Pozzuoli: A Day Trip from Naples with Lots to Offer

Underneath the Roman amphitheater in Pozzuoli

If your travels through Italy take you to Naples, you should consider taking a day trip to Pozzuoli. Pozzuoli is practically a suburb of Naples and you can get there in half an hour by taking a metro train from Garibaldi Station. Not only is it easy and cheap to get to Pozzuoli, this gritty but charming harbor town has something for everyone.

One of my favorite attractions is the Roman amphitheater. You can wander around the entire structure, including the underground chambers where the beasts and gladiators were kept. Numerous signs provide detailed explanations of how the amphitheater worked and you won't have to fight crowds, stand in lines, or pay the hefty entrance fee that you will to see the Colosseum (there is an entrance fee at Pozzuoli, but it's reasonable). If you go in the summer, the underground chambers make a refreshing break from the South Italian sun and the grounds surrounding the amphitheater are littered with sculptures and architectural carvings - just don't go looking for the museum that the signs mention: they never built it.

The ancient Roman marketplace when the water table is low

Another great Pozzuoli ruin is the ancient Roman marketplace, also called the Serapeum, located near the harbor. This was once the heart of the Roman city of Puteoli, an important commercial center, and today it gives an interesting insight into the volcanic geology of Campania, the region of Italy around Naples. The marketplace is seriously affected by bradyseism, the rise and fall of the earth due to volcanic activity. Sometimes the bottom of the market is dry and visible, as in the photo above. At other times, as on my last visit, the entire market floor is covered with several feet of water, complete with pond weeds and hopping frogs.

A sulfurous steam vent at Solfatara

If ancient ruins don't interest you, try hiking up the road for more volcanic activity. The crater of the dormant Solfatara volcano provides a strange lunar landscape complete with pits of boiling mud, vents of steam, yellow and orange sulfur crystals growing on the rocks, and a constant smell of fireworks. At one end of the vast crater is a seriously toasty medieval sauna, not for the faint of heart. The ground is also quite hot, so be careful if you're wearing sandals or flip-flops.

Of course, no day trip would be complete without great food. Try stopping at 'A Scarpetta, a traditional Napolitano restaurant located at Via S. Paolo 15 (you'll find it if you face the main harbor, then follow the waterside road to your left). 'A Scarpetta makes fabulous seafood dishes. For a genuine culinary delight, order the antipasti di mare. Just be warned - you might not have room for dinner afterward!


Copyright 2010 Sara Harding