Sorrento

The city of Sorrento

Sorrento is a colorful city cramped between mountains on one side, and sea on the other. The city center is a dedication to the various local products, citrus fruits and olive oil. From there, the view on the gulf of Naples and Capri is breathtaking, and the Vesuvius omnipresent.

This part of the Mediterranean Sea is not endless beaches with white sand. As the Aeolian volcanic islands in North of Sicily, the sand in the Amalfi coast is dark, due to the Vesuvius eruption of 79, and the cliffs surrounding the seafront are preventing the access to the sea. The fishermen harbor gives a lot of charm to the city, with the small boats all along the cliffs.

Sorrento is the city of limoncello, and lemons are everywhere. Painted lemons decorate the pavement on the street, lemon trees are surrounding the city, lemons fill stalls of all fruit sellers, and the air of the city center is full of the smell of lemon soap, sold everywhere.

One Place To Eat: Porta a Marina – Restaurant on the fishing port, at the end of the wharf.

Fishermen come directly after the fishing to drop their catches to this restaurant. They will serve you the fresh fish with a glass of wine from the area. Simply amazing!

Sorrento is divided in two parts: an uptown, where you’ll find most of the shops, restaurants and view points on the Gulf of Naples. And a lower town, made up of a few beaches, the harbor from where all boats for Naples, Salerno, Capri and the gulf of Sorrento leave, but also the fishermen harbor, called Marina Grande. Stairs and one elevator not far from the beach connect both parts of the city.

You should take the boat on departure or arrival to Sorrento to realize how high the mountains around are, and how steep the area is. Mountains overhanging Sorrento culminate to 1131 meters.

Sorrento Peninsula

The Sorrento peninsula goes far beyond Sorrento, up to the Punta Della Campanella, and several beaches, much quieter than the ones in Sorrento –as below, La Marina di Puolo, lined with fishermen’s houses.

Few people take the time to go from Sorrento to Massa Lubrense because buses are not that frequent and a bit far from the city centre. However, il bagno della Regina Giovanna, not far from La Punta del Capo, is amazing!

Il bagno della Regina Giovanna is a small rocky cove where the sea enters by an arch, which makes it a place for bathing entirely protected from the waves and currents, with a crystal clear water. The site shows some ruins of what was a former roman villa, the villa Limona belonging to Pollius Felix, a wealthy roman citizen, at the beginning of the first century.

We stayed one night out of Sorrento, in Massa Lubrense. If you haven’t heard about it yet, it’s time to check about the concept of Agriturismo. The program, born in Tuscany, and sponsored by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, encourages people to sleep in farms all across Italy. The concept is simple:  you sleep in the farm, and discover its products in the same time.

One Place To Stay: Il Gardino di Vigliano.

The farm, not far from Massa Lubrense, is kept by Valentina, Luigi and their mother, and in the family since the XIV century. The farm produces lemons and oranges mainly, and all the products derived. Being hosted there was one of the greatest moments of our trip. The family is with an unlimited kindness, inviting us to cook our own pizzas with them and using the farm products! Best pizza ever! If you don’t know how to make mozzarella, then you must have a stop there.