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This little fishing village between the tip of Capo di Posillipo and Punta del Cavallo is famous with locals for its time-tested romantic atmosphere. The vista from here is said to be so gorgeous that even the fish come here to woo their sweethearts, especially by the light of the moon. There are a number of excellent and inviting restaurants clustered around the prime viewing spot, all specializing in fish, of course.

Maiori boasts the coast’s longest beach, while Minori has the archaeological site, the Villa Romana (see Villa Romana, Minori).

Four museums in one are housed in the Università di Napoli Federico II. Rockhounds will love the Mineralogy and Geology Museum; the Anthropology Museum is fascinating; animal lovers will relate to the Zoology Museum; and the Palaeontology Museum has dinosaur exhibits.

The area’s archaeological museum contains a reassembled sacellum (shrine) featuring statues of several emperors. There’s also a reconstruction of a nymphaeum (fountain), the original of which still lies under 6 m (20 ft) of water. Its statues have been raised, however, and illustrate the story of how Ulysses and his men escaped from the Cyclops Polyphemus.

This tour’s entrance is next to San Paolo Maggiore and takes you into a world of excavations that date back to the 4th century BC. The digging began when the Greeks quarried large tufa blocks to build the city of Neapolis. Caves were also dug here to be used as tombs. Centuries later the Romans turned this underground area into aqueducts and cisterns, which were in use until the cholera epidemic of 1884.

This quiet village, close to the tip of the peninsula, has views of the tiny archipelago that was known as Le Sirenuse. It was considered to be the home of the mythical Sirens, whose song lured mariners to their deaths on the rocks.