Posillipo is the hill that Naples looks at when it wants to feel it lives somewhere grand. It is a long ridge of soft volcanic tuff that runs out into the bay on the western side of the city, with villas, gardens and terraces, and views over the water to Vesuvius and the islands of Capri and Ischia. The Greeks called it Pausilypon, which means a pause from pain, and the Romans agreed: the rich built villas here, and the ruins of one of them, that of Vedius Pollio, can still be visited in a park above the sea. Virgil is said to be buried in the park near Mergellina, though the evidence is slim and the scholars are polite about it.
The road along the ridge, Via Posillipo, winds past high walls and gates, gardens full of lemons and bougainvillea, and hidden stairs that drop to little coves. At Marechiaro, the fishing hamlet made famous by a song, a few restaurants still serve fresh fish on terraces over the water. The Gaiola protected marine area, below the cliff, has clear water and a handful of rocky islets.
On a motorbike the hill is a pleasure and a test. The bends are tight and the road is narrow, with parked cars on both sides and vans stopping where they please. Naples traffic has its own logic, and scooters, buses and pedestrians flow through it in ways that seem chaotic at first and begin to make sense. Surfaces are patched, with cobbles in the old quarters and manhole covers that are treacherous in the wet. Leave nothing on the bike, and park it in a garage if you can, since theft is a real risk. The restricted traffic zones in the centre have their own rules, so check before entering.
Posillipo has about twenty-three thousand people, and fuel is available in Fuorigrotta, the busy district to the north, which has seventy thousand. Pizza is the thing to eat, and the simple Margherita, with tomato, mozzarella and basil, is still the benchmark. A sfogliatella and a coffee in the morning will set you up for the day.
Spring and early autumn have the clearest light, and sunset from the hill, with the bay turning pink, is the reason to be here.