Sorrento – a popular stop on the way to the Amalfi Coast and quintessential Italy with plenty of cute alleyways to get lost amongst as well as lots of gelato and lemons everywhere.
What to See and Do
- Lookout at Villa Comunale (also has a lift down to the beach)
- Marina Grande
- Marina Piccola (where the ferry’s from Capri, Naples and Amalfi arrive)
- Wander the pedestrian alleyways of Old Sorrento
- Try some Limoncello (although I thought it tasted horrible Sorrento is famous for it)
- Eat gelato (after all, you’re in Italy!)
- Old ruins of Vallone dei Mulini
- Piazza Tasso (can’t miss it – it’s in the centre of town)
- Corso Italia (the main street in town)
- Cathedral of Sorrento (Duomo)
View from Piazza Tasso
Corso Italia
Lemon everything!
Vallone dei Mulini are old ruins that are very far below the road and not far from the centre of town that if you’re not on the lookout you might miss them!
View from the lookout at Villa Comunale
Tips
- When you enter a souvenir store (especially a clothing store) the salespeople can be quite pushy
- If you find a souvenir you like, buy it then and there. The prices didn’t seem to vary much between the souvenir shops. My mum found a bowl hand painted with lemons that she liked. We circled the same group of alleyways 3 times before we found that shop again
- The viewpoint at Villa Comunale can get crowded but it’s worth waiting for the tour groups to leave to get a good photo
- There is a hop on / hop off bus tour which I typically do upon arriving in a new city (London, Paris etc.), however since Sorrento is so small it’s not necessary. It’s easier to just wander around yourself plus getting lost amongst the pedestrian alleyways are half the fun
- There is a ferry to the Isle of Capri that I recommend taking for a day trip. I stayed 2 nights on Capri but feel that a day trip from Sorrento would have been sufficient. See this post for my guide to Capri.
How much time do you need?
I spent a day in Sorrento (arriving on the ferry from Capri) and feel that 1 day was sufficient. Sorrento is really small.
Where to Stay
I visited Sorrento as part of an organized tour so the hotel was out of the main drag (it was the Hotel Central Park). The hotel was very outdated and the food was terrible. The hotel was so far from everything I wouldn’t recommend. While the locals where friendly telling us which stop to get off the local bus at, I much prefer to just pay extra for a central hotel that’s walkable distance to everything.
Capri is only a short ride from Sorrento. See this post for my guide to visiting Capri (not to be missed!)
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