studentsineurope

A Breezy Afternoon on Monte Faito

Mt. Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples seen from Monte Faito

I packed into the little cable car with a few of my friends, a bunch of middle-aged tourists, and a couple of kissing teenagers. The conductor clanged the door shut and the ride began, carrying us high over the tree-covered slopes of Monte Faito, a mountain in the Monti Lattari in Southern Italy. The cable car took about ten minutes to get us to the top of the 1100 meter peak, and one of my friends filmed and narrated the whole journey in an effort to overcome her fear of heights.

I thought the ride was great, and the view at the top was fantastic. The cable car let us off at a little clearing with a few bars to cater to the tourists who might want a drink after the exciting ride. To the left a path led into a grove of pine trees and to the right, a stone trail directed us down a slope. We opted for the trail – which soon deteriorated from its neatly-laid stones – and followed it as it skirted behind a couple of hotels and met up with a road. Then we followed the road until it dead-ended at a bar.

We ordered cappuccinos and walked around to the seats behind the bar, where we found ourselves staring out over the Bay of Naples to Mt. Vesuvius, hazy in the distance. The sun was bright but the breeze was cool, and we were glad we’d brought sweatshirts. The waiter brought our coffee and we sat in the sunlight, listening to – what was that? – the sound of birds.

Monte Faito is an idyllic retreat when you’ve been backpacking through Campania, the region of Italy just south of Naples. Campania is one great swath of urban sprawl. When you take the train south from Naples, it’s actually impossible to figure out where one town stops and the next one begins: it’s all just a blur of graffiti and concrete. Cars spew pollution and the horizon is generally a bit on the smoggy side. Campania is also hopelessly touristy, making it loud and confusing.

But up on the Monte Faito, the air is clean, the birds are singing, there are trees and grass and flowers, and the sound of a car is rare. It’s actually peaceful. I spent the whole day in the cafe with a book, a sandwich, and endless cups of coffee, just grateful to be away from the hubbub down below. I took a few parting pictures of the view, then boarded the cable car to return to my hotel in Sorrento, a little sorry to be descending out of the calm.

Monte Faito is easy to get to and makes a great break from your busy student travel itinerary. You take the Naples-Sorrento line of the Circumvesuviana – the train that runs all through Campania (you can board it at Garibaldi, the main Naples train station) – and get off at the Castellamare stop. Signs will direct you to the “funivia,” the cable car, which is attached to the train station. You will need to buy a separate ticket for the cable car, which departs about every half hour. Enjoy your day on the mountain (or stay overnight if you like, but it’s a popular tourist spot so be sure to book your hotel in advance), and be sure to get back to the cable car by 7pm, which is when it makes its last run.