The glistening blue waters of the Bay of Naples have been drawing people to its shores for hundreds and hundreds of years, so it’s no surprise that you have lots of options for beaches in Naples.

Okay, so strictly speaking, the vast majority of the beaches I’ll be talking about in this guide aren’t technically in Naples city. The shoreline of Naples is rocky and with the large ports for commercial vessels and cruise ships there are only a few actual beaches to choose from.

However, if you travel only a short distance along the coast you’ll be rewarded with a huge selection of beautiful beaches! You also don’t have to go down to the Amalfi Coast or to Sorrento, with there being plenty of lovely beaches much closer.

If you walk along the Lungomare from the ferry port, passing the Castel dell’Ovo and up towards the Villa Comunale gardens, you will find the small Mappatella beach. This is the only real city beach Naples has, there are a couple of other places where you can swim but Mappatella is the top choice.

Lido Mappatella is unlikely to be on a list of the best beaches in Italy, but it has a distinctive charm and is very popular with locals.

The ease of access and proximity to the historic city centre means this beach is always filled with people through the summer, with July and August being particularly busy.

The sand and the water are not as pristine as other beaches on this page but are still clean and the local government has recently invested in new walkways, bathrooms and shower facilities. The entire beach is free to use, and is ideal for kids due to the shallow water.

I personally like to swim out a little further when it’s busy and admire the views of the nearby castle and Vesuvius beyond – this is a great spot to come for a swim in the afternoon if you’ve been sightseeing in the morning!

Location: Rotonda Diaz, Napoli 80122 (at one end of the Villa Comunale gardens)

How to get there: Take Metro line 2 to Mergellina station and then walk around 20 minutes to Mappatella, or walk along the Lungomare from the historic center. There are also a number of local buses that stop at different places along the stretch of the Villa Comunale gardens, check Google Maps to see what the best route is for you.

Important information: As the beach is so central and easy to access (plus it’s free) it gets very full in the summer months. This means it’s not the most relaxing of the beaches in Naples, particularly at the weekend, so if you’re looking for a quieter scene it’s worth traveling a little further afield.

A little further along the coast from Mappatella, you’ll reach the Posillipo district of Naples. This part of the coast has some of the most beautiful beaches in Naples and the very first beach clubs in the city were founded here.

You can choose to visit one of the historic beach clubs or use the sections of free beach – here are our favorite Posillipo beach options:

Sitting on an open part of the coast, this beach club has something for everyone. The club has a wide stretch of sandy beach as well as a large bathing platform built over the sea, a cafe and restaurant, bathrooms and hot showers. The bathing platform is adults only but the sunbeds on the beach itself are popular with families due to the shallow, safe water.

You can book your spot online in advance (which I recommend doing for busy periods) and you can take advantage of a reduced rate if you visit after 2PM as well.

A little further up from Bagno Elena is the Lido Sirena beach club, on the other side of the evocative Palazzo Donn’Anna. Similarly arranged with beds on the sand and also a large wooden bathing platform, this is another popular beach club.

The views of Vesuvius are incredible (try to get a bed on the bathing platform for the best angle) and there is a traditional restaurant where you can enjoy a relaxing lunch.

Accessed via a path from Lido Sirena, the Monache beach is one of the free, public beaches so no sunbeds or other facilities are on offer. This is a lovely stretch of warm sand and clear water however so for us, it’s worth it!

While it is a free beach, to control numbers the local municipality have introduced a booking system for this and a couple of other free beaches so you cannot simply turn up. You will need to select your chosen free beach and enter your details here for your planned date. There is no charge for this, but it helps the beaches stay clean and prevents overcrowding.

Location: The beaches listed here are all along via Posillipo, on the eastern side of the neighborhood.

How to get there: The 140 bus takes you from Naples port (near Piazza del Plebiscito) right to the beach clubs. You can also take Metro line 2 to Mergellina station, and walk for around 10 minutes down to via Posillipo.

Important information: There are lots of popular beaches in Posillipo which makes it very busy. The buses and metro often fill up in the late afternoon when the clubs start to close, so do what we do and find a bar for aperitivo or a coffee and wait for the crowds to ease. Your journey back to the center will be much more relaxed!

While technically part of the Posillipo neighborhood, I’ve separated Marechiaro out as the beaches here offer something different. Located at the tip of the headland, Marechiaro has fewer sandy beaches and more rocky cliffs and small coves, which make for a more unusual beach day:

The Gaiola beach is something really special, and in our opinion one of the best beaches in the Naples area.

This part of the coast is the Gaiola Underwater Park, a protected marine reserve, with fishing and motorboats banned, and in one part no swimming is allowed at all. The water is just stunningly clear, with a small beach and rocky platform with ladders to get in and out of the sea.

If you’re able to, this is an excellent place to go scuba diving as the reefs and ancient ruins underwater are stunning!

The beauty of Gaiola beach and the surrounding area make it worth the extra work needed to visit. In order to protect the marine reserve, you have to book in advance online for either a morning or afternoon slot, and this is checked rigorously by the staff when you arrive.

See all the details and book your space on their official site here – it is a public beach so there is no charge.

This beach club has no actual beach, but rather there is a large platform with sunbeds set up from which you can reach the beautiful turquoise waters and go swimming. I like this spot because it is more simple and relaxed than the beaches closer to Naples.

It is harder to reach than other beaches near Naples, with a good 15 minute walk from where the 140 bus drops off, but if you go early before it gets too hot and take your time it should be okay – it helps that you’ll have some incredible views on the way!

Location: Spiaggia della Gaiola, Discesa Gaiola 14 // Lido Marechiaro, Calata Ponticello a Marechiaro 33

How to get there: The 140 bus is the best option for both these beaches. For the Gaiola beach, get off at the Discesa Coroglio-Istituto Denza stop and then it’s around a 20 minute walk down to the beach. For Lido Marechiaro, it’s the Discesa Coroglio – Marechiaro stop followed by a 15 minute walk.

Important information: Make sure you have bus tickets for the return journey before you leave as it is not guaranteed that you can get them locally.

Yes you can always head south to the Amalfi Coast or Sorrento Peninsula, but there are a series of beaches you can reach if you travel in the opposite direction that we love.

The town of Bacoli west of Naples has been popular for its beaches and the stunning Mediterranean sea since the time of the ancient Romans. Some of the best sandy beaches in Campania are here, and there are many beach options to choose from today:

On the far side of the Bay of Naples sits the long sandy beach of Miseno and the neighboring Miliscola beaches.

Facing the beautiful island of Procida, there are lots of different beach clubs to choose from as well as some small free sections. There are plenty of places to eat and drink and in the evenings some of the clubs put on live music and other events – this is a wonderful place to watch the sunset!

It’s a bit of a journey to get there but you have more space and choice of beach clubs than in other places near Naples.

On the far side of the Bay of Naples sits the long sandy beach of Miseno and the neighboring Miliscola beaches.

Facing the beautiful island of Procida, there are lots of different beach clubs to choose from as well as some small free sections. There are plenty of places to eat and drink and in the evenings some of the clubs put on live music and other events – this is a wonderful place to watch the sunset!

It’s a bit of a journey to get there but you have more space and choice of beach clubs than in other places near Naples.

Directly beneath the impressive Aragonese castle in the town of Baiae is the fun Baia castle beach. The soft sand beach can only be reached by boat so when purchasing your sunbeds and umbrellas, you also get a short boat ride!

Once on the beach you have everything you need on hand, with a restaurant and bar on site, and being away from traffic or other beaches creates a lovely atmosphere. They do not take reservations so I would suggest arriving early to secure your spot!

Location: Spiaggia di Miseno, Via Miliscola 30, Bacoli // Spiaggia del Castello di Baia, Via Lucullo 75, Bacoli

How to get there: To reach the town of Bacoli, you’ll take the Cumana train line which leaves from the central Montesanto station. For the Miseno beach, take the train to the Torregaveta stop and then transfer to a local bus for Miseno itself. For the Baia castle, get off at the Fusaro stop and then take a local bus down the hill to the beach, or you can take bus 101 all the way from Naples which stops right by the beach club entrance.

Important information: These beaches are close to one of our favorite sites for ancient Roman ruins, so why not make a day trip out of your visit?