The Elephant Man. Quasimodo. Leather Face from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. What do these three gents have in common? They’re all misunderstood, physically ugly characters. (Well maybe Leatherface isn’t misunderstood but I needed a 3^rd for effect). When I told people where I was going in Southern Italy last year I didn’t expect to be met with the same reaction to me visiting one of these unattractive lads in their respective hospital/bell tower/meat-filled farmhouse. Where was this grotesque urban pariah in question? Well, it was the city of Naples.

After visiting Italy last year and from gauging peoples’ not quite positive reactions to part of my time being spent in Naples, I felt like I should make the case for what I am terming “Gritty Cities”.  We spent one week in Naples and one week in Sorrento, which proved to be two very contrasting experiences.

A sea-side city, with the looming Mount Vesuvius in the near-distance and labyrinth like streets throughout its historic centre, Naples is rich in history and culture, but it has gained an unsavoury reputation.  A quick google search will reveal the differing attitudes to the Southern Italian city. Words such as “dirty”, “chaotic” and “sketchy” are recurring terms used by unhappy travellers, whilst others seem to love the place. Some of the reviews of the city certainly do not paint a good picture of an attractive summer holiday destination. Whereas, not too far away from the city is an idyllic getaway to the Italian Coast- Sorrento. Sorrento is pretty, picturesque and pristine. Naples is…gritty.

From spending a week at a time in both locations, I can attest that whilst Sorrento is beautiful and relaxing and well worth a visit, it lacks the character that Naples has. “Character” can be quite a loaded term – much like “interesting”- in terms of negative connotations. I think “character” is a good word to use when describing a “gritty city” such as Naples because it is far more “interesting” and far more interesting (without those quotations) than Sorrento. Both of these terms imply there’s an asterisk attached, but an asterisk can be exciting.

Coming from somewhere with not the best of reputations (I was raised on the mean streets of Rhyl, North Wales) perhaps I find it easier to warm to a destination with a gruff exterior, but I didn’t understand the hate. Naples is a bit filthy, yes, but it also has an exciting bustling atmosphere, especially the historical centre with its narrow streets full of bars, restaurants, shops and oddities. When my girlfriend and I look back on Naples we always remember our favourite night – sat with beers and street food in the town square listening to buskers and taking in the atmosphere. And speaking of food, in Naples it’s not only cheaper but far tastier. The pizza, the pasta, the gelato – Naples takes the W compared to Sorrento when it comes to the grub.  

(I want to give a special shoutout to the godly arancini balls and divine Frittatine di pasta – fried and breaded cheesy pasta fritters- we had in the streets of Naples, as well as the best pizza I’ve ever had from Gino Sorbillo).

Sure, there is an element of crime in Naples which is less of a factor when visiting Sorrento. It is important to be vigilant when visiting Naples (just as in any city whilst travelling) but vigilance shouldn’t stop you from visiting somewhere.

Whilst I have been singing the praises of Naples as a “Gritty City”, the vigilance of visiting this sort of place has backfired on me in other destinations. On a solo trip to Brazil in 2022 I stayed in Rio De Janeiro. After reading some horror stories online I was incredibly vigilant during my trip – probably too vigilant- which made exploration of the city very restricted. I didn’t do much venturing during the evenings and, beyond a few trips to Copa Cabana and Ipanema beaches where I was hyper-aware of my surroundings, I largely stuck to company -organised tours for sight-seeing. Although travelling to Rio was well worth the visit, being overly-cautious meant I couldn’t relax completely. The blame for this is more on me than the city, but its reputation had me looking for dodgy looking thieves, where there were mainly fun-loving Brazilians in tight fitting bathing suits. After slipping on some rocks on Ipanema beach and cutting my arm open, I came to the conclusion that I was far more of a danger to myself than any opportunistic locals.

I should also point out that I did love Sorrento (It’s gorgeous) and a trip to a non-gritty city can be a lot less hassle and a lot less to worry about. Watching the sunset on the docks at the Marina Grande, swimming at Bagni Regina Giovanna (a hidden cove surrounded by ruins), and wandering the narrow streets of the historic centre, there is a feeling of tranquillity and safety that you don’t get with Naples.  My point, however, is that just because somewhere has a bit of a reputation it shouldn’t be avoided.  Italy isn’t just gorgeous beaches, immaculate streets and lovely panoramic views…although those things are very nice – and vetoing somewhere like Naples means missing out on a much more interesting experience.

Either way, it turned out that Naples and Sorrento were incredibly complementary and including both in an itinerary resulted in a more eclectic experience.

So go ahead. Try it yourself. Visit somewhere with “Character”.