Naples is the largest city in southern Italy that never ceases to amaze! And when you visit, you'll realize the hidden treasures waiting to be discovered and admired.

From its centuries-old history and vibrant neighborhoods, to its volcanic landscape and colorful suburbs, the city is full of contrasts that invite you to see and admire.

 That's why a bike tour of Naples is one of the best ways to truly get to know the city. You'll move freely through the city, along avenues and scenic spots, but you'll also discover places often too far to reach on foot.

 The average tourist often opts for standard, mass-produced tours. Fortunately, there's a growing interest in authentic, small-scale tours with English-speaking guides and locals. These tours will show you the real Naples: warm, human, chaotic, refined, and sometimes raw.

The infrastructure of public transportation and the metro will allow you to easily reach any destination, from the most distant (Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast) to the closest ones scattered throughout the city's various neighborhoods.

Naples is a seaside city with various ports located along the coast as far as the Phlegraean Fields and upstream from Procida, but it climbs the Posillipo hill on one side and the Vomero hill on the other.

There are four funiculars between Chiaia and Mergellina and the historic center of Naples that reach the Vomero and Posillipo hills. To make getting around the city easier, as well as for nature tours in true Neapolitan paradises, you can easily rent an electric bike and choose from a range of exciting tours.

Hundreds of LIME e-bikes are scattered throughout the city center, available for rent via an app. You can use them conveniently for quick trips around the city, or you can rent electric bikes from companies that organize wonderful tours around the city and beyond.

Despite the image of "chaotic traffic," the routes are carefully chosen. Bike paths are used whenever possible, but only in a few places. Neapolitans use fat bikes in the city for stability on rough roads and to reach otherwise inaccessible places. Helmets aren't mandatory, but I recommend them due to city traffic and the speed of fat bikes. Naples traffic is designed for crowds, chaos, and scooters whizzing by. In this sense, bicycles are a welcome addition. Forget all your rights in traffic, just go with the flow, and you'll be quite safe.

The two most important companies in the city for electric bike rentals are:

- MAVIN BIKE RENT, located in the Fuorigrotta neighborhood and easily accessible by Cumana train; the Edenlandia station is just a few meters from the rental center and offers guided tours.

- BICYCLE HOUSE BIKE TOUR, located in the historic center in the beautiful Galleria Principe opposite the Archaeological Museum. Here, too, you can rent a bike or take a tour with professionals. City tours are highly recommended, as they will allow you to quickly see all the key sights of the city, allowing you to begin to orient yourself and become a true Neapolitan in just a few days! Tours to the Phlegraean Fields, rich in lakes and nature, are also offered, as well as tours to the wonderful island of Procida.

Your host, Lorenzo, is the first tourist in his city. I've been traveling almost exclusively on my e-bike for 12 years. Every day, I cycle from one side of the city to the other, taking advantage of the bike path to change neighborhoods and extend my travel range. This way, I avoid car and scooter traffic, because by bike you can slip anywhere, even into the narrow streets of the Spanish Quarters where cars don't reach. The city is full of contrasts that invite you to see and admire: that's why a bike tour of Naples is one of the best ways to truly get to know the city. You'll move freely around the city, along avenues and scenic spots, but you'll also discover places often too far to reach on foot.

In the spring and summer months, I love cycling to the island of Procida, even just for a day on the beach and to savor the fabulous seafood and fish cuisine of a fishing island! This is an experience I recommend to everyone, as the island is very small, only 4 km long, and the population primarily travels by bike! You can depart from Naples with a bike rented here in town and take it on the ferries to the islands, or you can choose to rent a bike for a day in the port of Procida. There are dozens of bike rentals, I recommend:

- SPRINT da Michele, which has brand new bikes and is very friendly. It's located across the main pier where you arrive by ferry, next to the famous Bar del Cavaliere. In Procida, the Vivara Island Nature Reserve is a must-see, with its Mediterranean flora and fauna, perfectly intact for over 40 years. Tickets must be purchased online in advance on the Vivara Nature Reserve website.

Mediterraneo Loft is located just a few minutes' walk from the charming Mergellina marina, in the center of the Gulf of Naples at the foot of the magnificent Posillipo Hill, right where the next Louis Vuitton Cup and the 2017 America's Cup will take place.

 From here, you can book a traditional wooden boat, a comfortable Gozzo, to explore the enchanting Posillipo coast, rich in archaeological treasures submerged just a few meters below the surface and home to the most beautiful Neapolitan villas and homes overlooking and towering over the sea.

 Along the Posillipo coast, there are numerous free and paid beaches, but one of the best ways to discover the countless caves and 1st-century Roman buildings is by boat. 

It's about traveling by gozzo and spending a pleasant day at the beach. 

Just dive in and, with a mask, admire the ancient structures submerged less than 10 meters deep: Palazzo degli Spiriti and the island of Gaiola with its nature reserve will welcome you for an unforgettable experience.

 Here you can observe the ancient fishponds and the Roman structures still present, jutting out over the water from the ancient monastery of Senator Tullio Video Pollione.

 With the same boat, you can reach the pearls of the Gulf of Naples, less than an hour away by boat: the islands of Procida, Ischia, Capri, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast. You can also book daytime and evening transfers to the islands.

In autumn, spring and winter it is possible to book fishing trips in the Gulf of Naples with Andrea on his beautiful gozzo (fisherman boat).

In Mergellina, there are numerous boat rental and tour companies. I recommend Andrea's very comfortable boat. He is a professional and a lover of the sea, who will take care of you, pampering you among the waves of the Gulf of Naples.

HOW TO GET MERGELLINA MARINA from MEDITERRANEO LOFT:  Just 10 minutes walking from the apartment