The Complete Itinerary: How to spend one week in Sorrento
A week in Sorrento – What to do and to see – 7 days in Sorrento – Itinerary
Sorrento is – with Naples and Pompeii – the most visited place in Campania. For this reason, I could not fail to mention it in my 7 day itinerary in Campania.
Its beauty, its fame and its strategic position make Sorrento a very popular destination for tourists from all over the world, especially from UK and USA.
This international vocation has indeed somewhat distorted its soul and veracity, but has however allowed it to become a meeting place for every culture and also to become a reference for artists, writers and musicians.
- Sorrento music
“ Torna a Surriento “ is one of the most beautiful Neapolitan songs ever written by Ernesto and Giambattista de Curtis for the Italian president of the board Zanardelli (even if it was only readapted) and has become an international success with the English translation entitled “Come back to Sorrento“ and “Surrender”.
In Sorrento, in my opinion, was also written the last great Neapolitan song by Lucio Dalla in honor of the great tenor Enrico Caruso. On the occasion of a breakdown that occurred to his boat when he was near Sorrento, Dalla stayed in a famous hotel in the same room where Caruso lived the last years of his life. So Dalla found a big inspiration from this experience and wrote the song entitled “Caruso “.
- Where is Sorrento ?
- A week in Sorrento
Sorrento is located just 47 km from Naples – right at the beginning of the homonymous gulf – 15 km from Positano and 32 km from Amalfi. Precisely for this strategic position, when I practiced cycling, Sorrento was absolutely my favorite destination because it allowed me to see a spectacular and an exciting point of view of the sorrento coast.
Sorrento is located 7 miles from the island of Capri and 30 km from Pompeii.
Sorrento is, therefore, the privileged starting point to organize your tour in Campania, a tour that obviously has the Sorrento peninsula with all its locations as its epicenter and will take care to develop in all the most renowned coastal resorts of Campania.
About Sorrento peninsula I discovered that many blogs / web sites have written that Sorrento is the Amalfi coast. It is not true! Sorrento in fact gives its name to the Sorrento peninsula or coast, a territory that extends from Vico Equense to the Campanella and belongs entirely to the province of Naples. The Amalfi coast, however, begins in Positano and includes 13 towns up to Vietri sul Mare.
- Is more beautiful the Amalfi coast or the Sorrento coast?
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
To decide it, perhaps it is better to roll dice or to make heads or tails. The Amalfi coast is in fact wilder, consists of smaller villages and lives essentially in the summer. The Sorrento peninsula, on the other hand, is made up of much bigger towns, has historically more ancient tourism and was already a renowned resort at the end of the 19th century. For this reason, there always a lot of tourists and not only in summer.
- When to go to Sorrento?
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
What I have just mentioned also allows me to answer another classic question asked by those who want to organize a trip to Sorrento: which time of year is the best to visit Sorrento? My answer: everytime is good.
Obviously summer is the ideal time to visit the Sorrento peninsula both to better explore its coast and to experience its events and nightlife, but it in autumn and winter a travel in Sorrento is good experience.
First of all Sorrento is a town of 16 thousand inhabitants, so it always offers things to do. After that Sorrento manages to be a popular destination for the rest of the year and from march to the end of october there are many tourists. After all, spring is a great time to visit Sorrento. During the Christmas period, the city is very special and with authentically Neapolitan charm. This is also due to the elegant Christmas decorations.
- How many days to stay in Sorrento?
- A week in Sorrento
To visit the center of Sorrento a walk of a few hours is enough, but if I say you that to visit the Sorrento peninsula you need a month trust in me. The recommended period in Sorrento depends on what you want to do and on the period in which you go. In summer, in fact, it will be pleasant to explore the coast and the beaches, on all those around Massa Lubrense with the bay of Ieranto and Nerano beach.
Each village of the Sorrento peninsula has something beautiful and there are nice trips you can to do in the surroundings: Capri, Pompeii, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Naples
If, however, you want to visit just the Sorrento peninsula without spending a holiday, 2 or 3 days can be enough.
- How much does a holiday in Sorrento cost?
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
Even a million euros! In fact, there are those who spend these sums, in particular American and Russian billionaires that love Sorrento. If you have a normal budgets, don’t worry: Sorrento is not so expensive.
In restaurants you can pay 35/50 euros, for the beach, 20/25 euros per person per day. In hotel prices dipend on the period of stay. The choice between hotel, villa and appartments is not so easy, so look for the topic “cost of holidays in the Sorrento peninsula” in this blog.
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Sorrento and surroundings: what to see .
After the aforementioned premise full of general information, which will be integrated with informations at the end of this article, it is time to devote the right attention to what to visit in the Sorrento peninsula: monuments, views and beaches.
- What to see in Sorrento in one day
- A week in Sorrento
The ideal starting point to visit Sorrento is definitely from Tasso square. Here you will be surprised by an incredible circumstance: in the center of Sorrento you can breathe the sea air but there is not the sea!
Sorrento has not lost its elegance. The historic bars in the square do not in fact lose sight of the statues dedicated to Sant ‘Antonio and Torquato Tasso (the author of the Jerusalem freed was born in Sorrento), as well as the Baroque Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine with the paintings by Neapolitan artists of the 17th and 18th centuries.
From the square you can then walk all over Italia street, where there are people at any time of day or night due to the shops or boutiques of crafts, souvenirs and food. In San Cesareo street you will then notice the” Sedil Dominova palace.
The place I love most in Sorrento, however, is the municipal villa, from which you can appreciate the splendid view of Marina Piccola, Marina Grande and the port of Sorrento. To the side there is also the Church with the Cloister of San Francesco, as well as the murals dedicated to Lucio Dalla, Enrico Caruso and Sofia Loren.
From this place you can also take the lift or the stairs to go directly to Marina Piccola and the port. Nevertheless, I recommend that you first complete your visit to the center with the medieval Correale and Veniero palace, the Church of the Pietà and the Cathedral in its Baroque style. The peculiarity of the Cathedral is certainly that the bell tower is fifty meters distant from the Church.
Near Tasso squadre you can admire the “valley of the mills” , which takes us back to the old Sorrento. This is, in the present case, a romantic yet suggestive place that allows you to see from above the ancient mill that intercepted the energy of the stream for grinding wheat.
As it is said, the center of Sorrento it near the sea, but it is not on the sea. To go to the beach, you have to take the stairs or take the elevators near the municipal villa.
- The beaches of Sorrento
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
In the surroundings of Sorrento, however, there are mythical beaches that have entered history. Among these, the most famous is probably dedicated to Queen Govanna D’Angiò, who chose this corner as her favorite place. The baths of Queen Giovanna appear in fact still a mythical place. To access it you have to go downhill for about 10 minutes, after which you will find yourself in a cove where the sea turns turquoise and is delimited by an arch that separates this natural swimming pool from the open sea.
- Massa Lubrense: what to see
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
Moving away from Sorrento in the direction of the marine protected area of Punta Campanella, you come across the territory of Massa Lubrense, a splendid village projected entirely on the sea and famous for its beaches, as well as for its numerous splendid hamlets. Among these, one of the most fascinating is certainly Sant’Agata dei Due Golfi, a terrace overlooking the sea that offers the opportunity to observe the Gulf of Naples and Salerno at the same time almost touching both the island of Capri and the islets of the Gauls, islands celebrated by Homer because here the mermaids lived – including Partenope – who attempted to conquer Ulysses. The famous panorama of Sant’Agata dei Due Golfi, in particular, can be best appreciated from the Monastery of the Benedictine Nuns located on the hill called “the Desert”.
The vision of Capri, moreover, can also be appreciated from the other bays and beaches located in the territory of Massa Lubrense. One of these, the beach of Marina del Puolo, is one of the most popular among the Sorrentines because of its shallow water, the currents that always generate clean water and the presence of both equipped areas and free beaches.
- The bay of Ieranto
- A week in Sorrento
There are two spectacular places you can not miss. The first is the Bay of Ieranto, which is located in an inlet just before Punta Campanella and Punta Penna. More specifically, it is an uncontaminated place appreciated since the ancient Greeks – who built a temple here dedicated to Athena, goddess of justice – and the Romans.
Recently, towers were built here to defend people against pirate assaults and the bay was later used as a quarry for the extraction of limestone. However, this is not a bay easily accessible by land. To enjoy it, you have to take a fairly demanding 3.5 km route. The route in question starts from Nerano Alta and develops along olive groves, carob trees, dry stone walls and the panorama of the Gulf of Salerno. If you prefer the landing by sea, you can go kayaking from Recommone beach and Marina di Cantone beach.
- Nerano beach
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
The second spectacular location that deserves a separate mention is then the beach of Nerano, where white pebbles allow the sea to create emerald reflections and the wild promontory is like a forbidden place. However, this is not an isolated beach, on the contrary – being perfectly accessible by car – there are many restaurant with nice seafood and “spaghetti alla nerano” ( pasta with zucchini). Pay attention to the prices: it is not cheap.
- The rock of Vervece.
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
Still in the territory of Massa Lubrense it is then possible to find what for divers could be considered a paradise: the Vervece rock, one of the most sought-after scuba diving sites in the Sorrento peninsula and the Amalfi coast. Vervece is located in front of the port of Marina della lobra and is a small islet where you can spot shoals of barracudas and in September you can see the suggestive ceremony with a mass on the rock attended by hundreds of boats and divers who then go the statue of Saint Mary located 11 meters deepth with the deposition of wreaths.
- The eastern of the Sorrento peninsula
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
The wide description of the Sorrento peninsula in its westernmost territory requires equal attention also for the eastern area and, in particular, for that more intimate part of the coast where you can find numerous villas with private access to the sea.
Specifically not to be missed is the village of Piano di Sorrento, commonly (and almost incomprehensibly) called Carruotto, where it is possible to stroll in its small harbor interrupted by the rocky ridge that clearly closes the bay.
You will be fascinated to see Vesuvius surrounded by the sea and the terraces that offer the most panoramic view of Sorrento and the Gulf of Naples in the distance. The panoramic points are in fact continuous along the curves of the Sorrento coast.
Meta di Sorrento, land of sailors par excellence, then has the largest beach – and therefore more crowded also because of the bathing establishments – of the whole Sorrento peninsula
- Vico Equense: what to see
- A week in Sorrento
In Vico Equense there is the beach of Seiano, famous for me because here he learned to swim Bud Spencer, who then became an Olympic athlete. Vico Equense is certainly the least eccentric country on the peninsula. Here tourism is for families and its epicenter is in the circular Umberto circus where bars and nightlife are concentrated.
The historic center of Vico Equense
The most beautiful corner of Vico Equense, however, is the one on the side of the Church of the Santissima Annunziata, which is located on a steep ridge overlooking the sea and sees its baroque (but sober) facade merging with Vesuvius in all its elegance. Moreover, the funeral urn of Gaetano Filangieri is kept inside.
Filangieri in fact died right in Vico Equense, precisely inside the Giusso Castle, which is located a few hundred meters from the Church and was built in the thirteenth century by king Carlo D’Angiò. At the end of the 19th century it was then transformed into a residential building with a chapel and embellishment with a cycle of frescoes inside some halls. Currently the castle houses a series of luxury apartments for summer holidays with numerous recreational activities and a descent to the sea with a private beach.
Vico Equense is also the city of good food. There is a special kind of pizza , salami and mozzarella. Here the restaurants are the best.
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Mount Faito from Vico Equense
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
From Vico Equense you can climb the Faito mount, with its 1,131 meters one of the most important mountains of the “milk mountains” ( Monti lattari) and also one of the most panoramic. You can go to the Faito Mount from the city of Castellammare di Stabia by cable car.
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How to get from Sorrento to Pompei
- A week in Sorrento
Pompeii is equipped with several car parks, especially near the Sanctuary of Saint Mary. However, it can also be reached by train ( the circumvesuviana) . The reference site for the timetables of the trains Sorrento – Pompei – Sorrento is https://www.eavsrl.it/
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How to get from Sorrento to Capri
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
Who does not want to rent a boat (a solution that I recommend youto see the most beautiful coves of Capri), can go by ferry. From Sorrento there are several shipping companies that go the whole day. To whatch the timetables and prices from Sorrento to Capri, see:
Navlib , timetables and prices Sorrento – Capri – Sorrento. Reference site: https://www.navlib.it/ita/acquistaonline/index.asp
Snav, timetables and fares Sorrento – Capri – Sorrento. Reference site https://www.snav.it/
Caremar, timetables and fares Sorrento – Capri – Sorrento. Reference site: https://www.shop.caremar.it/it/
How to go from Sorrento to Positano and how to go from Sorrento to Amalfi
Rent a scooter! Or go by bus with Sita company . To go to Sorrento – Positano and Sorrento – Amalfi timetables is on https://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/ and the ticket cannot be purchased on board. For summer traffic, there may be delays .
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How to get from Sorrento to Naples
- What to see – Sorrento – Itinerary
You can go from Sorrento to Naples either by bus or by train (circumvesuviana). Go to https://www.eavsrl.it/ and https://www.sitasudtrasporti.it/ – The site has the advantage of making several stops and the last one right in front of the New Castle in Naples, that is in the center.
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What to do in the evening in Sorrento?
In Sorrento in the evening you walk and rub and Tasso square onwards is a swarm of people sitting at bars, restaurants or around shops. If the rest of the peninsula – I am thinking in particular of Vico Equense and Massalubrense – is more quiet, Sorrento is characterized for parties and a lot of people. In the city center is famous the disco Il Fauno, which is located in Tasso square, but not being a lover of discos I can’t tell you much more.
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What to eat in Sorrento typical?
In the Sorrento peninsula see food and fish are very good. Then there is mozzarella cheese called “provolone del monaco”, caciocavallo and fiordilatte. A special pasta is “ gnocchi alla sorrentina” that is with tomato sauce! We hace moreover Spaghetti alla Nerano (with zucchini), pizza and licmoncello.
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Where to park in Sorrento?
You won’t believe it, but Sorrento is an organized city. Although being in a region where it is difficult to plan anything, Sorrento has managed to organize itself to accommodate tourists. For this reason, already near Piazza Tasso you will find guarded multi-storey car parks. For convenience I provide some more precise data. There are several parking lots in via Correale and in via degli Aranci 16.
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Narrabondo 