Sunbathers relax by the Gaiola Island, The Underwater Park of Gaiola, a protected marine area.Posillipo.Naples.Italy.

sayef chaoiachi/Shutterstock

Parco Sommerso di Gaiola

Naples


Steep steps lead down to this marine reserve, rich in biodiversity and submerged Roman ruins. Due to its size, only 100 bathers are allowed through its gates at any one time (bring photo ID). Admittedly, the association managing the fragile reserve tolerates rather than encourages bathers. Instead, visitors should consider one of the educational activities offered, including year-round tours of the marine reserve and the clifftop Parco Archeologico del Pausilypon, littered with the ruins of the 1st-century BC Villa di Pollione.

The once-luxurious villa belonged to Publius Vedius Pollio, a wealthy friend of Emperor Augustus and, according to accounts by Pliny the Elder, a cruel, murderous figure who bred murene (large eels) in the coastal grottoes below, which are also visited on the guided tours.

Bequeathed to Augustus after Pollio’s death in 15 BC, the grounds include a Roman theatre, the venue for weekly sunset concerts and theatre performances in the summer. Known as the Pausilypon: Suggestioni all'Imbrunire (www.suggestioniallimbrunire.org), the season usually runs from mid-June to late July.

The marine reserve offers daily kayaking, snorkelling and diving tours all year round. Guided archaeological tours (adult/reduced €6/3.50) run at from noon Tuesday to Friday, 10am and noon on Saturday, and 10am, 11am and noon on Sunday between April and September (no 11am Sunday tour the rest of the year). Glass-bottom boat tours (adult/reduced €12/10) run at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 3pm on Saturday and Sunday from around April to the end of October. Check the reserve's website for more information.

Transportation

  • bus: 140 to Discesa Coroglio

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Naples attractions

1. Parco Virgiliano

0.61 MILES

Perched high above the shimmering sea on the westernmost tip of posh Posillipo hill, this much-loved, somewhat neglected park is the place to kick back on…

2. Grotta di Seiano

0.79 MILES

At the bottom of a long, steep and exhausting descent, the Grotta di Seiano isn't actually a cave but a 1st-century tunnel linking the Roman Villa…

3. Villa Rosebery

1 MILES

In an area famed for its blue-ribbon real estate, Villa Rosebery is a star resident. Built in the 18th century, it has a history both romantic and epic…

4. Città della Scienza

1.21 MILES

The interactive City of Science is part of a long-term redevelopment of the Bagnoli steelworks area, 5km southeast of central Pozzuoli. It's a particular…

5. Palazzo Donn'Anna

2.36 MILES

Incomplete, semiderelict yet hauntingly beautiful, this seaside Posillipo villa takes its name from Anna Carafa, for whom it was built as a wedding…

6. Porto di Mergellina

2.89 MILES

Once home to the area's fishing fleet, Mergellina's marina is now a crowd-pulling combo of anchored yachts and kitsch Neapolitan chalets, neon-lit seaside…

7. Molo Luise

2.97 MILES

Nicknamed the 'Moletto', this hulking pier protects the Porto di Mergellina from the open sea. It's a popular place for locals (both human and feline),…

8. Piazzetta del Leone

2.98 MILES

This semi-circular piazzetta (small square) is named for its somewhat battered-looking protagonist, a marble lion whose origins remain unknown (in spite…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "italy/campania/naples/attractions/parco-sommerso-di-gaiola/a/poi-sig/1595176/359879",
      "destination": "Naples",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Italy",
      "city": "Naples",
      "position": "superzone"
    }