Spiaggia delle Mortelle, Portici: A Small Free Beach Beside the Bourbon Port of Granatello

Italy | Campania | Naples Province | Portici | Vesuvian Coast

The small gulf at Portici takes its name from the pomegranate trees that once grew along it, and the name has survived as Granatello. A regional tourism account relates that King Charles of Bourbon and Queen Maria Amalia were brought ashore here when their ship ran into trouble off the coast, and that the beauty of the place persuaded him to build a palace. The Reggia di Portici was begun in 1738, and the port of Granatello was built in 1773 to give access to it. Spiaggia delle Mortelle is a small free beach tucked beside that harbour.

The Granatello Harbour Behind Spiaggia delle Mortelle

The beach lies at Via Mortelle 23, by the Porto del Granatello, on the Gulf of Naples west of Vesuvius and about one and a half kilometres from the centre of Portici. The harbour is now the centre of the town’s evening life, and visitors come for the sunset as much as for the beach. A beach directory describes the sunsets at Mortelle as spectacular and suggests an aperitivo there.

The palace stands a short distance inland. It was built as a summer residence for the Bourbon court, and its gardens and the Herculanense Museum, which held finds from the early excavations at Herculaneum, make it an obvious companion to a swim.

A Small Black-Sand Bay With Rocks at the Entry

Spiaggia delle Mortelle is small, a bay beach of about 100 by 40 metres according to one beach database. The sand is black volcanic sand, and the seabed is a mix of sand and large boulders. Depth increases gradually, which one database rates as suitable for children, but reviewers warn that there are rocks when entering the sea, and one visitor advises going in from the left side to avoid them. Water shoes are sensible.

Partial natural shade comes from trees at the back of the beach. Reviewers describe small stones and shells to collect, and one mentions building stacks of rocks, which suits children who like exploring more than swimming.

What a Free Beach Here Offers, and Where Accounts Disagree

Spiaggia delle Mortelle is a free beach (spiaggia libera), with no sunbed or umbrella rental. Beyond that, accounts disagree. One beach guide reports that the beach has no ramps or wheelchair rentals. A visitor review mentions a freshwater tap for washing but no toilets or changing rooms, and says there is food nearby but nothing on the beach itself. The source I was given describes ramps, accessible cabins, beach wheelchairs and lifeguards, and I could not confirm any of that. Anyone who needs accessible facilities should ask the Comune di Portici before travelling.

A Czech-language beach site lists the beach as friendly to pets, but I could not find a municipal rule to confirm it. Italy has no national ban on dogs at beaches. Access is set by municipal and regional ordinances, so look for notices on site.

Reading the Ratings: Water, Cleanliness and Crowds

Opinions on the beach are mixed. A European Environment Agency report, cited on a swimming-water site, classed the bathing water here as very good in 2021, which is the most recent figure I could find, so check current results. Against that, a beach database rates cleanliness as poor and the beach as packed in high season, and visitor reviews range from “peaceful paradise” to “not worth visiting.” One reviewer notes that the beach is hard to find without local help, and a nickname, “Beach of Death,” appears in the reviews without explanation. I could not find the reason for it.

Local advice from reviewers is to come late in the day, when the beach empties. For a free urban beach with a different regime, Spiaggia delle Monache Posillipo Napoli requires an online booking and a daily cap, while Mortelle has no such system as far as I could confirm.

Reaching Via Mortelle 23 From the A3 Exit or Portici Station

By car, the road from Naples leads to the Portici–Ercolano exit from the A3 and the E45, and then toward Via Flotard de Lauzières and Via Mortelle by the Granatello port. Parking nearby exists but is limited at peak times, according to a beach guide, and disabled parking spaces are reported. By train, Portici has stations on the railway lines south of Naples, and the walk to Granatello from the nearest station is short, but I could not confirm line names or walking times. Visitors planning a cultural day can combine the beach with the Reggia di Portici, which charges an entrance fee.

Sunset and Dinner at Granatello

Restaurants and pizzerias cluster around the harbour, and a Czech-language guide names several. The beach itself has no food, so plan to eat at the port. The best time is late afternoon, when the light turns west over the gulf and the beach empties.

Before leaving, walk the few metres to the harbour wall and look back at the cove with Vesuvius behind it.