Sorrento is the most beautiful town on the Sorrentine Peninsula, a cliff-top resort of lemon groves, pastel-coloured palazzi, and terraced gardens overlooking the Bay of Naples, with the silhouette of Vesuvius smoking on the eastern horizon and the island of Capri floating in the sea to the west. Sorrento has been a destination for travellers since the Grand Tour of the 18th century, Goethe, Byron, and Dickens all stayed here, and it remains the most civilised base for exploring the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, and the islands of the Bay of Naples. Sorrento is not on the Amalfi Coast proper (it sits on the northern side of the peninsula, facing Naples), which means it is better connected (regular ferries to Naples, Capri, and Ischia; the Circumvesuviana railway to Pompeii and Herculaneum) and slightly less overwhelmed than Positano and Amalfi in the summer months.

Quick Facts: Sorrento, Italy

• Best time to visit: April–June and September–October for the best weather and manageable crowds. July–August is very busy and very hot. Easter (Pasqua), the dramatic processions of the Sorrentine Holy Week, with the hooded penitents and the centuries-old statues carried through the streets, are a powerful cultural experience. The Sorrento lemon season (May–September), the sfusato sorrentino (the Sorrentine lemon, large, fragrant, and the essential ingredient of limoncello) is at its best
• How to get there: Naples International Airport (NAP), ~1 hour by car or shuttle bus (the Curreri Viaggi bus from the airport to Sorrento is the best value, ~€10, hourly). The Circumvesuviana railway from Naples (Napoli Porta Nolana or Napoli Garibaldi station) to Sorrento, ~1 hour, ~€4.50. Ferries from Naples to Sorrento, ~40 minutes, ~€15. Sorrento is a compact, walkable town, the centre is flat and the main streets (Corso Italia, Via San Cesareo) are pedestrianised in the evening
• Don’t miss: Piazza Tasso (the main square, the heart of Sorrento, with the Baroque Chiesa del Carmine, the statue of Torquato Tasso, the 16th-century poet born in Sorrento, and the best gelato at Gelateria Primavera just off the square). The Marina Grande (the old fishing port, a cluster of pastel-coloured houses, fishing boats pulled up on the sand, and some of the best seafood restaurants in Sorrento. The walk down is steep but the sunset over the bay, with Vesuvius in the distance, is one of the most beautiful in Italy. Ristorante Bagni Delfino, the terrace over the water, is the essential Sorrento seafood experience). The Vallone dei Mulini (the Valley of the Mills, a deep, forested gorge in the centre of Sorrento with the ruins of an abandoned 19th-century flour mill, swallowed by the jungle. Visible from Via Fuorimura, one of the most atmospheric and unexpected sights in the town). The Cloister of San Francesco (a beautiful 14th-century cloister with Arab-influenced arches, a garden of palms and bougainvillea, and one of the most romantic settings in Sorrento, often used for weddings). And a limoncello tasting, the I Giardini di Cataldo (the lemon gardens in the centre of town, a tour of the lemon groves with a tasting of the limoncello, the lemon marmalade, and the lemon gelato. ~€5)
• Day trips: Pompeii (25 min by Circumvesuviana, the most famous archaeological site in Italy. Allow 3–4 hours. Entry: ~€18. Book online). Capri (20 min by ferry, the Blue Grotto, the Piazzetta, the gardens of Augustus. Allow a full day. Ferries: ~€20 each way). The Amalfi Coast (the SITA bus from Sorrento to Positano and Amalfi, the journey along the coastal road, hairpin bends, sheer drops, and heart-stopping views, is the experience. Allow a full day. ~€10 for a day ticket)

http://bestflights.co.za/europe/italy/sorrento, is a small town in Campania, southern Italy and a popular tourist destination that can be reached ea…

Have you sipped limoncello in Sorrento, watched the sunset over Vesuvius, or discovered the secrets of the Sorrentine Peninsula? Share your Italian coastal discoveries in the comments! 🍋

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