The whole world envies a town in the Southwest of Italy: Sorrento. Together with Amalfi and Positano, Sorrento is the most popular city on the Amalfi Coast.

Not even the best writers would do justice in describing the beauty of these locations; the charm of this area of Italy is best experienced by being physically there. It hurts to say that in such a digital world!

Paved, narrow streets lead you gently uphill. Delicate pastel-colored buildings rise on either side. Chairs and tables spill onto the street from cafes where the aromatic smell of espresso lingers. 

The shops you pass have wares outside their doors, with rows of bright-colored hats and scarves. Looking downhill through the buildings, you can see the ocean glittering, and to your right, large mountains rise to meet the clouds.

This is Sorrento, a busy town in the Southwest of Italy. It sits by the Tyrrhenian Sea opposite the Bay of Naples, with Mount Vesuvius looming to the right.

Sorrento is a beautiful Italian town where you could stroll the streets and lie on its golden sands for your whole holiday. It is also a great place to visit other areas in the Bay of Naples, with day trips to Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii, and Naples.

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Things to See

Piazza Tasso

Piazza Tasso is named after the poet Torquato Tasso, whose statue stands in this main square in Sorrento.

The buildings are painted in shades of salmon and yellow and have ornate facades. Cafe chairs and tables are arranged in rows on the pavements, and awnings shade the patrons from the sun as they sip their coffees.

It is a bustling square with people milling around and scooters speeding by. Greenery amongst most buildings makes it feel as if the town sprang up naturally on the hillside.

Even though buildings are packed tight, you won’t miss the Church Del Carmine. It is yellow and white with ornately decorated windows. Once inside, you can look up to a ceiling packed with paintings; little angels with their wings look down on you from the walls. Even if you’re not religious, you have to go into some of the churches in Italy as the splendor is mesmerizing!

Corso Italia

This road stretches from the Piazza Tasso across the town. It is a packed street of shops, hotels, and bars. Tall palm trees stretch nearly the height of the buildings. There is a wide range of shops, from boutique Italian clothes stores to GameStop. Part of the street is pedestrianized, which is unusual in Italy, as people try to get their cars through the narrowest of roads.

The Cattedrale

Situated off the Corso Italia is The Cattedrale, otherwise known as the Cathedral of Saints Philip and James or the Sorrento Cathedral. It doesn’t seem as extravagant as other cathedrals from the outside, but it’s another story once inside.

Massive marble archways stretch on either side forever. The entire ceiling is painted on canvas, and the paintings’ bright colors are framed in gold. The Cattedrale is a vast, sprawling structure with several different chapels, including the Chapel of San Carlo, the Chapel of San Giuseppe, and many others.

Villa Fiorentino

A stone wall on the Corso Italia leads through a gate into luscious green gardens. A fountain stands tall in front of the white building adorned with balconies. This is the Villa Fiorentino.

This building was inspired by the owners’ reading of American magazines, so it stands out amongst the traditional buildings surrounding it. The owners built it as a home and a place to sell their products: handkerchiefs with embroidery.

The building has gardens and a play area, and walking amongst the trees gives you a break from the busy streets.

Museo Correale di Terranova

Have a nice stroll through the Museo Correale di Terranova, otherwise known as the House of Art. Once a summer residence, this 18th-century building has four floors and 24 exhibition rooms. Inside are archaeological findings, paintings framed in gold, and historic furnishings. Many hours could pass admiring the different artifacts and watching the figures look out sternly from the paintings.

The building is in a garden with orange groves, and the citrus smell scents the air. It’s refreshing to sit here and breathe it all in.

Museo Bottega Della Tarsia Lignea

In the historic center is an 18th-century patrician’s palace, now the Museum of Inlaid Woodwork. The rooms contain furniture decorated with Sorrento’s traditional woodwork. Paintings, photographs, and hand-painted wallpaper are on display. The art depicts the town and the surrounding area through the 19th century.

I Giardini di Cataldo

You can find the I Giardini di Cataldo in a side street behind the seafront. It has an unassuming entrance that is easy to miss. Through the archway is a lemon grove packed with trees. Bright yellow lemons weigh down the branches, and the refreshing smell lingers in the air.

You can take a food tour and try Sorrento products such as Limoncello, jam, marmalade, and ice cream.

Things to Try

Limoncello

Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that is both sweet and bitter. Sorrento lemons are generally used in Limoncello, made by soaking the lemon zest in alcohol like vodka.

Sfusato lemons are used for Limoncello because they grow twice the size and have thick, moist, and aromatic skin.

It is a strong liqueur, so it is best sipped or used in cocktails. Capri, Amalfi, and Sorrento vigorously debate where the first Limoncello was created, each adamant that it was their town.

Mandarin Liqueur

It is similar to Limoncello but made with mandarins. Depending on the type of mandarin used, each drink tastes different.

Giant Lemon with Sugar

This may seem like a strange treat, but the sweetness of the sugar cuts through the bitterness of the lemon and gives a balanced taste for a refreshing snack. The unique thing about it is that the lemons are huge and can be found only in this part of Italy.

Granita

This semi-frozen treat is made with sugar, water, and flavorings. You will find it in the gelato shops or on the street in special carts to cool you down in the heat. It can be paired with lemon, or there are alcoholic flavors.

Marmellata di Limoni

Or, in English, lemon marmalade. This is another great product made from lemons. Spread it on some fresh bread and enjoy the explosion of sweet and tart flavor.

Delizia Limone di Sorrento

These are some of the prettiest little cakes, like the round dome of an Italian church decorated in icing. They are sponge cakes filled with lemon cream and are an absolute treat for all lemon lovers! 

Places to Eat and Shop

Italy is, of course, famous for its delicious gelato, which is creamy and full of flavor. You will hear it calling to you from the many shops. It is heaped through the windows like snowy mountains with all the flavors you could ever imagine—crème caramel, lemon cake, tiramisu.

The different colors are enticing, and sauce drips over them, scattering chunks of raspberries or chocolate. A trip to Italy could consist of eating gelato and nothing else!

Of course, there are lots of fantastic restaurants to try in Sorrento, too, with delicious Italian dishes: seafood, traditional, Michelin-starred or not—they are all good, and you know it.

Let’s dive into a few notable eateries in Sorrento.

Antica Gelateria

The Antica Gelateria is a delicious gelato shop in Sorrento. The friendly staff will give you samples before you choose your favorite.

Gelateria Primavera

Celebrities and even the Pope have tasted the gelato at this store, which has walls covered in photos of its famous customers.

Gelateria David

This gelato store is known for its tantalizing gelato. Cones are stacked up high, and the display stretches throughout the store and is filled with heaps of gelato. They serve mousse cakes, granita, and yogurt. Their waffles have clumps of cream on top, chocolate sauce, and strawberries.

Il Buco

Situated in an old monastery, this Sorrento restaurant was awarded one star by the Michelin Guide. The wine cellar has a curving brick ceiling in a very rustic style. 

The rest of the restaurant is the opposite, the height of sophistication and modernity. Gold and silver velvet chairs and simplistic light shades give a chic vibe.

The restaurant uses local suppliers for its food. The menu includes Tartare in the crust with Jerusalem artichoke sauce, Cod on cauliflower cream, and oyster mayonnaise, among other unique pairings. The dishes are presented like works of art, with splashes of bright-colored sauce situated precisely on the plate.

Bagni Delfino

It is hard to miss this restaurant, with dolphins jumping over the sign and human-sized dolphins standing at either side of the door. It’s safe to say this restaurant serves seafood. 

Built on a pier that overlooks the Bay of Naples and surrounded by boats bobbing languidly on the water. Inside windows stretch from one side of the restaurant to the other so you can dine with a view. 

Their menu includes Cozze alla Marinara, a local specialty of sauteed mussels with tomato, garlic, and chili. Their cold seafood salad is packed with bright colors on the cuttlefish, squid, and clams plate.

Don Alfonso 1890

With two Michelin stars, Don Alfonso 1890 serves traditional meat and innovative cuisine. The restaurant’s farm supplies some of the ingredients.

Their wine cellar dates to the 6th century BC and is stacked with 25,000 bottles dating back centuries. The interior is elegant, mainly white, with pink chairs and paintings with gold frames. The food is delicately presented like a painter arranging each stroke perfectly.

Museo Caruso

Museo Caruso is named after the famous operatic tenor Enrico Caruso, who was born in Naples and spent his final years in a nearby hotel. The walls have memorabilia in frames packing out the wall.

Their food is delicately placed on each dish. A green sauce sits in a perfect circle on the white plate, with tomatoes placed to hold a piece of beef.

Situated in the Piazza Tasso, it is a great place to enjoy your meal and people-watch.

Supermarkets

Heading to the local supermarket is one of the best ways to feel like a local. It’s always interesting to see what kinds of things they’ve got that we would never find back home, and a great way to try speaking a bit of Italian. 

There are supermarkets dotted throughout Sorrento, making it convenient to pop in for toiletries, sun cream, or a snack.

Once you’ve eaten your heart out, head for some shopping; that’s another experience you won’t want to miss when you’re in Sorrento. There are tons of shops all around, but here are two unique shops you might not have thought to explore

A Gargiulo & Jannuzzi

The furniture store A Gargiulo & Jannuzzi stands in Piazza Tasso, with three floors packed full of objects. There is so much you won’t know where to look, from the rows of mahogany tables with intricate designs, their surfaces shining as much as the sun outside. 

To the pottery, fine arts, and napkins with embroidered monograms. You can watch the artists at work as they create these fantastic pieces.

Libreria Tasso

There’s something about the smell of books. You know they can transport you to many different worlds, and excitement lies ahead. 

This bookstore is a narrow shop with rows of books stretching from the start to the end of the shop. Pick up an English language book here to take to the beach.

Best Day Trips From Sorrento

Naples

The buzzing city of Naples is packed with things to see, from castles to museums, churches, and catacombs. Mount Vesuvius looms in the background as this city goes about its business.

Situated beside the sea, its pastel buildings are ornately decorated as they rise up the hillside. A must-stop is the Piazza del Plebiscito, a paved square with statues of lions guarding the great buildings on every side.

Ravello (Amalfi Coast)

Named the city of music, Ravello sits 1,200 feet above the sea on a mountaintop over the most beautiful coastline. Its medieval streets and green spaces are quieter than other towns.

There are many beautiful villas to view, such as Villa Rufolo. It overlooks Piazza Vescovado, Ravello’s historical and cultural center. 

It was one of the largest and most expensive villas on the coast. Legends about hidden treasures surround its grounds, and it offers the most beautiful views of the green-covered mountains rolling to meet the sea.

Minori (Amalfi Coast)

This relaxed fishing village was once a retreat for wealthy Romans. The ruins of a Roman villa from the 1st century BC show what life was like.

The village holds the food festival, GustaMinori, because it is the center of food production and is famous for its pasta making.  

Maiori (Amalfi Coast)

Maiori has the largest beach on the Amalfi Coast. It is a lively town with a thriving nightlife. A castle sits on the hill, its battlements gleaming in the sun, and a stone wall around the hillside protects it.

Gragnano

Between Monti Lattari and the Amalfi Coast is Gragnano, famous for its air-dried pasta. This dramatic landscape includes ancient mills and medieval houses.

A must-try is the palazzo, a pita and pizza hybrid. It is oval-shaped and can be filled with meatballs, porchetta, prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, or even Nutella.

Vico Equense

This town is not particularly well known to tourists but is ten minutes by train from Sorrento. Its historic center sits on a clifftop, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata is built on the rocky cliffs over the sea. It is a picturesque town with golden sand beaches.

Procida

Named the Capital of Italian Culture 2022, it is the smallest island in the Bay of Naples. Although it doesn’t attract as many tourists as the other islands in the area, it has a shabby chic and authentic feel. 

You can walk most of the island and visit the Fortress monastery or get a guided tour of the prison in the walled town of Terra Murata.

Ischia

Ischia is the largest island in the Bay of Naples. It is famous for its thermal spas, landscaped gardens, and Aragonese castle. 

Visit Negombo Thermal Park, which is nine hectares of greenery with caves and cascading thermal waters in the Bay of San Montano. It features a beach, gardens, a hydrothermal park, and a wellness center.

Capri

Capri is known as a place for the wealthy. Looking down from its cliffs, you will see numerous yachts below. It is an excellent place for shopping or trying its famous dessert, Torta Caprese, a dense flourless chocolate cake.

A rowboat can take you into the Blue Grotto. The mouth cave is only a meter high; you glide through the darkness into a cave illuminated by bright blue waters.

Conclusion

Strolling through the streets of Sorrento is like stepping back in time with its classical architecture and historic monuments. It is perfect for relaxing on the golden sands or as a base for exploring the Bay of Naples.

Make sure to eat as much as possible, and don’t cram in too many sights! One of the best things to do in Italy is to wander the streets and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, feeling like a star surrounded by beautiful scenery.