From the dramatic ascent of Mount Vesuvius to the beautifully preserved ruins of Herculaneum, this leg of our Italian adventure was a perfect blend of natural wonder, ancient history and everyday life in Campania.
A relatively early start took us to the tourist office on Via Roma, where we waited for the bus we’d booked to take us up Mount Vesuvius. Even though it was November, the day was beautifully sunny and warm, ideal conditions for the trip.
The bus journey took around half an hour and was packed with people of all nationalities, all making their way towards this bucket-list experience. Having visited before, albeit over a decade ago, I was able to sit back and really take in the journey this time. As we wound our way up towards the drop-off point, the views over Pompeii and beyond were absolutely breathtaking.
Once we arrived, we disembarked and passed through the checkpoint before beginning the roughly 1km ascent to the summit via the Il Gran Cono route. This path takes you around the rim of the crater and, on a clear day, offers sweeping views all the way to Naples, Capri and the coastline leading towards Sorrento. It really is beautiful.
I’d definitely recommend wearing decent footwear, as there’s a fair bit of scree underfoot and it can be a little slippery.
I enjoyed being at the summit, listening to people as they took in the volcano and the significance of standing there. The crater itself, however, felt slightly underwhelming, especially if, like me, you have fanciful notions of smoky tendrils and glowing lava. I know, I know, a quick Google image search would set expectations straight, but still, imagination does run wild. That said, I’d get quite the shock if it did look a little more active!
Being so exposed, the wind was pretty gusty, so it’s worth keeping a good grip on your camera or phone when snapping photos.
All in all, it’s a fantastic experience and one I’d wholeheartedly recommend adding to your itinerary if you have the time. Had we been less pressed, we would have loved to hike up from Pompeii via one of the longer routes, the Matrone Road would have been ideal. But with other plans for the afternoon, we headed back to the bus and made our way down the mountainside, getting dropped off at Torre del Greco.
After a quick supermarket stop for lunch supplies, it was back to the day’s adventure. We walked just over 3km along Corso Resina towards Herculaneum (Ercolano). This is a vibrant, lived-in town, full of daily life. Children being collected from school animatedly recounted their day to parents and grandparents and it was genuinely lovely to experience this slice of local life as we made our way to the ruins.
The archaeological park of Ercolano is relatively small compared to Pompeii, but it more than makes up for it with its fascinating detail and atmosphere. It’s especially worth a visit if time doesn’t allow for Pompeii itself. Many of the villas, first discovered in the 18th century, are open to explore and excavations continue to this day.
We wandered up and down the cobbled streets, marvelling at the impeccably preserved artwork adorning many of the villas. As always, the bathhouses were a firm favourite of mine, the Terme Centrali in particular are stunning, with their vaulted ceilings, mosaics and an overwhelming sense of stepping back in time.
I was genuinely surprised to discover that the park contains a site I had studied during my Italian Architecture course. My memory clearly isn’t what it once was, as the name had completely escaped me, but the moment I saw the Palaestra and its portico, it all came flooding back.
Set aside plenty of time to explore here properly. You can enter many of the villas and really appreciate the exquisite Roman wall paintings. If you can time your visit for the afternoon, the sun setting over the park is something truly special.
It’s also noticeably quieter than Pompeii, certainly when we visited in early November, which makes it far easier to amble, linger and fully immerse yourself in the experience.
Practical tip: There are toilets at the park entrance, but queues can be lengthy. There are also facilities inside the park near the café, which may be a better option once you’re in.
