Despite the heat and mugginess, have you decided to make your excursion to the excavations of Pompeii anyway? Well, here I will list the best route to take to combat the high temperatures and try to enjoy the spectacle of the archaeological excavations even in summer.
The excavations of Pompeii offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the ancient Roman city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
However, during the summer months, intense heat can make exploring the ruins a challenging experience. Burning sun, lack of places to protect themselves from the sun’s rays, and mugginess make visiting inside the site a real problem. Especially for children, the elderly, and those who suffer from summer heat.
There are especially shady places within the archaeological excavations that allow you to protect yourself from the sun and intense heat. Following this route you can visit the archaeological excavations in the shade of plants or inside houses with roofs.
The right path against the summer heat
If you do not have special visiting needs, carefully follow this route with entrance from Lower Marina Gate Square and exit at Amphitheater Square or vice versa. DOWNLOAD THE MAP HERE
Accessing from Lower Marina Gate Square, for example, in addition to the large entrance avenue ( point No. 7. on the map, Pineta along Broom Avenue) totally tree-lined. You will be able to visit the Quadriportico dei Teatri (17) and the Triangular Forum (1), which are located next to the big theater and the small theater (exposed to the sun).
The triangular forum was a square formerly used by Pompeiians for horse races and as a place of recreation while waiting to watch the performances that took place in the nearby theaters.
Continuing toward the amphitheater you will find the Necropolis of Porta Stabia (2), that is, the place where you can admire the tombs of Pompeii’s most illustrious figures. These include the tomb of Marucus Tullius and the Tomb of Marcus Alleius Minius. These are schola tombs, typical Pompeian tombs dedicated to the city’s most influential men (such as one of the latest recently discovered in Pompeii).
Nearby is also the ancient tannery of Pompeii (15), used by Pompeians for leather processing.
Unfortunately, not all of the path is shaded there are some points where it is necessary to have to walk in the sun, in which case umbrellas or caps become necessary.
A little further from the ancient tannery you can see one of the most beautiful and perfectly preserved houses in Pompeii. The House of Menander (24), a large urban domus famous for its beautiful peristyle overlooking a well-kept garden.
Other places to visit out of the sun
The route then continues to the Amphitheater of Pompeii, along the way it will be possible to admire the House of the Nave Europa (14). In which there is a 2000-year-old millstone used for pressing olives, from which oil was made. In addition to the house of the Venus in a shell(18), the house of Octavius Quartius (19) and the Praedia house of Julia Felix (20) all strictly in the cool between plants and roofing.
This is a route that will allow you to visit Pompeii quietly out of the sun. In fact, the area of the amphitheater is the shadiest among those found throughout the archaeological site. Here you will also be able to visit the Palestra grande and the ambulatories of the amphitheater, that is, the portico inside the amphitheater used to reach the arena of the building.
In short, through this route you will undoubtedly miss visiting certain highlights of Pompeii, such as the forum, the basilica, and the baths, all of which are completely exposed to the sun. But you will be sure not to suffer from the heat and mugginess.
Other cool places in the Pompeii excavations
If, on the other hand, you want to visit the most famous places in Pompeii, in addition to those already listed above, you may decide to recover some energy in the cool of these places indicated on the map.
In addition to those already listed you can also find some coolness in the House of Siricus (21) House of the Vettii (10) House of the Dioscuri (11). House of the Golden Cupids (12) House of the Silver Wedding (13). As well as in the suburban villas of Villa of Diomede (22) and Villa of the Mysteries (23) and the Antiquarium.
Of course, in addition to the route it becomes essential, especially on hot and sunny days, to use the right accouterments such as umbrellas, hats, water and time slots for visiting.
It will be appropriate to arrange, for example, in the latter case to visit the excavations of Pompeii in the early morning or late afternoon hours. During these times, the heat is less intense and there are fewer visitors, allowing for a better visiting experience.
If, on the other hand, you don’t want to get lost in the streets, maps, and houses and risk having to spend the day in the sun, have an experienced tour guide guide guide you. Specifying that you want to visit the coolest places in Pompeii.
With the guidance of an expert you will be sure not to get lost and you will have all the assistance you need from someone who knows those places perfectly well. He will, for example, know how to guide you, without wasting precious time, to the refreshment areas or toilets inside the site.
