Naples, Italy: A vibrant Mediterranean port city famed for its UNESCO-listed historic center and rich cultural heritage.
Naples, located in southern Italy on the Bay of Naples, is the country’s third-largest city and the capital of the Campania region. The port of Naples ranks among Italy’s most significant, serving as a major gateway for southern Europe due to its proximity to key Mediterranean shipping routes. It is strategically important for both commercial and passenger traffic. The port handles approximately 1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) annually, making it one of the busiest container ports in Italy.
The Port of Naples features key terminals including a large container terminal with 70 mooring places and a storage capacity of 1,336,000 m², a RoRo terminal for vehicles, specialized terminals for timber, cellulose, and cereals, and a major passenger terminal. Cargo facilities handle containers, bulk, and RoRo traffic. Equipment includes ship-to-shore cranes, mobile walkways for passengers, and advanced logistics systems; Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are being introduced to enhance cargo handling efficiency.
Naples, Italy has three main container terminals with a combined area of about 200,000 square meters and approximately 70 berths. The annual container capacity is around 500,000 TEU, with expansion plans targeting up to 800,000 TEU. Automation is limited, with most operations still manual. Major operators include Conateco, Terminal Flavio Gioia, and Società Terminal Contenitori. The port authority oversees ongoing modernization and capacity upgrades.
Naples is strategically positioned in the center of the Mediterranean Sea along the Suez-Gibraltar route, making it one of Italy's most important ports. The port connects to major islands Sicily and Sardinia via ferry services, and offers fast ferry links to Gulf islands including Capri, Ischia, and Procida, plus the Sorrento Peninsula. As part of the Central Tyrrhenian Sea Port System Authority alongside Salerno and Castellammare di Stabia, Naples dominates Italian cabotage traffic, handling approximately half of national coastal shipping while serving as a crucial hub for both commercial freight and passenger transport throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Naples is a significant Italian port located on the Mediterranean Sea. While specific current TEU throughput data for Naples individually is limited in recent statistics, the port handled approximately 8.5 million passengers in 2023, primarily serving cruise and ferry operations rather than container cargo. Naples functions more as a passenger and general cargo port compared to Italy's major container hubs like Gioia Tauro, Genoa, and La Spezia. The port features multiple berths across its terminal facilities and serves various shipping lines focused on Mediterranean passenger and ro-ro services.
