Kayak Napoli
Naples sits between the sleeping majesty of Vesuvius and the lesser-known but more troubling volcano Campi Flegrei. Between the two is the Bay of Naples, which is best explored by kayak. In Posillipo – a few minutes’ drive from Villa Donn’Anna, the oldest palazzo in Naples and also well worth a visit – you’ll find Kayak Napoli, run by Alessandro and team. In no time he’ll have you on the water, paddling past some famous and infamous waterside properties. Stop off at the marina of the abandoned hotel Villa Laura and fill your water bottles at the spring there. Try to make it to Gaiola, a small island that includes submerged mosaics and remains of a Roman villa. Keep in mind you’ll need to return and pack a picnic before you go.
Kayak Napoli, Via Posillipo, 68; kayaknapoli.com
Go to the football
In Naples, football isn’t a game; it’s an essential organ, like the heart. The Parthenopeans aren’t passionate about the game – they’re something else, something slightly unhinged. Because of this, though, the atmosphere is as good as any in the world at Fuorigrotta’s Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, named after a certain diminutive Argentinian who won Napoli their only league titles in 1987 and 1990 and gave the people joy verging on hysteria in a truly dark period of the city’s life. Sainthood beckoned.
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Piazzale Vincenzo Tecchio; sscnapoli.it
Catch an opera at Teatro di San Carlo
You’ll need to book weeks, months, ahead of the event to guarantee tickets for a show but at the oldest opera house in the world it’s always worth trying your luck at the last minute and you might bag a ticket for the upper decks, where acoustics are amazing and you’re guaranteed a great night. Theatre is a big deal in Naples so you may as well start at the biggest of them all.
Teatro di San Carlo, Via San Carlo, 98; teatrosancarlo.it
