Many tourists choose not to make Naples their primary destinations when visiting Italy. This is probably because of the reputation that this city has acquired over the years. However I take offense at that as many cities in America has their problems as well yet many tourists come and visit. So why not Naples? If you do choose to stay in Naples for a while then there are some good day trips you can do to entertain yourself. I have already mentioned the islands of Capri and Ischia and those are certainly worth spending a day exploring. However if you are into history or archeology then there is so much to explore.
The towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii are by far two of the most visited sites in the bay of Naples. Both have become famous today because of the preserved nature of these cities. Neither city would be famous if not for the volcano Vesuvius exploding and burying both of these cities.
The town of Pompeii is one place I have been myself and it is quite an interesting place to walk around. However be careful if you are not in shape. Needless to say this town is not really kept up very well and the roads can be hard to walk on if you are not very quick of foot and mind. This town was primarily a working class city of many average Romans which makes it an ideal archaeological city to study. There were some aristocrats who built some larger homes here to vacation in and visit but most of the city were of the everyday Roman citizen. This really shows in how the town was built and in the various entertainment areas around the city.
The site of Paestum is another one of those sites not to be missed if you are visiting the bay of Naples. Another ancient Roman town this place has some of the best preserved ancient temples in the area. While certainly further away then both Pompeii and Herculaneum it is still possible to see in an extended day trip. This city was originally founded by the Greeks as the city of Poseidon. So therefore you can expect to see many ancient Greek temples as well as some of the usual Roman influenced temples.
When visiting Paestum be sure to check out Tempio di Nettune or the temple of Neptune which is the best preserved site in the city. It is certainly the grandest of the temples and really illustrates the care that many of the Greeks put into building their temples.
There are many places to visit around the bay of Naples and all are not to be missed. It is very important not to neglect this area of Italy as it is steeped in history and well worth the visit.
