A free, regulation court right in the city centre
Anyone looking for where to play volleyball in Naples without renting a facility has a specific address: Rotonda Diaz, on the Caracciolo seafront, inside the Mappatella Gym area. Since 15 July 2025, there has been a regulation beach volleyball and footvolley court there, built to FIPAV standards and free of charge.
This is not a makeshift court with two posts and a piece of rope. The equipment is that of a real facility: a telescopic galvanised steel structure, a professional net with PVC edging, court marking tape with anchors, a referee chair, and external post padding. It was donated by the Fondazione MaGa together with the 100per100 Napoli association and some private sponsors, as part of the regeneration of Lido Mappatella; Mayor Manfredi was there to inaugurate it.
| What | How things stand |
|---|---|
| Where | Rotonda Diaz, Caracciolo seafront |
| Inside | the Mappatella Gym area, on the public beach |
| Active since | 15 July 2025 |
| Sports | beach volleyball and footvolley |
| Cost | free of charge |
| Dimensions | regulation, FIPAV standards |
| Booking | not required |
How to get there
Mappatella Beach is a municipal public beach, right in the city, next to the Villa Comunale and a stone's throw from Chiaia. You can get there on foot from the centre or from Mergellina by walking along the seafront, or by buses that stop along Caracciolo. There is no gate or ticket office: you just walk down onto the sand and the court is right there.
As it is a public beach, the court operates on a first-come, first-served basis: first come, first served. There is no booking system and no attendant keeping track of lists, so during peak hours you should expect to wait your turn — and to hand it over when it is someone else's. It is the only unwritten rule, and it is what determines whether the court remains a great place to play.
What to bring
The court is there, but nothing else is. You will need a ball: a beach volleyball is softer and inflated to a lower pressure than an indoor one, and on the sand, you will feel the difference immediately when playing a dig. Then water — much more than you think you need — a hat, and sunscreen, as there is no shade on the seafront. Flip-flops are essential for crossing the sand during the hottest hours: you play barefoot, but at midday, the sand between the sea wall and the court gets incredibly hot.
If you are playing a steady four-a-side, bring a spare ball too: the sea is only a few metres away and a long shot will end up in the water sooner than you think.
The sun and wind of the gulf
On the seafront, the sea breeze is almost always present and changes the game more than you might think: serving against the wind drops shorter, serving with the wind goes long, and the dink becomes either a weapon or a gift depending on the direction. During the middle of the day in summer, the sun in your eyes makes receiving a real challenge. This guide's section on wind and sun explains how to adapt your serve, reception, and court changes: reading it before you go is worth more than a training session.
Where else to play in Naples
There is no public map of the city's sand courts, and inventing one would help no one. The Rotonda Diaz court is the free go-to option; as for the others, the courts that appear in the VolleyFriends search are those of operators who have registered their facility, and the list grows as more sign up. If you manage a sand court in Naples or its province, registering it is the way to be found by those looking for volleyball in Naples who do not know where to go.
Organising a tournament on a public beach
On a public beach, a tournament is not a private affair: space occupation, timetables, and noise levels must follow municipal regulations, and these should be checked before making any promises to those signing up. This guide's section dedicated to beach tournaments goes into detail about formats, rounds, and managing the day; with VolleyFriends, the tournament bracket, live scores from the court, and group standings are managed from your phone, so the only thing left to manage is the sand.