Sorrento

Sorrento: the portal to the Amalfi Coast, discover this beautiful seafront town, with atmospheric side streets, delicious food, and a riveting history.

Sorrento is sometimes dismissed for not being as superficially beautiful as the other localities along the Amalfi Coast. However, do not be fooled by this! Its delightful centre, historic importance, and singular (and delicious) gastronomy create a truly gorgeous destination.

On Sorrento’s main square, Piazza Tasso, you will find its 15th-century Duomo. Within, amongst art from various schools, you will also find the famous Sorrentine wood mosaics. For those wishing to enjoy even more art, the Museo Correale di Terranove cannot be missed. A particular highlight includes the 400+ paintings and drawings by Teodoro Duclère, who studied at the famous Posillipo school.

Visitors wishing to immerse themselves in history must stop to see the Vallone dei Mulini. Here you can wonder at the gorge created over 35,000 years ago! Within the now mossy green gorge, you can see the remains of the wheat mills from which the gorge originally got its name. In fact, this is one of three vallone that once bounded Sorrento, however the other two are no longer visible. It stretches between the Piazza Tasso, towards the villa La Rupe. The Vallone dei Mulini is thought to be one of the best preserved of such gorges on the peninsula! History-lovers will also enjoy wandering around the Chiesa di San Francesco, as well as the nearby Benedictine monastery. Here you can stroll through the centuries-old remains, including churches and beautiful cloistered courtyards.

Anyone looking to travel further afield will enjoy a wide variety of choices. For example, you can make use of the hydrofoils and buses to visit the charming Positano, the famous Amalfi, and the legendary Capri. Alternatively, Sorrento offers many walks and hiking trails into the Lattari mountains. Moreover, the Ancient remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum are but a day trip away, and offer a truly enthralling day out.

Sorrento’s Marine Grande is actually a small fishing village, nestled underneath the clifftop town. It also, incidentally, offers some of the best food in Sorrento. Here you can delight in family-run, seafood-based eateries. Moreover, you can taste the delicious Gnocchi alla SorrentinaSorrento also boasts some of the best olive oils, cheeses, and wines in the country! Don’t forget to pick up some limoncello whilst here, given that Sorrento is where it originates.

Guests wishing to dip their feet into cool waters should definitely head towards the Regina Giovanna Baths. Though not ‘baths’ in the traditional sense, this gorge-lagoon offers a serene and secluded oasis away from the town. It is probably easiest to reach this by shuttle bus, and we would not recommend that families with small children visit, given that the area’s untouched nature means the path down to the gorge can often be uneven and unsteady. Nevertheless, for others this is truly unmissable! It certainly makes up for Sorrento’s lack of sandy beaches, and boasts clear waters and idyllic sunbathing opportunities.

If you find yourselves in Sorrento between July and September, be sure to look into the Sorrento Festival. During this time, you will be able to enjoy jazz and classical concerts in historical venues.

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