Italy · Bay of Naples
Yacht Charter Naples
The city the whole bay was built around — and the one most charter weeks sail past without stopping.
Almost every week on this coast starts or ends within an hour of Naples and almost none of them go in. That is a habit rather than a judgement. The gulf is the reason the coast exists, the archaeology on its shore has no equal anywhere, and from the water the city reads as a single crescent between two volcanoes — which is not how it looks from a taxi.
Why arrive by sea
Naples from the land is traffic. Naples from a mile offshore is a Greek foundation under a Roman resort under a Bourbon capital, laid out in one view from Posillipo to Vesuvius, and it takes about ten minutes to understand a city people spend a week failing to.
The practical berths are at Castellammare di Stabia and Marina di Stabia on the southern shore, twenty minutes from Pompeii and an hour from the middle of town by hydrofoil. One yacht in this fleet is based there.
The archaeology, and which one to choose
Pompeii is the famous one and it is enormous, hot and crowded by ten. Herculaneum is a third of the size, was buried in mud rather than ash so the timber and the upper floors survived, and holds a fraction of the visitors.
If there is one morning, take Herculaneum. If there are two, take both and do Pompeii at opening. The crew arrange the car; the difference between eight and eleven in the morning is the difference between a ruin and a queue.
And then leave
Naples works as a day inside a week rather than as the week itself. Procida is forty minutes west, Capri an hour south, and the whole Amalfi Coast is within two — which is precisely why the fleet sits where it does.
Practical notes
- One yacht is based at Marina di Stabia on the southern shore; the rest are at Salerno, ninety minutes away
- Castellammare and Marina di Stabia are the working berths — the city's own marinas are commercial and busy
- Herculaneum is twenty minutes from the berth and far quieter than Pompeii; both are best at opening
- Naples Capodichino airport is thirty minutes from the southern berths, which makes this an easy week to arrive for
- The bay is busy with ferries and hydrofoils all day: crossings are timed around them rather than through them
Reached from: Marina di Stabia and Salerno
Where to dine
A table by the water
Da Ettore
ChiaiaGenovese and pasta e patate a few streets back from the seafront, in a room that has not been decorated for anybody.
Il Comandante
NaplesOn the tenth floor above the port, looking at Vesuvius across the water. The cooking is precise and the view is free.
Nennella
Quartieri SpagnoliLoud, cheap and communal, in the steep grid behind Via Toledo. Nothing about it is arranged for visitors and that is the point.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
The Gulf, from the water
Naples is a city best understood from a mile offshore: the whole crescent from Posillipo to Vesuvius reads at once, and it explains why everyone from the Greeks onwards wanted it.
Posillipo and Gaiola
The headland at the western end, with a submerged Roman villa and a protected marine park under it.
Pompeii and Herculaneum
Twenty minutes inland from the berth at Castellammare, and Herculaneum is the smaller, better-preserved and far quieter of the two.
Capo Miseno and the Campi Flegrei
West of the city: a volcanic caldera with Roman harbour works under the water at Baia, snorkelled rather than visited.
The fleet
Yachts available for Naples
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Naples
- Is Naples worth a day on a charter week?
- A day, yes — from the water it explains the entire coast you are sailing, and Herculaneum is twenty minutes from the berth. A week, no: the anchorages are better everywhere else in the gulf.
- Where do we berth for Naples?
- Castellammare di Stabia or Marina di Stabia on the southern shore. They are working marinas twenty minutes from Pompeii, and far more comfortable than the commercial basins in the city itself.
- Pompeii or Herculaneum?
- Herculaneum if you have one morning: a third of the size, buried in mud rather than ash so the timber survived, and a fraction of the crowd. Pompeii if you have two, and go at opening.
- What does a yacht charter in Naples cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season and the crew, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks. Send us your dates and party size.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
Charter here
Enquire about a charter in Naples
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.