We visited Mt. Vesuvius several times over two years, with many different visitors. The first time we visited, we went with our friends, Dave and Carla, who came in hot and were ready to hike and take pictures of beautiful scenery. We took them to Mt. Vesuvius because it boasts some of the greatest views of Naples and beyond.
Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano. Its best known for its eruption in 79 AD, which led to the burying and destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The last eruption was in 1944, and it is overdue for another one! Hopefully it holds on just a little bit longer!
Getting to Mt. Vesuvius
I wouldn’t necessarily call the trek up to Vesuvius a hike. You drive about 3/4 of the way there and then walk up steep winding hills to the top.
Along the way, we noticed that we didn’t have the best views because of the haze, but the mountain tops and islands peaking over the clouds were a sight to be seen!
Views and Volcano Smoke
At the top, we looked down into the ominous crater, which had steaming smoke coming from it.
After walking around the crater, we stopped to have a snack and look out to the world in front of us. Our snack consisted of amazing parmigiano cheese and salami, which we’d picked up at a market. We threw in some Triscuits for good measure… Italian with an American flair to it!
It was a delicious snack that helped satiate our stomachs until the next course… and the next course… and the next course…
December Is the Perfect Time to Go
We didn’t know what to expect at Mt. Vesuvius, but I have to say it was an awesome experience! Because of the time of year that we went (in December), we had the volcano to ourselves!
We later went there during the months of May and June, and while we enjoyed those experiences, it was HOT! Nevertheless, no matter what time of year you go, climbing Mt. Vesuvius is not to be missed!