Sorrento feels like the gateway to the Amalfi Coast and it was a great base to explore some amazing places. It’s the home of Limoncello and is named after the Sirens of Greek mythology. Sorrento is located about 50km away from Naples where I flew into. I took the ferry one way and the train back. Both options are good, it’s just fun to take different modes of transportation.

Enjoy the Beach Clubs

Italy has an interesting take on beaches. Instead of being a free for all they’re usually run by different people charging for deck chairs and providing other amenities.

In Sorrento it’s no different, I rented a deckchair down on Marameo beach club. It was a beautiful day and the water was crystal clear. There’s a pretty good café to grab a beer or pizza etc and it was pretty reasonably priced.
I spent the whole day relaxing, swimming and snacking, it was brilliant and just what I needed.

Take the Train to Pompeii

Pompeii is somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for ages and it didn’t disappoint. It’s easy to take the train from Sorrento, it costs 3-5 euro and takes 30-60 minutes. Pompeii was a huge wealthy City founded in the 6th century BC. Unfortunately it was also built right next to Mt Vesuvius, a still active volcano! In AD79 the volcano erupted, destroying the city and covering it in ash which has preserved it to this day.

I was hoping to climb Mt Vesuvius but I didn’t realise you had to book a slot before you went and it was all sold out by the time I realised! If you do want to climb, book HERE.

Anyway, Pompeii is easy to do and you don’t have to book advance tickets. There are several entrances. I ended up going in from the Scavi di Pompeii and I was rewarded with the huge amphitheatre in front of me which was fab. I couldn’t believe I was standing in Pompeii!

From here I literally just wandered for a while, reading interesting info about several of the villas. I even stumbled upon some of the preserved bodies! There’s so much to see and walking along the old paths is so cool.
I knew I wanted to see the House of the Faun and the ‘beware of the dog’ sign. So off I went in that general direction. Both were fantastic and I stopped off to grab a drink and snack at a little café within the grounds.

In hindsight I would definitely recommend doing it with a guide. I overheard some tours and you get so many fun stories and fun things pointed out. Using google maps I did find lots of interesting places. The grand theatres, bathhouses and amazing villas.

Make sure you check out the Antiquariam for some casts of the victims and more info! You can easily spend a full day here so take lots of water and in summer make sure you have plenty of sun lotion and a hat.

Lemons!

As Sorrento is the home of limoncello I had to check out the amazing lemon grove within the town, it’s nice and shady and amazing for some close up lemon pics!

For dinner you have to go to O’Parrucchiano La Favorita. Located on the main street, it’s absolutely incredible inside. It’s also not as pricey as I was expecting and the food was delicious. The best part is the secret lemon garden hidden at the top. Eat, drink and then wander through this gorgeous little place.

The other thing to do is find a little bar, sit outside and enjoy a Limoncello spritz while you watch the world go by. There are so many cute places to try. Grab some Gelato on the way too!

Amalfi Coast

Sorrento is a great gateway to the gorgeous Amalfi. The Amalfi Coast has been bringing in the celebs and upper class tourists since the 18th century and is a UNESCO heritage site.
You can catch a bus from Sorrento train station that will take you all the way along the coast. It’s a stunning and sometimes scary ride! I was going to drive but heard it can be a bit iffy and I saw a few people struggle with the intensity of the roads.

Positano is the most iconic/instagrammed places but as I passed through I wasn’t so impressed. Instead I headed to Amalfi itself, wanting to grab some breakfast. It’s so cute, the Duomo is absolutely stunning and there are lots of little shops and cafés to wander around.

I stopped for breakfast at one of these cafes and checked the bus to my next destination, Ravello! You take the bus from Amalfi and it was so easy. I was visiting the Rufolo, a 13th century villa that was extensively renovated by a Scotsman called Francis Reid in the 19th century.

It’s absolutely stunning, even the views out over the rest of the coast were jaw dropping from up there. It costs 7 euros to go in and it’s so worth it.
Make sure you explore every spot, there are beautiful terraces with Bougainvillea draped over, lovely cool gardens and interesting towers.

Ravello itself is worth the trip, with a large open square and mountain views. I wanted to visit the Terrace of Infinity too but made a mistake on which path to follow and ended up halfway down the mountain!

It was so hot I had to stop at a little bar and cool down, and decided to catch a bus back to Amalfi instead of walking all the way back up. If it hadn’t been 30 something degrees I would have done it.

Back in Amalfi I stopped for a rest and to get out of the sun, exploring more of the town. Nearby Atrani looked amazing too. There are so many places to see along the coast it’s hard to judge which to do if you have to choose!

It was late afternoon and I decided to get the bus back to Sorrento which was just as easy, from Amalfi bus station it’s obvious where to go. Back in Sorrento I grabbed some snacks and beers and headed to the Piazza Della Vittoria to watch the sunset.

It was amazing, with views over to Naples and Mt Vesuvius. People were paddle boarding to watch sunset, which would have been such a cool experience.

Relax! Eat! Stay!

This holiday was a chance for me to unwind, so the rest of the time I spent by the hotel pool or having an afternoon wander through the streets. I stayed at the Hotel Michelangelo which was great. They even had cava for breakfast. The pool area wasn’t huge but it was nice and chilled. The rooftop bar with it’s views was fun to visit in the evening too.

I was recommended a nearby restaurant, La Locanda Del Gusto. It was so good I ended up going twice, the local wine was amazing and the food…out of this world.

It’s only small so it’s good to get there a little earlier than usual for Italy.
Frankie’s Pizzeria was recommended too, I’d say it was good but paled in comparison to La Locanda. The beer choices were really good though.

For more ideas in Italy check out my other blogs HERE and enjoy! 🇮🇹❤️

Published by Tom

Wanderluster, forever day dreaming of my next destination. Nurse by day, gay, geek, love sports and marvel comics. Determined to visit every country in the world! View all posts by Tom