Sunken villas to explore by glass-bottomed boat
In Roman times Baiae was the most fashionable resort of the Empire, the "Las Vegas" of antiquity: emperors, senators and the rich built luxurious villas and baths here, attracted by the hot springs and the beauty of the bay. Its reputation for pleasure was such that Roman moralists condemned it.
On the hillside of Bacoli, the archaeological park preserves terraces of baths, nymphaea and the so-called "Temple of Mercury", in reality a great domed hall older than the Pantheon, with a remarkable echo. But much of ancient Baiae now lies under the sea, submerged by bradyseism: the Underwater Park of Baia is a protected marine area where you can see mosaic floors, roads, villa walls and statues a few metres below the surface. You can explore it by snorkelling, diving or aboard a glass-bottomed boat. Above the bay stands the Aragonese castle, which houses the Archaeological Museum of the Phlegraean Fields.
Tip: the castle museum has the reconstruction of the nymphaeum of Punta Epitaffio, with statues recovered from the sea; boat tours leave from the small port of Baia.
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