18km (11 miles) W of Naples
The peninsula that flanks the Gulf of Naples to the west is a land of hills, craters, lagoons, and tarns. Naples's sprawling suburbs have tarnished its original charm, and the area was officially established as a national park in 1993 to protect it from further development. On the positive side, this has not detracted from the magnificent views over the Gulf of Naples and the islands of Ischia and Procida that make this peninsula one of the most scenic spots in Campania.
Named the "burning fields" during antiquity because of its boiling mud craters, this area was highly prized during Greek and Roman times for its hot springs, its fertile soil, and good harbors, and excavations have brought to light many ruins and archaeological remains. Highlights here are Solfatara, with its lunar landscape and bubbling fumaroles; Pozzuoli, with its amphitheater and temples; Baia with its submerged Roman city; and Cuma, with its Sybilla Cave and Greek ruins.
