There is a very extensive display of remarkably preserved mosaics giving a superb insight into the way of life and even sense of humour of the ordinary Roman. Other sections include murals, figures, fine pottery, ropes and even preserved food. One of the central displays is of some of the largest classical sculpture ever found and the museum as a whole complements your visit to Pompeii admirably.

Day 7

When you see it, we think you will agree the Amalfi coastline is, as it claims to be, Europe’s most beautiful. Today we explore the coast as it winds around towering cliffs, dipping almost sheer to the beautiful blue sea below with birds soaring above and the air heavy with the typically Mediterranean scent of pine forest and wild flowers. We arrive above the exclusive resort of Positano clinging pyramid-like to the cliff-face, giving a view, which has inspired countless artists and today is the haunt of even more numerous celebrities. Next it’s Amalfi, a picturesque village in a gorgeous setting, possessing charm in abundance and perhaps the highlight of the coast.

Just inland is the stunning village of Ravello, with its unrivalled location perched like an eagle’s nest on a shelf above Amalfi, affording some amazing views. It has an ambience of its own and a wonderful main square surrounded by delightful small cafés and the Villa Rufolo – once the headquarters of a city-state, now a charming collection of medieval buildings, statues, tasteful walled gardens and the setting for Wagner’s opera Parsifal.