map
overview
a week in rome, then south to procida for a week sailing the amalfi coast. post-sail stop at herculaneum and naples before returning to rome for the final nights. 4 pax, 2 couples.
| dates | phase | base |
|---|---|---|
| sat 9/19 | depart MSP | overnight flight |
| sun 9/20 | arrive rome | settle in |
| mon 9/21 | rome | underground / appian way |
| tue 9/22 | rome | trastevere + food tour |
| wed 9/23 | rome | domus aurea + caracalla |
| thu 9/24 | rome | tivoli or borghese |
| fri 9/25 | rome -> procida | travel day |
| sat 9/26 | sail day 1 | procida -> ischia |
| sun 9/27 | sail day 2 | ischia -> capri |
| mon 9/28 | sail day 3 | capri -> nerano |
| tue 9/29 | sail day 4 | nerano -> amalfi |
| wed 9/30 | sail day 5 | amalfi -> positano |
| thu 10/1 | sail day 6 | positano -> sorrento |
| fri 10/2 | sail day 7 / post | sorrento -> procida, herculaneum |
| sat 10/3 | naples -> rome | final rome nights |
| sun 10/4 | rome | ostia antica or slow day |
| mon 10/5 | depart FCO | home |
rome: 9/20 - 9/25
staying in trastevere or near campo de fiori — walking distance from the underground tour departure points and the food tour hub. we’ve done the colosseum / vatican / forum circuit. this week is the layers below street level, the working neighborhoods, and a couple of day trips. late september: crowds thin, temps 22-26C, light until ~19:30.
day 1 (9/21): underground rome
basilica di san clemente — 12th-century basilica built over a 4th-century church built over a 1st-century roman house and mithraeum. three discrete layers, literally descending through time. 2-3 hours, EUR 10 for the excavations. metro to colosseo, 5 min walk on via labicana. book ahead.
capuchin crypt (santa maria della concezione, via veneto 27) — bone chapel constructed from the remains of ~4,000 friars. open daily 09:30-18:30. EUR 10. 45 min.
optional add: catacombs of san callisto on via appia antica. the stretch between san callisto and san sebastiano is worth doing on foot or by rented bike.
day 2 (9/22): trastevere + campo de fiori + food tour
campo de fiori market (morning, closes ~14:00) — before 10:00. the eating europe food tour (campo de fiori + jewish ghetto + trastevere, ~4 hrs, EUR 99/person) links all three neighborhoods and includes a wine cellar at spirito di vino that predates the colosseum. book the morning departure to hit the market while it’s running. eatingeurope.com/rome
afternoon: santa maria in trastevere basilica (free, 12th-century mosaics). wander the backstreets around piazza trilussa.
if this lands on a sunday: porta portese flea market runs 05:00-14:00 along the tiber.
day 3 (9/23): domus aurea + baths of caracalla
domus aurea — nero’s golden house, buried after his death and now excavated. guided tours only, 75 min, EUR 16 + reservation fee. mandatory booking. one of rome’s most unusual sites; the painted vaults are exceptional.
baths of caracalla (via delle terme di caracalla 52) — best-preserved ancient bath complex in rome. completed 216 AD, capacity 1,600. open tue-sun 09:00-19:00, EUR 12. allow 60-90 min.
aventine hill is a 15-min walk from caracalla — two stops:
- knights of malta keyhole (piazza dei cavalieri di malta) — look through the priory gate keyhole for a perfectly framed view of st. peter’s dome at the end of a garden corridor
- santa sabina basilica — one of the oldest churches in rome (5th century), free, rarely crowded
day 4 (9/24): tivoli day trip or borghese gallery
option A: tivoli (30km east, 75 min by regional train from termini):
- villa d’este — 16th-century renaissance villa with 500+ fountains. UNESCO. open 09:00-19:00, EUR 15.
- villa adriana — hadrian’s retirement complex, 120 hectares. allow 3-4 hours.
doing both requires an early start but is feasible. trains from termini roughly hourly, ~EUR 3 each way.
option B: galleria borghese — bernini sculptures (apollo and daphne, the rape of persephone, david) plus titian and caravaggio. mandatory 2-hour timed entry, max 360 people. book 4-6 weeks ahead. EUR 20 + EUR 2 booking. borghese.gallery/en. pair with a walk through villa borghese park.
what we’re skipping
piazza navona, trevi fountain, spanish steps — fine to walk past if nearby, not worth planning around. the pantheon (EUR 5, free sundays before 09:00) is still worth 30 min even on a repeat visit.
transit: rome -> procida (9/25)
frecciarossa or italo: roma termini -> napoli centrale — 70-80 min, departures approximately every 30 min from 05:45. both operators sell combined train + SNAV ferry tickets. EUR 15-40/person depending on class and timing. italotreno.com / trenitalia.com
naples centrale -> molo beverello — metro line 1 to municipio (~10 min) then 5 min walk to beverello. or taxi (~EUR 15, 15 min). metro works better with coordinated luggage.
molo beverello -> procida (SNAV or caremar hydrofoil) — 40-45 min, EUR 14.40. departures roughly hourly. snav.it / caremar.it
alternate: pozzuoli has a shorter crossing (35 min, EUR 7.90 by ferry) if arriving at naples afragola instead of centrale.
sailing: 9/26 - 10/2
sunset in late september is ~18:50 local. moorings constraint is moored 1hr before sunset — all legs below are comfortable within that window.
plan is to cook aboard most nights and provision along the way, with a few targeted dinners ashore at places worth booking. see provisioning & boat planning below.
day 1 (9/26): procida -> ischia | 10 nm / ~2 hr
charter check-in and chart briefing in the morning. depart mid-morning.
anchorage options: porto d’ischia (full marina) or sant’angelo bay (more scenic, closer to sorgeto).
active options:
- monte epomeo (788m) — hike from fontana village via the donkey trail, 2-3 hours to the summit. views across the gulf of naples, capri, and vesuvius. early morning start.
- circumischia coastal road — 34km around the island. e-bikes rentable in ischia porto.
- sorgeto bay — natural thermal springs flowing into the sea, free. water taxi from sant’angelo (~EUR 5 each way). water 32-40C. late afternoon is the local time, not the tour group window.
castello aragonese — 15th-century fortress, EUR 12, open daily 09:00 to sunset. the crypt of the poor clares is the standout.
local dish if dining ashore: coniglio all’ischitana (rabbit braised with tomatoes, garlic, and local white wine).
day 2 (9/27): ischia -> capri | 20 nm / ~4 hr
arrive capri early afternoon.
blue grotto — arrive before 11:00 or after 15:00 to minimize wait. EUR 14 + EUR 4 rowboat. weather-dependent; entry conditions checked daily.
active options:
- via tragara to arco naturale — walk from capri town, takes in the faraglioni rocks from above and the arco naturale sea arch before looping back through the interior. 2-3 hours, mostly paved.
- villa jovis — tiberius’s 1st-century AD palace on the island’s east peak. 45-min walk from capri town. tiberius ran the empire from here for 10 years.
- monte solaro chairlift (anacapri) — 12 min, 360-degree views, EUR 12 round trip. can hike down through the chestnut woods instead of riding back.
- kayak around the faraglioni — rentals from marina piccola. best before afternoon wind builds. the arch of the middle faraglione is passable by kayak.
dinner ashore: da paolino (under a canopy of lemon trees, family-run since 1960, book ahead) or aurora near the piazzetta.
day 3 (9/28): capri -> nerano | 6 nm / ~1 hr 15 min
anchor in marina del cantone inside the punta campanella marine reserve.
active options:
- snorkeling the marine reserve — visibility is exceptional directly off the boat. the protected zone around punta campanella has good fish density and clear water.
- hike to punta campanella lighthouse — from nerano village, ~3km each way on an easy coastal trail. ruins of a roman temple to minerva at the point. the promontory separates the gulf of naples from the tyrrhenian sea.
- recommone beach — quiet white pebble beach, 15 min on foot from marina del cantone. almost no boat access; tends to stay calm when the main bay is choppy.
lunch / dinner ashore (one of these is worth the booking):
- lo scoglio da tommaso — built on a boulder over the water, family-run since 1958. spaghetti alla nerano (fried zucchini, provolone del monaco, basil) is the reason to stop here. tender ashore directly to the restaurant dock. book 3-4 weeks out.
- ristorante maria grazia — claims the original nerano pasta recipe (founded 1901). simpler setting, directly on the beach.
anchor overnight. no marina.
day 4 (9/29): nerano -> amalfi | 19 nm / ~3 hr 50 min
full day in amalfi. stern-to mooring at the harbor.
duomo di sant’andrea — 9th-century cathedral, arab-norman architecture. chiostro del paradiso (12th-century romanesque cloister) is the highlight. EUR 3 for the cloister.
active options:
- valle delle ferriere nature reserve — hike above amalfi through subtropical vegetation including rare woodwardia ferns (pre-ice-age relics). 3-4 hours round trip, moderate. start early before the heat builds.
- sentiero dei limoni (lemon trail) — path through working lemon groves connecting amalfi to atrani and minori. 1.5-2 hours each way, almost entirely empty of tourists.
- kayaking the coast — rentals from the harbor. the sea caves east of amalfi toward atrani are accessible by kayak at low swell.
paper museum (museo della carta) — 13th-century working paper mill. amalfi was europe’s first commercial paper producer. EUR 6, 45 min.
dinner ashore: la caravella (michelin-starred, sfumato lemon tasting menu) or trattoria da gemma for traditional seafood. book either.
day 5 (9/30): amalfi -> positano | 14 nm / ~2 hr 40 min
mooring buoys offshore. tender ashore.
active options:
- path of the gods (sentiero degli dei) — 7.8km from bomerano to nocelle. late september is optimal: 22-26C, no summer heat, morning light over capri. bus from positano to bomerano (~45 min), hike to nocelle, local bus back. 3-4 hours on trail. start 07:30-08:00. positano.com/path-of-the-gods
- kayak to spiaggia di fornillo — quieter than spiaggia grande, reachable only by water or a short path over the headland. good snorkeling off the rocks at the east end.
- li galli islands — the three small islands visible offshore (once owned by nureyev). snorkeling from the boat or by kayak if conditions permit; the water around the rocks is clear.
chiesa di santa maria assunta — iconic majolica dome, 13th-century byzantine icon of the black madonna inside. 15 min, free.
festa del pesce — fish festival at spiaggia di fornillo, traditionally last saturday in september. verify exact 2026 dates.
dinner ashore: chez black on spiaggia grande (since 1949, lively) or il ritrovo in montepertuso (traditional cooking, outstanding views, taxi required — better value than the beachfront spots).
day 6 (10/1): positano -> sorrento
marina piccola or marina grande. skipper knows local mooring options.
sorrento old town: corso italia, chiostro di san francesco (free, 14th-century cloister, sometimes has live evening concerts), intarsio woodwork workshops.
active options:
- pompeii — circumvesuviana from sorrento to pompei scavi (~30 min). allow 4-6 hours minimum. 20,000 visitor daily cap since 2025 — book timed entry ahead. EUR 18-25. pompeiisites.org. full day commitment.
- sorrento peninsula clifftop walk — via del capo from sorrento to capo di sorrento runs along the cliff edge with views to vesuvius. 2-3 hours round trip, easy.
- bagni della regina giovanna — ruined roman villa built directly on the sea at capo di sorrento, with a natural saltwater pool in the ruins. accessible on foot from sorrento (~3km via via del capo).
- hike to punta campanella from termini — southern tip of the peninsula, ~5km from termini village. different angle on the cape from the nerano side.
dinner: gnocchi alla sorrentina (potato gnocchi baked with tomato and mozzarella, sorrento’s signature dish). limoncello tasting at limonoro or duca di sorrento in the old town.
day 7 (10/2): sorrento -> procida (return) | 10 nm / ~2 hr
morning return. boat check-out with moorings. luggage storage at the base.
afternoon: circumvesuviana from naples to ercolano scavi for herculaneum.
post-sail: 10/2 - 10/5
herculaneum (10/2 afternoon)
herculaneum over pompeii for this stop. after a week on the water, a site we can cover fully in 2-3 hours is the right call. preservation is superior: wooden shutters, intact second floors, vibrant frescoes with original color, boat sheds with skeletal remains of people who died trying to flee. ~1,500-3,000 visitors/day vs. pompeii’s 8,000-20,000.
circumvesuviana from naples centrale to ercolano scavi (~15-20 min, EUR 2.50). open 08:30-19:00 (last entry 18:00). EUR 16. ercolano.beniculturali.it
evening in naples centro storico. pizza at di matteo (via dei tribunali 94), sorbillo (via dei tribunali 32), or starita (via materdei 27). naples is the origin; the standard here is higher than anywhere else in italy.
optional: napoli sotterranea (via dei tribunali 294) — underground guided tour of the greek and roman city beneath naples. tours at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00. EUR 15.
naples -> rome (10/3)
frecciarossa morning departure, ~70 min. book for early arrival to maximize the day.
palazzo valentini (via iv novembre 119a) — multimedia reconstruction of two roman patrician houses discovered beneath the palazzo, using projections and lighting in the actual excavations. EUR 14, advance booking.
rome final day (10/4)
ostia antica — rome’s ancient port city. 30 min by metro + regional train (line B to laurentina, then ostia antica train). far less visited than pompeii or herculaneum, and a different character: a real working port city with insulae, taverns, and a theater. EUR 12. open 09:00-19:00. 3-4 hours.
if ostia was done earlier: slow morning, final dinner somewhere worth booking.
depart FCO (10/5)
leonardo express from termini (~30 min) or private transfer. 3+ hours before departure — FCO security can be slow in the morning.
logistics
advance reservations
| item | notes |
|---|---|
| da paolino, capri | book 3-4 weeks out |
| lo scoglio, nerano | book 3-4 weeks out |
| la caravella or da gemma, amalfi | book 2-3 weeks out |
| il ritrovo, positano | book 1-2 weeks out |
| da enzo al 29, rome | book 2-3 weeks out |
| galleria borghese (if doing it) | book 4-6 weeks out |
| domus aurea, rome | mandatory reservation |
| pompeii timed entry (if doing sorrento day) | book ahead |
advance tickets
| item | notes |
|---|---|
| frecciarossa/italo rome -> naples (9/25) | book 30-60 days out |
| SNAV/caremar naples -> procida (9/25) | book in advance during high season |
| frecciarossa/italo naples -> rome (10/3) | book 30-60 days out |
provisioning & boat planning
captain / skipper logistics
- confirm meal arrangement with the skipper — are they included in provisions, or do they prefer to handle their own food? any dietary restrictions?
- understand galley setup: available cookware, knives, cutting boards, colander
- cold storage capacity — fridge/icebox size and ice resupply logistics at each port
- propane situation — how many burners, what’s the reserve, any restrictions underway
- does the boat have a stern BBQ grill?
- skipper’s preference on passage timing (early starts vs. relaxed departures)
- any prohibited anchorages or access restrictions in the punta campanella marine reserve
- preferred tender protocol for going ashore at anchor spots
provisioning strategy
- plan: galley meals most nights, 3-4 targeted dinners ashore
- first major shop: ischia porto — better supermarket access than procida (conad/despar near the marina). do the main provisioning run here.
- sorrento is the best resupply point if needed mid-passage
- buy fresh bread, fish, and produce daily at local markets in each port
- shelf-stable base stock from ischia: pasta, olive oil, tinned fish, canned tomatoes, dried legumes, rice
what to source locally
- wine: campanian whites (falanghina, greco di tufo, fiano di avellino) and reds (aglianico del taburno) are inexpensive and excellent at local supermarkets and enoteche. buy by the case.
- fresh fish: local markets in each port, or buy directly from fishing boats at anchor in the morning
- amalfi lemons: buy a bag in amalfi or positano — they travel fine and are worth having aboard for a week
meal planning on the boat
- breakfast: bread, local cheese, fruit, moka coffee
- lunch underway: antipasti-style — salumi, cheese, olives, canned anchovies, bread. nothing requiring heat.
- dinners aboard: pasta, grilled fish, local vegetables. the ingredients will be exceptional; keep preparation simple.
open questions for moorings / captain
- does the charter company offer an initial provisions package?
- what provisioning stops does the skipper recommend based on the route?
- galley equipment list — what’s on the boat vs. what to bring from home (good knife?)
- preferred check-in time at procida base
seasonal notes for late september
working for us: air temps 20-26C, good for hiking. sea temp ~25C, good swimming. light winds 3-5 beaufort. vendemmia (grape harvest) festivals in the hills above the coast. path of the gods at optimal conditions. porcini mushrooms and san marzano tomatoes at peak — restaurants and markets feature both heavily. ischia thermal parks open through october.
to manage: sunset ~18:50. moorings constraint (moored 1hr before sunset) is fine for all legs but worth tracking. occasional afternoon rain showers — carry foul-weather gear on the boat and a layer ashore. some beach clubs and smaller restaurants begin closing late sept / early oct; verify before making specific plans.