Sorrento Peninsula: Food, Culture, and Day Trips Guide

Why Sorrento?

Sorrento is extremely accessible by public transportation, train or ferry from major cities like Naples. It is also the easiest for families, the elderly and people with limited mobility or in wheelchairs, because it is relatively flat (up on a cliff). It boasts an elevator traveling down the cliff to the to the beaches and ferry port.

Notable Spots

• Corso Italia: The main street that runs through Sorrento from one end to the other with shops, restaurants, bars and the notable Cattedrale dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo.

• Piazza Tasso: The central plaza overlooking the cliffs.

• Piazza Della Vittoria: A notable garden overlooking the water. I love coming here in the morning to read, and at night for live music and sunsets.

• Marina Grande: A bustling Marina filled with boats, restaurants, fishermen and southern Italian charm. There is a small beach and hidden coves nearby.

• Bagni Salvatore: This swimming area is known for its clear water and views of Vesuvius. Beach clubs rent out chairs on decks, and there are free-access beaches. Be sure to pass by the cliffside Basilica Sant Antonino, the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum and Chiostro di San Francesco - a tranquil, greenery-filled 14th-century monastery.

• I Giardini Di Cataldo: This is another not-to-miss spot. It's a small, local limoncello farm, which offers tastings and a relaxing garden area.

Shopping

Sorrento is good for leather, handmade sandals, souvenirs, ceramics and linens. Explore the side streets and stroll into shops. Some notable ones:

• Bimonte Sorrento: Famous jewelry store that makes homemade cameos.

• Antonella Ferrante: Leather.

• Sandali Siniscalchi: Handmade sandal shop.

• Antica Sartoria: Chain linen store.

Day Trips

Sorrento is centrally located in the Naples Gulf, making it easy to reach other locations, such as Capri, Ischia and La Costiera Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast).

• Capri:

Option 1: DIY- Take the ferry from Sorrento to Capri and explore independently. The ferry ride from Sorento to Capri takes just 20 minutes. It’s best to check the ferry schedule online (I use Ferryhopper) and buy the tickets beforehand, especially in the busy, summer season.

Option 2: Go with a guide. There are many tours, be it private or semi-private, that will take you from Sorrento to Capri on a boat. They usually provide drinks and snacks and discuss the region’s history, and bring you to the Blue Grotto. Some will drop you off in Capri and let you explore on your own, and others will take you around Capri. You can choose the kind of experience you'd like to have.

To See & Do

• Giardini di Augusto: A gorgeous botanical garden with a panoramic sea view

• Anacapri Chairlift: An exhilerating way to travel to Monte Solaro.

Beach Clubs

• Da Gioia

• La Canzone del Mare

• Torre Saracena

• La Fontelina

La Costiera Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast)

This region deserves a whole separate guide, but for people staying in Sorrento who want to visit the Amalfi Coast, these are the highlights:

Option 1: DIY - Take the ferry or bus from Sorrento to Positano - taking roughly half an hour to an hour, depending on the option you choose.

Option 2: I highly recommend going with a guide because there is a lot to see, do and learn. I work with an excellent local, who runs private tours by car or boat from Sorrento to Positano, Ravello and Amalfi. They stop at a farm-to-table restaurant in the mountains. If this interests you, message me and I can connect you.

• Ischia:

Ischia is a beautiful island off the coast of Naples and Sorrento. U.S. travelers usually overlook it, but it is highly recommended. This is one of my favorite places to visit, and it is full of Italians and other Europeans on vacation.

Option 1: DIY - Take the ferry from Sorrento. These ferries don’t run as often as the Capri ferries. They usually depart around 9am and return around 5pm This is a perfect time to explore the Ischia port and go to the beach. Don’t miss the last ferry, otherwise, you may be stuck there overnight (which doesn’t sound too bad to me.) The only stop from Sorrento to Ischia is a charming, colorful island called Procida. Feel free to get off the ferry here and explore for an hour. The ferry from Procida to Ischia takes 10 minutes and is worth the stop!

Option 2: Go with a guide- these tours are less common, usually private, and are more expensive than others. I don’t think this is necessary, but in case you prefer this, here are some options:

Other Day Trips

• Bagni Regina Giovanna: Scenic ruins of a Roman villa with coastal views & a secluded beach popular for swimming 20 minutes from Sorrento.

• Vico Equense: A 25-minute train ride to a small cliffside town known for its La Pizza a Metro, a “pizza by the meter,” and gelato at Gabriele, a dairy shop known for its excellent artisanal gelato, cheeses and yogurts. Il provolone del Monaco is a specialty cheese that is produced in just a handful of dairy farms in the hills above Vico Equense. It is made exclusively with the milk of cows pastured around Agerola.

• Nerano: Hike to Baia di Ierant. This is where I spent most of my time during my marine biology studies. The Bay of Ieranto is a rocky cove between Punta Campanella and Punta Penna; it is the pearl of the Marine Protected Area and can only be reached on foot. The walking path to the Bay of Ieranto begins in Nerano, a fishing village on the tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula. You can reach Nerano by bus or car from Sorrento, getting off at the stop in the center of Nerano. The path begins about 100 meters below the village’s main square and is well-marked.

Length of trail: 6 km

Duration of walk: One hour each way.

Difficulty: Medium

Services: The FAI center has public restrooms. However, there are no restaurants or cafés, so if you plan to stay the entire day, you must bring food and water.

Restaurants in Capri

If you go on a tour, your guide should also tell you where to go and what to avoid, but remain cautious, because there are a lot of scams and tourist traps in Capri

• Chiosco Tizzano di Natalia e Antonio Tizzano: For granita, gelato, & juices.

• Da Paolino: Great for enjoying a lunch under lemon trees.

• Restaurant Il Riccio: A famous beach club & restaurant in Anacapri.

Recommendations by Giada De Laurentis

• Le Grottelle: Set on a cliffside with sea views and great food.

• La Fontelina: Chic beach club & restaurant.

• Torre Saracena Spiaggia Ristorante Bar: A 120-year-old, family-run restaurant.Campania Italy Food Guide

Campania Italy Food Guide

Food in Italy is regional, meaning, every region of Italy has its own food culture, agriculture and specialties. Campania Italy is known for its pizza, seafood, lemons, & mozzarella di bufala.

Best Dishes

• Pizza Napoletana style:

• La Caprese: A salad featuring fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil leaves.

• Pasta al Limone: A lemon-style pasta. My favorite is with ravioli.

• Gnocchi alla sorrentina: Oven-baked gnocchi with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

• Pasta allo Scoglio(Scialatielli): Seafood pasta with a light cherry tomato sauce. There could be a mix of seafood like clams, mussels, calamari, etc. Scialatielli is a type of homemade pasta typically mixed with a very light sauce and seafood. It's a thicker pasta and is never seen in the states.

• Spaghetti alla Nerano: This is made up of zucchini, basil and cheese coming from the area of the Sorrentine peninsula called Neranno.

• Cozze alla Sorrentina: Mussels in a red sauce.

• Pesce Spada: Swordfish.

• L'insalata di Mare: Seafood salad.

Desserts

• Sfogliatella di Santa Rosa: A flaky pastry with a filling of ricotta, orange, and cinnamon.

• Baba: A small yeast cake that has been soaked in a sticky hard liquor. A Sorrento baba specifically, is filled with a delicious, zingy, lemon, Sorrento Limoncello cream.

• Delizia al limone: "Lemon delight"

Places to Eat in Sorrento

• Taverna Allegra: A cute restaurant in a cave in central Sorrento.

• L'Antica Trattoria: Known for their lemon pasta and tasting menu.

• La Cantanaccia del Popolo: Amazing pasta, meat and vegetables.

• Pizzeria Da Franco: Great Napoli-style pizza.

• Il Bocconcino: A deli for sandwiches to go.

• O'Murzil: A no-frills, authentic restaurant with great food and prices. Get the gnocchi alla sorrentina.

Places to Eat in Marina Grande

Most restaurants in Marina Grande are great, and they are my favorite to go to because of the views and atmosphere. Some notable ones are...

• Bagni Delfino: An upscale waterfront restaurant, serving great seafood risotto and seafood salad.

• Da Giniello OR Nonna Emilia: Great for aperitivo/drinks & light bites.

• O'Puledrone: Try their swordfish or any of their seafood dishes.

Gelato/Pastries

• Fresco Sorrento: Gelateria on Corso Italia.

• Gelateria David: Gelateria on Corso Italia.

• Bar Rita: Spot for a quick breakfast and coffee on Corso Italia.