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Borgo Marinaro
According to legend, this small island of volcanic rock is where the heartbroken siren Partenope washed ashore after failing to seduce Ulysses with her song. It's also where the Greeks first settled the city in the 7th century BC, calling the island Megaris. A humble fishing hub in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Borgo Marinaro is now a lively mix of bars, restaurants and cocktail-sipping night-owls, all in the shadow of the Castel dell'Ovo.
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Parco di Capodimonte
Like Hampstead Heath with sunshine, this big park was designed by Ferdinando Sanfelice in 1742 as a hunting reserve for King Charles VII. In order to provide the proper environment for his prey, the grounds were turned into a botanical wonderland; a fact not lost on Neapolitans, who flock here for a spot of weekend R&R. Within the park walls there are five lakes, a wood, and various 18th-century buildings, including the Palazzo Porcellane.
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Solfatara Crater
Unnerving and surreal, this geological freakshow is a vivid reminder of just how active the ground below here is. Called Foro Vulcani (home of the god of fire) by the Romans, the crater's acrid steam, bubbling mud and sulphurous water have been lauded as health cures for thousands of years.
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Stazione Zoologica (Aquario)
Europe's oldest aquarium is more 'vintage charm' than 'cutting-edge' with its dripping tanks of spooky squid and nervous little Nemos. Housed in an elegant neoclassical building, its 23 tanks contain some 200 species of marine flora and fauna exclusively from the Bay of Naples. Founded in 1872 by German naturalist Anton Dohrn, its research centre plays a vital role in rehabilitating Loggerhead sea turtles injured by ships in the bay.
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