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Begin your tour of Naples’ two oldest main streets at Piazza del Gesù, where you can admire the Guglia dell’Immacolata and the rusticated façade of the church. Further along, enter Santa Chiara to take in the medieval tombs and then around the back to see the famous tiled cloister.

Continuing on, stop for a drink at one of the cafés in Piazza San Domenico, where you will note that the Guglia di San Domenico has mermaids sculpted on its base. Across the street, stop in at the church of Sant’Angelo a Nilo to see its Donatello bas-relief, and at the next corner, look for the ancient statue of the god of the Nile, known familiarly as “The Body of Naples”. Follow the street all the way to Via Duomo, pausing at the shops of all kinds along the way.

Next, visit the culturally amazing Duomo , and then go behind it to see the earliest guglia , topped by a statue of San Gennaro, and Caravaggio’s revolutionary painting The Acts of Mercy in the Pio Monte della Misericordia . Double back along Via dei Tribunali, where you can visit more fascinating churches, including San Gregorio Armeno and Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco .

Finally, head for Piazza Bellini, where you can relax and have a drink or a full meal at one of the friendly cafés.

Start the tour in the cool of the morning with a visit to Solfatara (opens 8:30am), the vast volcanic lava cap about 1 km (0.5 mile) north of the town. This stark, bizarre site will set the tone for the day’s musings on the ephemeral nature of all things. Next, head back towards town on the Via Vecchia di San Gennaro and take a quick left on Via Domiziana, which follows the ancient Roman road of basalt stones built to link Rome to Puteoli (Pozzuoli). Visit the Santuario di San Gennaro and see the spot where Naples’ patron saint met his martyrdom under Emperor Diocletian.

From here, turn back and go down Via Vecchia di San Gennaro to the Piscina Cardito, a 2nd-century cistern with a vaulted ceiling supported by pillars. Continue on to the great Anfiteatro Flavio and try to imagine what it might have been like, with full scenery and exotic beasts springing out of trapdoors. Next, follow Via Terracciano along to the Terme di Nettuno, huge terraced baths, and on the opposite slope the Ninfeo di Diana, a fountain that may have been part of the baths.

Work your way down towards the ancient port, most of it now underwater, to the Serapeum (market). Walk up onto the promontory, the Rione Terra, to visit the 2,000-year-old Duomo (cathedral).

Finally, enjoy a well-deserved lunch at the Antica Trattoria da Ciuffello (see Antica Trattoria da Ciuffello, Pozzuoli).

The islands and the Sorrentine Peninsula are liberally criss-crossed with hiking trails galore, of every degree of difficulty from a country stroll to a full day’s all-out trek to unfrequented parts. Many are ancient, even prehistoric goat trails that pass by spots of timeless beauty. If you have time to work in a day of hiking while here it’s well worth it for the intimate contact you will have with this beautiful landscape (see Walks).

Excellent hiking points can be reached above Positano and between Ravello and AmalfiAtrani. Most of these paths are erstwhile goat trails, while some have been built up as stone stairways, but all of them offer incomparable views.

Once you get away from the smart shops and hotels, this island is all about nature walks: up to Villa Jovis, down to the Arco Naturale, through the forest to the Blue Grotto – the possibilities are numerous.

In Roman times this street, now known as Via dei Tribunali, was the main east-west artery of the city. It constitutes the heart of the old quarter and is replete with unmissable sights, as well as intriguing shops and bars and cafés to while away the hours.

The walks and hikes on this island are plentiful. A memorable trek is up Monte Epomeo from Forio, through Fontana, taking about 40 minutes.

Beginning at the public gardens next to the Palazzo Reale, take the seaside road around the Santa Lucia quarter and past some of Naples’ loveliest areas, including the island of Castel dell’Ovo and the green splendour of the Villa Comunale.

If you take the funivia (cablecar) from Castellammare di Stabia up to Monte Faito there are startling views from the top, as well as the beginning of numerous nature trails, some of which eventually lead as far as Positano.

The colloquial name of this ancient street means “Splits Naples”, which is exactly what it does, cutting the oldest part of the city right down the middle. Beginning at the western end in Piazza del Gesù Nuovo, a straight line takes you past some of the city’s finest monuments. In addition, there are shops, bars, cafés and pizzerias (see Spaccanapoli to Capodimonte).

What started out as an unassuming hunting lodge soon grew to become a vast royal palace. It is now a museum housing one of Italy’s finest collections of art.

This monastery complex is home to several collections of art. The Pinacoteca, comprising part of the Prior’s Quarters, is notable for its works from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, many having been commissioned for the monastery. On the upper floors, 19th-century works convey the look and feel of Naples in the days of Italian Unification. A section devoted to Nativity scenes demonstrates the power and beauty of this uniquely Neapolitan art form (see Certosa di San Martino).

Housed in the 18th-century Villa Arbusto, exhibits here illustrate the history of ancient Ischia, from prehistoric to Roman times. Many of the most important objects date back to the 8th century BC, when Ischia was settled by Greeks from the island of Euboea. The most famous pots were found at a nearby necropolis; among these are a typical late geometric krater , decorated with a shipwreck scene.

Finds from this Roman town, now inside the town hall, consist of pottery, figurines and tools.

Among this museum’s beautiful treasures are ancient Greek tomb paintings that were only discovered on the site in 1968. Other finds include bronze vases, terracotta votive figures and various funerary furnishings (see Paestum).

This museum boasts finds from all over the peninsula, including pottery and weapons.

An insurpassable museum for the range and beauty of its Greco-Roman art, with important pieces unearthed in Rome and in towns around Vesuvius. The experience is a total immersion in the life of the ancients – their religious beliefs, sports, eating habits, and even their erotic peccadilloes (see Museo Archeologico Nazionale).

For lovers of Neapolitan Baroque this little-known gallery is a must. Part of a monastic complex, there are fine works by Carracciolo, Vaccaro, Giordano, and several by Ribera, featuring his signature taste for the outrageous and extreme.

Below the 19th-century church lies an area where you can see remains of a 4th-century Christian basilica.

This 11th-century abbey is notable for its paintings by pupils of Luca Giordano.

This is the third-largest Roman amphitheatre in the world, after those at Rome and Capua – again making it clear how important this area was to the empire. It had a seating capacity of 40,000 and was equipped with an array of below-floor apparatus for making the venationes (wild animal “hunts”) that took place here as theatrical as possible. Nowhere are such systems so well preserved, thanks to the lower portion of the structure having been buried until modern times.

In the 16th century poetess Vittoria Colonna held court here, making Ischia the cultural centre of the Mediterranean. Part of the ruin is now a hotel.

Despite its bulky towers of volcanic stone, this Renaissance castle also features one of the most graceful archway entrances of the period, delicately carved in the purest white marble.

This 14th-century monastery features North African-style vaults forming a series of little domes. It now houses the town’s library.

If there is one museum that manages to capture the true Naples, this is it. Come for the unparalleled views from the gardens, for the masterpieces of the Neapolitan Baroque and the world’s finest collection of nativity figures.

In this 18th-century villa, archaeological finds include a 4th-century BC Greek original of Artemis on a Deer.

In effect, Naples’ cathedral is at least three churches in one, including a treasure-laden Palaeo-Christian basilica from the 4th century. The side chapel dedicated to the city’s adored patron saint, San Gennaro, is so large and resplendent that it is really a church in its own right .

With its commanding position near the bay, the Royal Palace dominates the grandest part of the city.

Located just above the town, another crater of a dormant volcano presents an otherworldly landscape. It was called the Forum Vulcani (Vulcan’s Forum) by the Romans, who also found its sulphurous spewings fascinating.

A walk along the rim of this vast crater is an experience of a lifetime. Some 20,000 visitors a year trek to the top to peer down into the steaming depths 200 m (700 ft) below. The hike up takes 45 minutes and it’s at its best in late spring, when flowers and songbirds are most vibrant. It is cold on the top, so go prepared.

Very much in ruins, this Roman imperial palace’s main attraction now lies in its stunning position.

In this aristocratic villa the fresco style dates from the 1st century AD. The antiquarium displays artifacts excavated here and at two sites nearby.

Amalfi is the largest and most historic town on its eponymous coastline. Between the 9th and 12th centuries the republic was at its height of mercantile power and the architecture still evokes that glory. The Duomo (cathedral) is glorious.

This small island has had a fabled history of glamour and decadence yet it still remains essentially a simple place.

Some of the best preserved Greek temples in the world stand in timeless splendour on this evocative plain south of Naples.

The world’s most famous archaeological site comprises an entire culture caught in a moment of life when Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago (see Pompeii).