Travel For Three Days To Pompeii, Paestum And Positano In Italy

Pompeii, Paestum and Positano are located within the Campania region of south western Italy. The first two highlight Greek and Roman history while Positano is an attractively sloped seaside haven that showcases a once maritime powerhouse and sometimes writers’ retreat in this land of lemons, olives and fresh seafood

Below are suggestions for how to explore the Roman ruins, Greek temples and Amalfi Coast associated with these sites without being overwhelmed, overcrowded or embarrassed by any lack of linguistic finesse.

Pompeii, Paestum and Positano

Consider Salerno As Base

A map of this region around Naples in Italy shows two bays along the Tyrrhenian Sea—the Gulf of Naples to the north and the Gulf of Salerno further south. These are separated by the Sorrento Peninsula, a promontory of land that pokes southwestward and includes the city of Sorrento on its northern shore and the Amalfi Coast along is southern stretch.

Most who visit this region choose Naples or Sorrento as their base. Naples, with a population north of two million, is a thriving and crowded city, while the twisting and often crowded drive to Sorrento can elevate your blood pressure. Alternatively, consider the city of Salerno is a base. It is not a tourist haven and includes relatively wide and clean streets. It is also more affordable for visitors than Sorrento. The city, where the first medical school in the world was founded in the ninth century, also includes a strong sense of community. Locals gather to amble along the coast and ports on Sunday afternoons. Café service is not harried and cappuccino and croissants can be surreally delicious at excellent prices.

_{Self Tour Pompeii}

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and coated the city of Pompeii in ash and debris to a depth of 23 feet (seven meters), the population at the time was fifteen to twenty thousand, or about that of Jackson, Wyoming or Bangor in Wales today. The site was basically frozen in time until centuries of excavation began in the early 1700’s, exposing this metropolis frozen in time. Today the vast site includes beautiful views of neighboring peaks and highlights Roman city planning, robust rectilinear stone roadways, thermopolia fast food cafés and frescos of mythical characters.

An easy and instructive way to learn about Pompeii’s history is to pay a fee for a two hour tour, then march around in a group led by a flag bearer. Alternatively, after buying entry tickets to the park, download the MyPompeii application on your phone and enter your ticket numbers. The GPS will identify your current location on a map that shows possible sites to visit. You can then wander to what sounds intriguing: House of the Wounded Bear, House of the Pygmies or the Villa of The Mysteries with its multiple colored frescoes. If you will drive to Pompeii, purchase a parking ticket online in advance from one of many local lots. Carry water and snacks (or a picnic lunch) and arrive early to avoid crowds.

Spend Peaceful Hours At Paestum

Originally named Poseidonia (after the god of seas and earthquakes) by Greek colonists who founded this site in the sixth century BCE, Paestum includes three beautifully intact and photogenic Doric temples spread over a huge grassy expanse. The drive is less than an hour from Salerno, or an hour and a half from Naples.

The temples of Neptune, Hera and Athena are the most significant remains today within what was once a sprawling city. Placards before stone remnants tell how Paestum once included an asclepieion, or city hospital named after the god of medicine. Here patients were put to sleep for long periods during which it was believed the gods healed them. There was also a macellum, or forum where locals bought seafood, meat, grain, vegetables and wine, and there are remnants of an amphitheater where gladiators fought.

Visit Positano By Boat

Positano is a compact, steep and attractive city clinging to a coastal mountainside. Its intense history includes it being a haven for Romans and later a maritime power that rivaled Venice.

The town is one of 13 localities located along the Amalfi Coast. It takes two and a half hours to drive this coastline and although the views can be beautiful, the driving experience can be hair raising as you dodge cars and scooters and pedestrians while swerving to negotiate roads shaped like intestines.

Nobel prize winning author John Steinbeck wrote about his road trip to Positano in 1953, and how traffic flaunted rules: “…There are the motor scooters, thousands of them, which buzz at you like mosquitoes.”

Little has changed.

Instead of driving to Positano, consider taking a ferry or charter boat from Salerno. The trip takes just over an hour and includes impressive views of peaks and coastal villages—such as Cetari, Maiori, Amalfi and Praino.

I booked lunch in Positano at the C’era Una Volta (‘Once Upon A Time’) restaurant so high up the mountainside that after ascending steep stairs my legs’ calf muscles ached for the next week. However the swordfish and limoncello spritz were worth it. When he considered the slope of this town, author Steinbeck commented that house foundations were likely horizontal rather than vertical.

Try to avoid summer. The streets will be filled with visitors. March or April are pleasant because the town is not too crowded, and weather may even be sublime.

General Recommendations

Explore During Mornings; Avoid Crowds During Afternoons

Wake early and begin exploring by 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. Most vacation revelers do not begin crowding any site until about 10:30 a.m. Between 11:30 a.m. and noon, you can halt exploration, exit the heat (if it’s summer) and enjoy lunch. Spend afternoon away from crowds with lower key activities; café time or sojourning in a park.

Sample Local Campania Pizza, Wines and Limoncello

Local Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo white wines are crisp with vigorous acidity and a sound match for pairing with seafood. For reds, try Aglianico and in the region of Mount Vesuvius sample Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio.

Naples and its surroundings are renowned for pizzas with slightly doughy crust so you can squeeze portions in your hand. Their shape is often wobbly instead of round. In the town of Herculaneum I sampled a pumpkin and sausage pizza at Rovi Pizzeria with a glass of 2020 Villa Dora Lacryma Christi Vesuvio DOC red wine. Head shakingly good.

Limoncello is a liqueur made with lemons, which grow in abundance in the region. It can be served as apero as well as with a main course or dessert. You can also try limoncello spritz, which is versatile to pair with the sublime local swordfish, or with lemon tart.

For Seafood Try Pezzogna Fish

Campania is ideal for sampling fresh anchovies, octopus, calamari, mussels and a wide range of seafood. Try also pezzogna—sea bream caught off the coast of Sorrento and Amalfi with huge bug eyes, due to its living in waters between 300 and 400 meters (1,000 to 1,300 feet) deep. In a vivacious family-owned restaurant named Antichi Sapori (’Ancient Flavors’) in the hills of the town of Vico Equense on the Sorrento Peninsula, I was served this local specialty, filleted at the table and drizzled with olive oil, lemon and salt. Delicious.

Learn At Least Four Italian Words

Grazie means thank you in Italian. Pronounced GRAZ-see-yay. Just say it. Local faces will light up. Chefs will smile. Servers will laugh. You may be poured a farewell glass grappa on the house. To this simple and powerful word you can add mille (ME-lay) which means a thousand. To boost your Italian diction, learn also to say buon giorno, for hi/good day. These words can help ingratiate you into local culture and fire up rapid camaraderie.

Dress Appropriately And Pack A Picnic For Lunch

Bring a sun hat and umbrella, even in February. You never know whether you’ll be baked by blue sky bright sunshine or thrashed by rain drops. Both can happen the same day. Strap on a day pack and carry both sun and rain protection.

A thermopolium is a type of structure found at Pompeii and Herculaneum, where local Romans purchased fast food such as focaccia bread and squid out of buckets sunk into counters. They could eat there, or take the food away to eat on the go. Consider taking your own picnic to Pompeii. You can find a bench, slice a small loaf of bread and enjoy local cheese embedded with olives and peppers as well as sausage and a glass of Aglianico wine. Pack a cloth to place your food on, as well as napkins, trash bag, corkscrew, glasses and bags to wrap excess food after you finish.

Add Herculaneum To Your Itinerary

Located on the southern outskirts of Naples, the city of Herculaneum (Ercolano, in Italian) includes an archaeological park that highlights, like Pompeii, a city excavated from the ash and debris of the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The site is compact and you can rent an audio guide for the visit. You will only need a few hours to walk the site and inspect its highlights.