Rating
4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)
User Reviews
Kuljeet Singh (5 months ago)
We used public transport. Which dropped us off at the foot of the sight. Entrance was 5 euro. Pleasantly surprised at what you and get to experience. Not many people when went. Took our time exploring and enjoying the views. Must see in Naples.
We used public transport. Which dropped us off at the foot of the sight. Entrance was 5 euro. Pleasantly surprised at what you and get to experience. Not many people when went. Took our time exploring and enjoying the views. Must see in Naples.
Robert Sjöström (5 months ago)
Really interesting place. If you like roman history this is a must go place.
Really interesting place. If you like roman history this is a must go place.
La Vero Donnelly (10 months ago)
Amazing views, perfect for a family day.
Amazing views, perfect for a family day.
Jab Myarm (2 years ago)
Of the "big five" oracular sites in antiquity, Cumae is perhaps the least well known (the other four were Delphi, Didyma, Dodona, and Siwa). Spelled "Cuma" in Italian, like all the surrounding Napoli area Cumae was originally settled by Greek colonists during the 9th and 8th centuries BC -- in fact, Cumae may have been the first of the Greek colonies in Italy. The prophetess at Cumae was known as Sybil and is most famous for offering books of prophecy to the king of Rome. As the story is told by Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, she offered nine books, today known as the Sibylline Prophecies, for a pretty penny which the Roman king at first refused to pay. So she destroyed three of the books and then offered the remaining six for the same price. Again the king refused to pay, so she destroyed three more of the books and offered the last three for the same amount, at which point the desperate king finally gave in and paid up. Just how the Sybil operated her prophecies through the centuries is not well known since they were generally spontaneous, although Virgil (who lived 70 to 19 BC) wrote that she operated from a cave and was "the mouthpiece of Apollo." It is likely Virgil personally visited Sybil at Cumae since he had a villa close by. It was not until the early 20th century that this current location was identified with the Sybil since prior to that a cave adjacent to Lake Avernus was thought to be her oracular location. The so-called Temple of Jove atop the acropolis affords sweeping views; the acropolis is also where remains from the rather large Temple of Apollo are located. Going downhill to the shoreline there is said to be scant remains from a Temple of Isis, but I did not visit that. Cumae makes for a beautiful daytrip, including historically fascinating ruins, lovely vistas, not overly dense with tour bus crowds (at least when I was there in springtime), and what I considered to be extremely pleasant hiking throughout the historical site. In all likelihood visitors to beautiful Cumae will be staying in Naples, so be advised that getting there using public transportation can be a challenge. Reaching its nearest town, Fusaro, using the Cumana Railway is easy enough, but the last 2½ miles going north from Fusaro to the ancient site of Cumae requires use of the public bus service, which didn't run very frequently when I visited. In Fusaro the bus stops in front of Tabacheria Illiano Di Lubrano Lavadera (tobacco shop) on the Viale Carlo Vanvitelli, and the friendly owner of that shop is a great guy to meet; he speaks English after having lived in North Carolina for a few years. Or you could just hoof it by walking north on Via Fusaro, which is not physically demanding from a terrain perspective (all roadway and minimal inclines). I did it in reverse, walking back to Fusaro train station by foot in lieu of waiting for the bus in the sun at Cumae. However, please note that along several stretches there are no sidewalks and it seems every Italian driver wants to be Mario Andretti, so the feeling of pedestrian safety is not ever-present. That said, I rather admire Italian drivers because they are quite adept at negotiating tight quarters and avoiding collisions, so I wasn't particularly worried about my safety. Cumae may not be the primary reason an American or British tourist visits Italy, but it definitely should be included on your itinerary if you will be in Naples. Ideally, an excursion to Cumae would be combined with a visit to the ruins at Baiae (Baia), and that would best be accomplished by renting a car or similar. As always, plan ahead by ensuring these sites are open the day of your intended visit. Entry fee was €5.
Of the "big five" oracular sites in antiquity, Cumae is perhaps the least well known (the other four were Delphi, Didyma, Dodona, and Siwa). Spelled "Cuma" in Italian, like all the surrounding Napoli area Cumae was originally settled by Greek colonists during the 9th and 8th centuries BC -- in fact, Cumae may have been the first of the Greek colonies in Italy. The prophetess at Cumae was known as Sybil and is most famous for offering books of prophecy to the king of Rome. As the story is told by Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, she offered nine books, today known as the Sibylline Prophecies, for a pretty penny which the Roman king at first refused to pay. So she destroyed three of the books and then offered the remaining six for the same price. Again the king refused to pay, so she destroyed three more of the books and offered the last three for the same amount, at which point the desperate king finally gave in and paid up. Just how the Sybil operated her prophecies through the centuries is not well known since they were generally spontaneous, although Virgil (who lived 70 to 19 BC) wrote that she operated from a cave and was "the mouthpiece of Apollo." It is likely Virgil personally visited Sybil at Cumae since he had a villa close by. It was not until the early 20th century that this current location was identified with the Sybil since prior to that a cave adjacent to Lake Avernus was thought to be her oracular location. The so-called Temple of Jove atop the acropolis affords sweeping views; the acropolis is also where remains from the rather large Temple of Apollo are located. Going downhill to the shoreline there is said to be scant remains from a Temple of Isis, but I did not visit that. Cumae makes for a beautiful daytrip, including historically fascinating ruins, lovely vistas, not overly dense with tour bus crowds (at least when I was there in springtime), and what I considered to be extremely pleasant hiking throughout the historical site. In all likelihood visitors to beautiful Cumae will be staying in Naples, so be advised that getting there using public transportation can be a challenge. Reaching its nearest town, Fusaro, using the Cumana Railway is easy enough, but the last 2½ miles going north from Fusaro to the ancient site of Cumae requires use of the public bus service, which didn't run very frequently when I visited. In Fusaro the bus stops in front of Tabacheria Illiano Di Lubrano Lavadera (tobacco shop) on the Viale Carlo Vanvitelli, and the friendly owner of that shop is a great guy to meet; he speaks English after having lived in North Carolina for a few years. Or you could just hoof it by walking north on Via Fusaro, which is not physically demanding from a terrain perspective (all roadway and minimal inclines). I did it in reverse, walking back to Fusaro train station by foot in lieu of waiting for the bus in the sun at Cumae. However, please note that along several stretches there are no sidewalks and it seems every Italian driver wants to be Mario Andretti, so the feeling of pedestrian safety is not ever-present. That said, I rather admire Italian drivers because they are quite adept at negotiating tight quarters and avoiding collisions, so I wasn't particularly worried about my safety. Cumae may not be the primary reason an American or British tourist visits Italy, but it definitely should be included on your itinerary if you will be in Naples. Ideally, an excursion to Cumae would be combined with a visit to the ruins at Baiae (Baia), and that would best be accomplished by renting a car or similar. As always, plan ahead by ensuring these sites are open the day of your intended visit. Entry fee was €5.
Paul Bear (3 years ago)
Awesome place to take the family. Not stroller friendly and there are a few steep parts for the kids but overall worth doing. Definitely worth a day trip to explore the whole site. Don’t forget to stop and get some ice cream at the end. Lastly, there is plenty of parking, but I would just park wherever you can find it. The road is narrow at the parking close to the entrance so it gets really congested. Save yourself the time and just park a little further away.
Awesome place to take the family. Not stroller friendly and there are a few steep parts for the kids but overall worth doing. Definitely worth a day trip to explore the whole site. Don’t forget to stop and get some ice cream at the end. Lastly, there is plenty of parking, but I would just park wherever you can find it. The road is narrow at the parking close to the entrance so it gets really congested. Save yourself the time and just park a little further away.
