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It also has some lovely sea views over the wide Bay of Naples curving away and to the North and, closer at hand, the busy Marina Piccola, where ferries and hydrofoils jostle at the pier surrounded by little orange-topped launches scuttling back and forth to the giant cruise ships anchored in the deep waters off the east end of town.
It's just that, if Sorrento weren't in a primo location, no tourist would bother with it. As it is, however, Sorrento is the launching pad for the buses down the Amalfi Coast, just 20 minutes by boat from Capri, and a quick train ride from Pompeii and Naples.
Not that there's anything wrong with Sorrento. It's just that Italy has so many more interesting places and you have such limited time. No one flocks to, oh, say, Táranto in Apulia or Brescia in Lombardy (both fine towns with far more of interest than Sorrento).
The only reason everyone's heard of Sorrento is because it is the region's public transportation node—and an admittedly convenient base—for exploring some of the greatest sights of Southern Italy. Frankly, there's not all that much to see in town. And in summer, English takes over for Italian as the most common tongue, which is a bit depressing.
I've been giving this advice for years, and as such have been accused of having something against Sorrento. I don't. I simply would prefer to stay in Amalfi, Positano, or on Capri rather than stay in Sorrento in order to visit those places.
If, however, you're the home-base type of traveler, Sorrento makes an ideal one.
This premier location—more than any particular sights, charm, or other benefit—is why it is such a famous resort town...and has been for more than 2,000 years.
The Greek (or perhaps Etruscan) city of Sorrentum on its bluff at the southern arms of the Bay of Naples was never terribly important in antiquity except as a middle-class resort for the Romans—and that status really hasn't changed for 2,000 years.
Since the 19th century, English and German visitors especially have flocked here on package tours (still the town's chief source of income). Ibsen even found enough inspiration here to finish writing Peer Gynt.
All that said, Sorrento can still be magical in the evening, when you stroll with the lively passeggiata through the streets, watch the sunset over the bay while sipping a drink at the Circolo dei Forestieri club, then spend the night sitting out on your hotel balcony to gaze at the twinkling manmade constellations of Naples' Bay strung out in a sweeping panorama under the dark bulk of omnipresent Vesuvius.
Tourist information:
Via L. de Maio 35 (inside the Circolo dei Forestieri club, just down from Piazza S. Antonio)
tel. +39-081-807-4033
www.sorrentotourism.com
Best Sorrento hotels
★★ Casa Astarita B&B [€€]
★ Hotel Villa di Sorrento [€€€]
★ La Tonnarella [€€€]
Hotel Mignon [€€]
Hotel del Corso [€€]
» More hotels in Sorrento [from €42]
» B&Bs in Sorrento [from €44]
» Apartments in Sorrento [from €40]
Viator.com tour
• Private Tour: Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello Day Trip from Naples
Planning your time: Sorrento has maybe 2-3 hours of mediocre sightseeing. To be brutally honest it is probably the least interesting town in this area. It is only famous for its location.
Sorrento makes an ideal base for exploring Campania thanks to its location at the nexus of regional public transit—pretty much the only place from which you can get anywhere without having to change mode of transportation: Trains direct to Pompeii and Naples; ferries to Capri; buses or ferries down the Amalfi Coast.
If you prefer the home-base style of travel, Sorrento is the perfect base. Figure on three days/two nights here (hit Pompeii on the train ride down from Naples—you can store your luggage temporarily at the Pompei train station—then spend one day each visiting Capri and the Amalfi Coast).
If, however, you prefer to travel from town to town, just treat Sorrento as a way-station to switch from train to bus or ferry; skip Sorrento entirely and sleep in a more interesting locale on the Amalfi Coast or Capri.
By car, from Naples take route 18 to Castellammare di Stabia, where you transfer over to the SS145 to Sorrento.
From the station, city Bus D runs to Piazza Tasso (city center) and Corso Italia (the main drag). Bus A runs from Piazza Tasso out Via Capo (where you'll find lots of hotels). Buses B and C run from Piazza Tasso down to Marina Piccola (ferry dock) and back again. Buses run every 20 minutes.
Since Sorrento makes such a good base, picking up a car or scooter here (rather than fighting the traffic in Naples) can make a lot of sense. The most reputable agencies, roughly in order from cheapest to most expensive, are: Jolly Service & Rent (Corso Italia 3, tel. +39-081-878-2403), Penisola Rent (Corso Italia 257, tel. +39-081-877-4664, www.penisolarent.com), Sorrento rent a scooter (Corso Italia 210 tel. +39-081-878-1386, www.sorrento.it), and Hertz Scooters (Via degli Aranci 9, tel. +39-081-807-1646, www.hertzsorrento.com).
At Easter time, Sorrento throws a solemn, Byzantine religious procession in honor of Good Friday. In July and August, Sorrento hosts both a classical music festival in indoor and outdoor venues across town, and an international film festival that lacks the star quality of Cannes or Venice, but is starting to gain a certain following.
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Tourist information:
Via L. de Maio 35 (inside the Circolo dei Forestieri club, just down from Piazza S. Antonio)
tel. +39-081-807-4033
www.sorrentotourism.com
Best Sorrento hotels
★★ Casa Astarita B&B [€€]
★ Hotel Villa di Sorrento [€€€]
★ La Tonnarella [€€€]
Hotel Mignon [€€]
Hotel del Corso [€€]
» More hotels in Sorrento [from €42]
» B&Bs in Sorrento [from €44]
» Apartments in Sorrento [from €40]
Viator.com tour
• Private Tour: Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello Day Trip from Naples
This article was written by Reid Bramblett and was last updated in May 2015.
All information was accurate at the time.
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