Parco Sommerso di Gaiola - Area Marina Protetta
Parco Sommerso di Gaiola - Area Marina Protetta
Parco Sommerso di Gaiola - Area Marina Protetta
4.5
About
The Gaiola Underwater Park is a Marine Protected Area established in 2002 along the Posillipo coast, in the northwestern Gulf of Naples. The Park owes its singularity to the fusion of volcanological, biological and archaeological aspects inserted in one of the most attractive coastal landscape in the Gulf. Many ancient roman remains (I Century b.C.) lie underwater because of a geological phenomenon (bradyseism). It’s possible to visit it by glass-bottom boat, snorkeling and diving tours.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
748 reviews
Excellent
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29
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21
Simon F
Southampton, UK88 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
The area is nice enough by there are rules every where.
You can’t take plastic down so you can’t take drinks but also no where to buy drinks (or food) so didn’t drink for hours in 30 heat. There are officials watching you like hawks and it’s very cramped. Felt a bit like some type of beach prison.
You have to book ahead but the beach name on Google doesn’t match up which is spiaggia della gaiola. We found it very confusing.
You can’t swim where the ruins are my partner tried not knowing that and got screamed at.
Each to their own but we felt it was a day wasted. One of the officials seemed more interested in a group of young girls.
You can’t take plastic down so you can’t take drinks but also no where to buy drinks (or food) so didn’t drink for hours in 30 heat. There are officials watching you like hawks and it’s very cramped. Felt a bit like some type of beach prison.
You have to book ahead but the beach name on Google doesn’t match up which is spiaggia della gaiola. We found it very confusing.
You can’t swim where the ruins are my partner tried not knowing that and got screamed at.
Each to their own but we felt it was a day wasted. One of the officials seemed more interested in a group of young girls.
Written September 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hannah B
4 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
If you’re looking to swim and snorkel right by the ruins, you are not able to. I asked if we could go over there, and was told “it is an impossible dream.” Lol. It’s only open to the tours they provide on weekends due to being a protected area. You can swim in Zone B which is the opposite side of the office/you cannot see the ruins from here. It’s still a beautiful swimming spot and was not too crowded when we went. You can still take a photo with the ruins from behind. We snorkeled in Zone B and could see some fishies, though not a tropical setting. The water was nice on a very hot July day! But a challenge to get there and back from Naples.
Written July 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bloodwags
Watford, UK175 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
Following discovery on Trip advisor I booked a snorkelling tour in advance for myself and two children aged 10 & 15. I was glad I had! The land-based part of the park is tiny and people queue on stairs to be one of 100 people at a time allowed in and out of the heritage area. Those who don't (or can't be bothered queuing in the hot sun) are left with no option but to pack onto a small and very crowded beach and quay area - not very pleasant at all. NB it's a good 1km walk downhill (over cobbled roads, steps and footpaths) from the nearest parking and back uphill!
The snorkelling tour (group of about 12) itself was amazing. It took about 90 mins and we were provided with shortie wet suits (surprising how cold you can get in shady water in the Med, even in August) and all equipment. Beach/water shoes are advised for walking across the rough concrete areas between the visitor centre and the water's edge. Our guide spoke great English and was able to explain the Roman history and the marine life to be seen. The assistant guide dived below the surface a number of times to point out certain features on the sea bed which helped bring the guide's explanations to life.
Even though flotation devices were provided for the less able you need to be a moderately competent swimmer to enjoy the tour rather than be worrying about whether the currents will drag you against sharp rocks and urchins below the surface and a few members of the group actually felt sea-sick. However the staff were amazing and I would highly recommend this memorable and fascinating experience which was a highlight of our trip.
The snorkelling tour (group of about 12) itself was amazing. It took about 90 mins and we were provided with shortie wet suits (surprising how cold you can get in shady water in the Med, even in August) and all equipment. Beach/water shoes are advised for walking across the rough concrete areas between the visitor centre and the water's edge. Our guide spoke great English and was able to explain the Roman history and the marine life to be seen. The assistant guide dived below the surface a number of times to point out certain features on the sea bed which helped bring the guide's explanations to life.
Even though flotation devices were provided for the less able you need to be a moderately competent swimmer to enjoy the tour rather than be worrying about whether the currents will drag you against sharp rocks and urchins below the surface and a few members of the group actually felt sea-sick. However the staff were amazing and I would highly recommend this memorable and fascinating experience which was a highlight of our trip.
Written September 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AimforGc
Montreal, Canada9 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
This place is incredible. After researching it online and checking the website, my girlfriend and I decided to drive to this island one morning and spend most of the day there. When we got there, after an extremely long walk from where we parked our car, we realized there was a line-up to get into this national park. This was okay with us, so we waited. When we finally got to the front gate, we were told we needed a piece of Identification to get into the park. (Which it did not say anywhere on the site) My gf and I did not bring any piece of ID with us to the park, we instead left in the car. I ran all the way back to my car and back to the park. (Took me 15 minutes total) When I got back, I was told from my gf that they had given out the 100 passes, which is all the maximum amount of people allowed at one time, in the park. I could not believe they did not keep us 2 passes, knowing I was coming back in 10 minutes.
We had to wait a total of 1 hour and half to get in. The craziest thing, was that people were allowed to leave the park, with their passes, and come back anytime they wanted. The only way anyone waiting was allowed into the park, was if one of the hundred people decided to leave.
Anyways, it's beautiful, just really badly organized and run, which is so unfortunate.
We had to wait a total of 1 hour and half to get in. The craziest thing, was that people were allowed to leave the park, with their passes, and come back anytime they wanted. The only way anyone waiting was allowed into the park, was if one of the hundred people decided to leave.
Anyways, it's beautiful, just really badly organized and run, which is so unfortunate.
Written August 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Probably you didn't understand that the Park is a Marine Protected Area and the pass is necessary to enter in the Integral Reserve (A Zone). Only 100 people can come in and if when you arrive, there are not passes, you have to wait. Sorry, but there are no privileges for nobody! If you want to swim you can go in the B Zone (Generale Reserve). You need the pass just to enter and go out in the same day (to go in the toilet or to the snack point), because, as you know, it's forbidden to bring food or drink in the A Zone !!! Sorry, but probably you think the Park was a bathhouse... Please, inform you about the rules before to visit a Protected Area!
Written September 1, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Montreal_traveller09
Montreal, Canada345 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
We had reserved the snorkeling tour by email with Paola, from their website, a few weeks in advance, and it all went very smoothly. Paola was very helpful and made sure we knew where to go since we have also done the Pausilypon tour just before the snorkeling tour. The cost was 20 euro per person which we paid on site, nothing in advance.
We took a taxi from our hotel in Naples to the Pausilypon site at 36 Discesa Coroglio, we did the tour with Marica at 9h30, then she brought us through the archeological site directly to the snorkeling site, less than 10 minutes walk. This is not marked on their web site, yes, the two sites are connected and you can esily walk between them, don't have to take a taxi to the other site if you do both. The Gaiola Parc is at Discesa Gaiola, no street number, just the end of this small street where you take the stairs down to the beach, the Pausilypon is at 36 Discesa Coroglio, this is important to remember.
Once at the building on the beach we met Oscar, our guide for the snorkeling tour, and did the Power Point presentation explaining what we were going to see, then we were given the snorkels, palms and we put on the wet suits (with much laughter!), Paola took a picture of our group (which she sent to our email addresses right away!) and off we went. We were a small group, 7 in total, and Oscar made sure everyone was comfortable and could follow.
He showed us all the sights, and even took some of the local residents out to meet (a sea cucumber and a sea spider starfish). We were not rushed, Oscar took his time, and it was a fantastic tour! All in all, it took about 3 hrs.
When we were ready to leave, Paola called a taxi who met us at the top of the Discesa Gaiola street. If you want, you can also remain on the small beach for the rest of the day (it is a public beach).
A wonderful activity to do while in Naples, and all the staff were amazing!
We took a taxi from our hotel in Naples to the Pausilypon site at 36 Discesa Coroglio, we did the tour with Marica at 9h30, then she brought us through the archeological site directly to the snorkeling site, less than 10 minutes walk. This is not marked on their web site, yes, the two sites are connected and you can esily walk between them, don't have to take a taxi to the other site if you do both. The Gaiola Parc is at Discesa Gaiola, no street number, just the end of this small street where you take the stairs down to the beach, the Pausilypon is at 36 Discesa Coroglio, this is important to remember.
Once at the building on the beach we met Oscar, our guide for the snorkeling tour, and did the Power Point presentation explaining what we were going to see, then we were given the snorkels, palms and we put on the wet suits (with much laughter!), Paola took a picture of our group (which she sent to our email addresses right away!) and off we went. We were a small group, 7 in total, and Oscar made sure everyone was comfortable and could follow.
He showed us all the sights, and even took some of the local residents out to meet (a sea cucumber and a sea spider starfish). We were not rushed, Oscar took his time, and it was a fantastic tour! All in all, it took about 3 hrs.
When we were ready to leave, Paola called a taxi who met us at the top of the Discesa Gaiola street. If you want, you can also remain on the small beach for the rest of the day (it is a public beach).
A wonderful activity to do while in Naples, and all the staff were amazing!
Written July 16, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hotellie87
Hong Kong, China11 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
Went with our kids (10 and 12 years old) in August of 2013. Our Guide, Oscar, was fantastic and kept the kids interested in-- what seemed like a short-- but ended up being 2 hrs of snorkeling trip around the ruins of the roman era fish farm and ponds. We were outfitted in wet suits and snorkel gear by the parco. A short powerpoint presentation made visiting the ruins under water that much more interesting. Everyone who works there is a passionate conservationist and amazing that this venture seems to be self funded by the reasonable entry fee of 20 Euro pp. Parco Gaiola is well worth a visit, especially after having seen the roman ruins in Pompei and Herculaneum. Call ahead for reservations (a must) and bring a picnic....there's NO food or drinks to be purchased on the beach and surroundings. It's a bit of a hike from the main road and not suitable for wheelchair or elderly people who are not reasonably fit. Having a car is convenient; easy parking at main road even in high season.
Written August 23, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maja Stojanovic
Cacak, Serbia31 contributions
Sep 2019 • Couples
I had accidentally found out about Gaiola Island after googling “things to do” in Naples. It immediately caught my eye as most of the articles were titled: “mysterious island with cursed villa.” I HAD to go there. It is a bit of a trip to get there but it is absolutely worth it. Once you get to the area you’ll find yourself in zone A at first, which is nice, but we didn’t spend any time there. What you’re looking for is zone B-this is where the ‘cursed island’ is.
Once you climb up a short flight of stairs in zone A, you’ll find yourself at the top of zone B. A man sitting at a desk will ask for a valid ID, which he holds on to until you are ready to leave, and he gives you a pass into the area. It is completely FREE to be in this area. He’ll tell you about some rules to be followed:
-zone B is open from 9:00am-4:00pm
-no food, no plastic bottles
-no underwater cameras
-no snorkelling gear
There are signs around that may say no swimming, but swimming is allowed (he’ll even confirm it). Although all these rules are in place, they’re not that strict.
Once past this mini ‘security check’ you’ll see an info center to your left where there is a decent restroom available for 50 cents. Past that is the beach. It is a stone beach and there’s not much of it, so getting there early is key. Only 100 people are allowed in the area at a time. We were lucky because the day we went was overcast so there was a total of 8 people on the entire beach (otherwise I hear it can be pretty packed).
The beach is absolutely gorgeous and the actual cursed island is just a short swim away from where you’ll lay your towels. No one actually specified that you weren’t allowed to clamber onto the cursed island, but that was quickly confirmed once the ‘security’ guy started blowing his whistle the moment I set foot on the island. A kind of ‘look, don’t touch’ sort of policy. You can swim ALL THE WAY to it, but cannot climb onto it, no matter how tempting. Regardless, it is incredibly cool and slightly eerie. You can find lots of myths and tales about the island online, but what you’ll see is an abondoned house and creepy looking bridge connecting two sections of the island.
I thoroughly enjoyed this place and would recommend it to anyone staying in or near Naples. Great adventure!
Once you climb up a short flight of stairs in zone A, you’ll find yourself at the top of zone B. A man sitting at a desk will ask for a valid ID, which he holds on to until you are ready to leave, and he gives you a pass into the area. It is completely FREE to be in this area. He’ll tell you about some rules to be followed:
-zone B is open from 9:00am-4:00pm
-no food, no plastic bottles
-no underwater cameras
-no snorkelling gear
There are signs around that may say no swimming, but swimming is allowed (he’ll even confirm it). Although all these rules are in place, they’re not that strict.
Once past this mini ‘security check’ you’ll see an info center to your left where there is a decent restroom available for 50 cents. Past that is the beach. It is a stone beach and there’s not much of it, so getting there early is key. Only 100 people are allowed in the area at a time. We were lucky because the day we went was overcast so there was a total of 8 people on the entire beach (otherwise I hear it can be pretty packed).
The beach is absolutely gorgeous and the actual cursed island is just a short swim away from where you’ll lay your towels. No one actually specified that you weren’t allowed to clamber onto the cursed island, but that was quickly confirmed once the ‘security’ guy started blowing his whistle the moment I set foot on the island. A kind of ‘look, don’t touch’ sort of policy. You can swim ALL THE WAY to it, but cannot climb onto it, no matter how tempting. Regardless, it is incredibly cool and slightly eerie. You can find lots of myths and tales about the island online, but what you’ll see is an abondoned house and creepy looking bridge connecting two sections of the island.
I thoroughly enjoyed this place and would recommend it to anyone staying in or near Naples. Great adventure!
Written September 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarcina91
Vienna, Austria7 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
This is a very nice place for nature lovers who want to escape the busy inner city of Naples. I wanted to do the guided snorkelling tour first. This was not possible as it was only on two days a week. When I asked if it's possible to snorkel there independently, I was told that it's possible to enter the protected area every day between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. It is necessary to bring an ID!
I was there in the beginning of October, the water was fresh but still warm enough for snorkelling. The water is clear and there are lots of fish :)
I was there in the beginning of October, the water was fresh but still warm enough for snorkelling. The water is clear and there are lots of fish :)
Written October 26, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patrick B
London, UK4 contributions
Oct 2013 • Family
We went to naples for a weekend and on the advice of our pompeii guide decided to give snorkeling among the ruins a go. We were luck in that some Italians felt that 25 degrees was too cold for swimming and so cancelled. Getting there by taxi was easy and the staff were very friendly. Our guide Oscar made the whole experience interesting and enjoyable. If you dont feel like another dusty day in the ruins, give this a go, it is great and you can send the rest of the day by the beach. the cost at 20 euros each was amazing value for money.
Written October 28, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lyarodriguez87
Dublin, Ireland21 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
There is this organisation that looks after this area. We joined a group of 15 people to do some snorkeling. The organisation, gives you a little talk about the area and an ancient civilisation who lived there, they also provide you the suits. It was a nice experience, we were a group of 15 maybe and 3 instructors, friendly staff. They took pictures of us and sent them after.
Written October 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ottopapero
Naples, Italy132 contributions
C'è uno stabilimento per affittare ombrellone e lettini?
Ciao! Volevo sapere come si puó arrivare a Gaiola da Napoli, se è comodo affittare una macchina oppure ci sono buoni mezzi pubblici e più o meno la tempistica
Con il permesso d'invalidità è possibile scendere giù alla caiola?
O c'è alternativa ad una spiaggia vicina?
Con il permesso d'invalidità è possibile scendere giù alla caiola?
O c'è alternativa ad una spiaggia vicina?
Fabiana A
Cimitile, Italy
Non mi arrivano i biglietti via mail ma ho il codice di prenotazione, è valido comunque?
Nicola
1 contribution
Salve,volevo sapere se la ZTL è effettivamente attiva da Giugno fino al 19 Settembre.
Domenica 26 sono sceso con il motorino(inutilmente perchè non sapevo della prenotazione obbligatoria)fidandomi del cartello ad inizio discesa.
Ho preso( inutilmente :D) una multa,o davvero il 19 finisce?
Grazie
Nicola
1 contribution
Buongiorno,non sapendo (mea culpa) della prenotazione,ieri volevo scendere in spiaggia per delle foto.Con il motorino mi sono fermato prima della ZTL ma leggendo che era in vigore da Giugno fino al 19 Settembre,essendo ieri 26 sono sceso.Inutile dire che il personale non mi ha fatto accedere alla riserva e sono risalito.Potete confermarmi che la ZTL è inattiva o inutilmente ho preso la multa?Grazie
Paolo M
Reggio Emilia, Italy291 contributions
1) sono un visitatore
2) sono stato accompagnato dea una guida via terra nell’area archeologica non al mare. Chiami l’associazione
alessandroambrosino
18 contributions
Possono entrare i cani?
Emanuela Oli
3 contributions
Si c'erano persone con i cani
Tatiana L.
Brasilia, DF26 contributions
Ciao! Chi sa dove si può prenotare per andare al parco adesso che è riaperto? Ho letto che c’è un app per prenotare sia la mattina sia il pomeriggio però non lo trovò!
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