boats in a marina and colorful houses in sorrento italy

Historic Building Overlooking the Coast of Sorrento Italy

Lemons and Shot Glasses Next to a Bottle of Limoncello

Restaurant Overlooking the Marina in Sorrrento

Sorrento Travel Guide

April - SeptemberItalyEUR

Natural Beauty

Historic Landmarks

Churches & Monasteries

Sorrento is a town in Campania, a place where the Mediterranean spirit is apparent in every inch of the deep green hills and azure waves. Lemon terraces adorn the hillsides, and there’s a vibe of relaxation. In Sorrento, it is as though the entire landscape is telling you to take it slow.

Located under the brooding presence of the Lattari mountains, Sorrento slopes gently into the sea, a collection of houses and restaurants on a hillside merging almost seamlessly into the small harbor where boats bob lazily on the waves.

Close to Naples by train, and therefore also within fairly easy reach of Pompeii, the town destroyed by Mount Vesuvius nearly two thousand years ago. If you wish, this is a region made for day trips. But Sorrento is more than just a jumping-off point for the surrounding area, it’s a town with rich treasures of its own.

Here tourists can swim, bike, and, most importantly, relax. There are beaches, and just a short distance away from the island of Capri, complete with its very own special, tranquil ambiance. Sit back and enjoy delicious seafood washed down with a shot of Limoncello.

Sorrento’s museums, churches, galleries, and castles rival any others to be found in Italy. The Castello Aragonese is a must-see on the nearby island of Ischia, and the Duomo on Corsa Italia is surrounded by excellent shopping. The Piazza Tasso is home to beautiful architecture and the Church del Carmine in Baroque style. The Marina Grande, part of but somehow distinct from the rest of Sorrento, is a former fishing village rich in a special kind of rustic charm.

Still, Sorrento isn’t really a place for packed itineraries and frantic box-ticking. There is no urgency here; stress is a foreign concept. The main order of business is the appreciation of life, the all-important objective of every day is to soak up the culture and enjoy the wine, weather, and conversation.

Must See Attractions in Sorrento

A Courtyard in Sorrento with Greenery and Archways

San Francesco d'Assisi Church

Housed in a former oratory, San Francesco d’Assisi Church is characterized by its serene marble facade and open arcade with stone arches dripping in ivy. At the center of the courtyard is a large tree surrounded by exotic foliage. It’s not surprising that many Italian couples choose this church as their ideal wedding venue. Visit during the spring or summer, and you might catch a glimpse of a beautiful bride on her special day. It’s also a peaceful setting to relax and admire the landscaped surroundings.

Sorrento Cathedral

Situated on the lemon tree-lined Corso Italia, Sorrento Cathedral is an impressive Romanesque church with a triple-tiered bell tower. The inside was remodeled in a Baroque fashion after a 16th-century invasion. Upon walking into the cathedral, you’ll notice the dramatic altar at the center flanked by vivid wall and ceiling frescoes. Examples of Sorrento’s famed intarsio (wood mosaic) work can also be spotted, along with paintings by artists from Sorrento’s Neapolitan School of the 1700s.

Piazza Tasso

Named after the famous Sorrento-born poet Torquato Tasso, Piazza Tasso is the main square and heart of the coastal town. It was built on top of a gorge that cuts Sorrento into two parts. During the day, crowds of locals and tourists venture into the piazza to dine at a surrounding restaurant or sample fresh produce from a fruit stands. The Baroque Church of Santa Maria del Carmine is one of the stunning historical monuments surrounding the square. Step inside and admire its impressive collection of Renaissance frescoes. Piazza Tasso is also a great starting point for Via San Cesareo, a leafy street lined with souvenir shops, fashion boutiques, and hip cafes.

Marina Piccola

Just a few steps from Piazza Tasso, Marina Piccola is a small harbor in Sorrento. When you visit, you can hop on a ferry or jet boat to the islands of Capri or Ischia Porto, as well as other nearby coastal towns, including the Amalfi Coast and Positano. If you want to spend a day at the beach, the port also features a small yet gorgeous stretch of beach with a nearby parade of restaurants and cafes offering sea views. On a hot summer day, there’s nothing better than to sip a refreshing Aperol Spritz while sunbathing near the crystal clear waters.

Optional Day Trips from Sorrento

Island of Capri

Take a short ferry ride from Sorrento by ferry to the island of Capri, or get a taste of the many yachts anchored in its stunning waters by traveling on a hydrofoil. Capri is renowned as a resort and a playground for the rich and famous. The best way to see the island is by boat, taking in the majestic grandeur of towering cliff faces, and the intimate and mysterious beauty of pristine bays and natural caves like the famed Blue Grotto. After a swim, there is plenty of delicious seafood, as well as shopping in the boutiques of Capri Town and Anacapri.

Island of Ischia

Ischia is a large volcanic island, with more room to move and enjoy nature than the teeming city of Naples across the water. Drenched in history, the Aragonese Castle (built in 474BC) stands on a small rocky outcrop just off the island, surrounded by fortifications to defend the settlement from pirates, and can be visited via a stone causeway. Away from Ischia’s six towns and artisanal pottery stores, the volcanic peaks at the center of the island afford spectacular views, and Monte Epemeo (788m in height) giving clear sight of Mount Vesuvius. Hiring a scooter will let you explore the island’s lush gardens and villas, and historic thermal pools.

Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius is the only active volcano in continental Europe – it last erupted as recently as 1944. Beautiful views of the Naples gulf on a clear day belie its menacing history – in 79AD, its explosion of volcanic ash rained terror down on the Roman town of Pompeii and completely buried the city and those inhabitants who could not flee in time. It sits against the wall of an even larger caldera created by an eruption some 17,000 years ago. Its proximity to cities and millions of people means it is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, but also makes its smoldering crater one of the most popular day trips in the Sorrento and Naples areas. The Circumvesuviana train will drop you off a short walk (around 30 minutes uphill and 20 back down) to the peak.

Pompeii

Step back in time to 79AD to the last day of the doomed Roman city of Pompeii. The astonishing preserved city was submerged under 10 meters of volcanic ash over 18 hours during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and is an unmissable must-see. Discovered by accident during the construction of a palace, and subsequently excavated, in the early 19th century, it is an incredible experience of the living past only a short train trip from Sorrento. Guided tours are offered, but most people can spend the whole day wandering by themselves through the ruins, taking in a detailed snapshot of metropolitan life in the Empire, and the detailed plaster casts of unlucky victims (taken from the cavities in the ash that surrounded the 2000 bodies) who could not flee the city’s and their own fates.

Amalfi Coast

Sorrento acts as the gateway to the extraordinary fusion of natural and manmade beauty on the Amalfi Coast. A strip of thirteen seaside towns make up the famously romantic coast, which has UNESCO world heritage status. The narrow, winding clifftop road SS.163 that connects the coast also furnishes spectacular views of the azure sea and the mountains, while the seaside rock faces and hills explode with the color of towering, cascading homes. The coast has been terraced and adapted over the years so that the settlements are now part of the landscape — towns spring magically from the hills, pebbly beaches give way to ancient towers. Stroll along the promenade, take a dip in the aquamarine waters, or browse the many high-end boutiques and shops dotted within the town.