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Naples: A Very Scenic Route for a Run

Naples’s lungomare, or seaside promenade, snakes along the sparkling Bay of Naples, where I take my daily morning run during my four-day stay. Off in the distance, the isle of Capri floats on the horizon, while pastel villas march up the tree-lined peninsula ahead.

I run north past the Castel dell’Ovo, a medieval fortress said to have been built on a magic egg for protection; weather-beaten fishermen in navy fishing caps purveying their catch at makeshift stands (including squiggly squids and octopuses); and deeply bronzed locals sunbathing on the rocks or doing lazy laps in the azure waters.

The promenade ends abruptly at a seaside cliff, so I turn around — basking in the sun and admiring Mount Vesuvius rising up ahead of me — and make my way back through a quintessentially Mediterranean moment.

Run Stats

Mileage: 3.6 miles round trip (out and back)
Best time: Early morning, before it gets too hot; or dusk when Capri and Mount Vesuvius take on a soft orange glow
Start:  Castel dell’Ovo on Via Partenope
End: Castel dell’Ovo

Route 

– Start at Castel dell’Ovo on Via Partenope
– Follow the seaside promenade for 1.8 miles
– Turn around and come back!

Tip

The seafront Via Francesco Caracciolo next to the lungomare is closed on Sundays, giving runners, walkers, and bikers even more room to roam. And on select weekend mornings from April to December, you can take a breather at the Naples antique fair (Fiera Antiquaria Napoletana).

Source: Barbara A. Noe, National Geographic

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