Photography is a language, a way of communicating. In the age of Instagram and social networks, we are all ready to point the camera at something we like to immortalise a moment in a fairytale setting. Naples is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, as the great Pino Daniele used to say, a city of a thousand colours. 

And how and where to immortalise such beauty in a simple snapshot? Naples is a city all about instagramming, with a cityscape fit for hearts and likes. We have taken note of the 15 most Instagrammable places in the city. Iconic places oozing with history and breathtaking views that make the whole world envious. Are you ready to aim your lens?
Napule è mille culure (Naples is thousands of colours)
Napule è - Pino Daniele

15. Toledo metro station

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If you are arriving in Naples from Garibaldi station is the first place to Instagram. One of the most beautiful metro stations in Europe, the Toledo Metro station is one of the most beautiful places in Italy and a must-see thanks to its decorations.

It is part of the Line 1 metro Art Project.A blue and white mosaic work reminiscent  of the sea waves meets the escalators' urban neon lights. Once outside, don't miss a stroll down Via Toledo, where you can meet and take photos of countless other historical works you'll encounter along the way.

14. Quartieri Spagnoli

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From a small alleyway in Via Toledo, we come to Vicolo dell'Amore (Love Alley), which leads us to one of the most characteristic and Instagrammable places in the city: Quartieri Spagnoli. With a centuries-old history full of legends and folklore, this place fascinates even the most sceptical visitors who are not frightened by the "bad name" of these places. 

The suitable landscape to photograph in the Quartieri Spagnoli? Among a narrow alleyway, rolled-out cloth, the colourful buildings and the many murals in Quartieri Spagnoli, you will be spoilt for choice as to where to aim your lens!

13. Street Artworks around Naples

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San Gennaro by Jorit - Maria Bobrova

When talking about Naples on Instagram, one cannot overlook the many street artworks around the city. One of the most famous is located in the Quartieri Spagnoli and is the renowned mural dedicated to Maradona, painted for the first time in 1990, right after Napoli won the Scudetto.  Among the many other street artworks around Naples' historic centre is the famous Madonna with a Gun by Banksy, one of the world's most renowned street artists. 

What can be said then about the works of the Neapolitan artist Jorit that carpet practically the whole city and its environs: most certainly his San Gennaro at the gates of Forcella. But there would still be many others to mention, such as those by Francisco Basoletti in the Sanità, Alice Pasquini's mysterious portrait of a woman in Mezzocannone or Blu's enormous monster in Materdei. Whether you love street art or photography, you will not be disappointed in Naples!

12. Palazzo Sanfelice or dello Spagnuolo in Rione Sanità

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Since we mentioned Rione Sanità, we can't help but include one of the most Instagrammable places you can find here. We're talking about Palazzo Sanfelice, also known as Palazzo Dello Spagnuolo (or Palazzo Dello Spagnolo) because it belonged to a Spanish nobleman in the 19th century. It is a monumental palace in Naples, located in the Rione Sanità in Via Vergini.

It was erected in 1738 on commission of the Marquis of Poppano Nicola Moscati and designed by Ferdinando Sanfelice. It is a historic example of the Neapolitan Baroque architectural style, characterised by a monumental double flight of steps, known as 'Ad Ali di Falco', designed as a sort of meeting place where social life took place. Palazzo dello Spagnuolo has been a film set for many films and TV series. Today the palace is inhabited, so if you are interested in taking photos here, we advise you to go during daylight hours so as not to disturb.

11. The historic centre of Spaccanapoli

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Spaccanapoli is the perfect place to do both street photography, thanks to the intense life and details of Neapolitan daily life, and photography of monuments and churches. The name Spaccanapoli comes from the fact that it is a street that divides the city in two.  Don't miss out on fabulous shots in Piazza del Gesù, one of the most beautiful places to photograph, where the urban culture of the subjects that populate it meets the artistic heritage it contains. With its controversial dual interpretation of life and death, faith and Freemasonry, its obelisk immediately catches the eye. The square is also home to the beautiful and historic Church of Gesù Nuovo. 

Not far from the square is the beautiful Monastery of Santa Chiara with its majolica-tiled cloister, which you can store for a photo to get a hundred likes. Also highly Instagrammable is San Gregorio Armeno, with its nativity shops.
Other places to Instagram in Spaccanapoli include: Piazzetta Nilo, Piazza San Domenico Maggiore and its monumental obelisk, Cappella San Severo, Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore and Sacro Monte di Pietà. 

10. Galleria Umberto I

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A historical place and a great place to take photos, the Umberto I Gallery is the ideal setting for a striking picture to add to your Instagram profile! The work of the great Luigi Vanvitelli rivals its Milanese twin in majesty. 

One subject you can't miss for your shots is its glass dome and marble interior, which catch the right light and refine its details. The flooring inside the gallery dots with the Rose of the Zodiac signs, so another great idea is to take a selfie of your zodiac sign. 

9. Piazza del Plebiscito

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From Masaniello's riots to concert events, Piazza del Plebiscito is one of Italy's most prominent squares and one of the most Instagrammable places in Naples. It is a picturesque place that will turn out to be the right one, whichever angle you point at your lens. On one side of the square is the Church of San Francesco e Paolo, with its imposing white colonnade, and on the other side is the main facade of the Palazzo Reale with its historic clock. 

If instead you position yourself in the centre of the square, you will be able to observe a characteristic view of Via Cesario Console with the sea in the distance, a series of trees and Vesuvius peeping out from it. If you are equipped with a powerful enough telephoto lens, positioning yourself right in this spot will enable you to take magical shots, especially at dawn and in the early morning light. In short, Piazza del Plebiscito is a must-see and one of the pivotal symbols of the entire city.

8. Piazza Municipio and Maschio Angioino

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For sunset and night photos, don't miss Piazza Municipio and Maschio Angioino. Capture the mighty Aragonese battlements towering over a yellow sunset sky over Naples harbour's seascape. 

Directly opposite is Piazza Municipio, which glows at night under the lights illuminating the marble figures of its monumental fountain. Whether you are a tourist or a citizen, don't miss the opportunity to steal some shots of a timeless Piazza Municipio!

7. Palazzo Mannajuolo in Chiaia

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Naples is full of beautiful historic buildings to photograph, some of which have become 'famous' on Instagram for appearing in films and TV series scenes. Palazzo Mannajolo on Via Filangieri in Chiaia, whose beautiful Art Nouveau spiral staircase appeared in the acclaimed series L'Amica Geniale and in the movie La Napoli Velata. 

The building was constructed and designed by Giulio Ulisse Arata with the collaboration of engineers Gioacchino Luigi Mellucci and Giuseppe Mannajuolo, using one of the most modern construction techniques: reinforced concrete. The building was erected between 1909 and 1911. We are practically on the rich and historical Via dei Mille, a street full of luxury shops: a further incentive to pass here to admire and photograph the structure!

6. Naples Lungomare

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A great classic, but you can't miss a shot of it. Continuing along the Riviera di Chiaia, you will arrive at Mergellina, on the seaside. It is where the Naples seafront opens up before you: one of the most Instagrammable images of Naples, at any time of day. It is one of the most beautiful views globally, so a photo of Via Caracciolo with the sea, Castel dell Ovo and Vesuvius in the background is a must on your Instagram spots list.

Not far from Castel dell Ovo is Borgo Marinari, one of the city's most picturesque spots. All you have to do is cross the bridge from the seafront to the islet of Megaride to find yourself in a picturesque place isolated from the hustle and bustle of city life. On the seafront, an absolute must-see is the Fontana dell'Immacolatella (or Fontana del Gigante). It is on the curve between Via Partenope and Via Nazario Sauro, coming from Castel dell Ovo: the scenery is made fabulous by Vesuvius towering behind it.

5. Donn'Anna Palace and Sant'Antonio a Posillipo

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Donn'Anna Palace

One of the city's most beautiful and world-famous panoramas is admirable from the terrace in front of the Church of Sant'Antonio at Posillipo. From here, a single photograph will encapsulate a thousand colours of Naples. 

Also in Posillipo is Palazzo Donn'Anna, one of the many historic buildings around Naples. It is a great spot and subject for Instagramming: surrounded by so much blue, it overlooks the sea. 

4. Marechiaro and its Fenestrella

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Marechiaro Naples

We have known it the world over for the ancient Neapolitan song by the poet and writer Salvatore Di Giacomo. Marechiaro is a quaint little fishing village that offers beautiful photos at sunset.  According to legend, Di Giacomo wrote his song here by a small window with a carnation on the sill.

To this day, a fresh carnation still stands on that windowsill, and a plaque commemorates the notes of the song. Spots for a photo in Marechiaro? Its access steps, the fishers' boats, and the small window with its panorama. 

3. Gaiola

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Gaiola Beach

Another highly suggestive and Instagrammable place in Naples: the Gaiola Nature Reserve. A small island opposite the Posillipo coast in the Gaiola Underwater Park. Many legends crowd this place. You can reach it either by sea, in a small boat departing from Marechiaro, or by land, descending over 200 steps from Posillipo Hill, near the Virgiliano Park (another place with a strong visual impact and very Instagrammable). 

2. Belvedere San Martino

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Belvedere San Martino is one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Naples, especially at sunset. It is at the highest point of the hill of Vomero, a known Neapolitan district. Adjacent is the Charterhouse of San Martino and Castel Sant'Elmo. From this terrace overlooking infinity and with an elegant railing, observe Naples in its entirety! 

From the historical centre cut by Spaccanapoli with the bell tower of Santa Chiara, the Centro Direzionale with its skyscrapers, the hill of Capodimonte, to the seafront with its port and above which towers His Majesty Vesuvius. Whether you are alone or in the company of your partner, you cannot avoid taking one of the most romantic and evocative photos the city can offer you from here!

1. Capodimonte

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Capodimonte Naples

And we cannot end our tour of Naples' most Instagrammable places if not with Capodimonte, Via Ottaviano Morisani to be exact. From this hilly area there is the highest perspective from which to admire the city. It feels like you literally have Naples under your feet!

A panoramic spot that in the light of sunset or dawn offers one of the best photographs imaginable. But Capodimonte has much more to offer besides the marvellous view. In fact, the Reggia takes most of the stage, accompanied by the Bosco. We are talking about two cult places in Campania and beyond, capable of welcoming an incredible number of tourists and visitors every year.