Africagirl

Have an invite to go on a walking tour along the coast around Sorrento. We spend 3 nights in Naples and 7 in Sorrento with excursions to Capri and Ischia beginning on October 3rd. I love to snorkel and would take my own little side trip to Ischia if the water and weather are decent in early October. Also would like to know if Sorrento itself is a fun town to visit. I speak some Italian and would love to mix with the people in the cafe's and shops. Can anyone out there give me any advice?

Jean

Advice about what? Are you spending a week in Sorrento or thinking about it?

Most people choose to stay in Sorrento not as a destination itself but because of the public transportation options from Sorrento to many other places in the area. I like Sorrento for this purpose, but many people describe it as "too touristy." IMO, the entire area (with the exception of parts of Naples) is very touristy, and the tourists easily out-number the locals most places you are likely to go to.

julia1

Sorrento is a good base and a fun town to visit, yes. It's in Italy - how can you go wrong?! Of course it's tourist-y. It's in a heavily touristed part of Italy. People might try to tell you you're better off staying elsewhere - Positano, Capri, Amalfi, etc. They are all great places to stay, but they are all just as heavily touristed as Sorrento.

But from Sorrento you have easy access to places without all the tourists, ancient villages on the Massa Lubrense, small hamlets on the Sorrentine peninsula. If you are going with a walking tour, you will probably walk through Arola, up to San Costanza, into the hills above Vico Equense, to the top of Monte Faito, perhaps even crisscrossing the island of Procida, walking the trails on Capri, etc. Wonderful places all, without a tourist in sight (except for yourself and your walking party, of course).

A number of years ago I spent 2 weeks on a walking holiday in this area. It was absolutely wonderful! I have been back almost every year since then and often stay in Sorrento. Last year I brought a group with me and we stayed in Marina Grande, an old fishing port that is part of Sorrento. Wonderful! Here are photos: http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p58232642.html and http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/p58232656.html

Here are some more photos, if you're interested, to give you an idea of what Sorrento is like. Just click on the thumbnails for larger images: http://gardentouring.fotopic.net/c1661993.html

KayF

We've been to Sorrento twice, the last time staying for 6 nights. It's a nice town with lots of shops and restaurants and easy access by bus or train to places for daytrips, like Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Pompeii etc (Capri by ferry is easy too). Our last trip was in early March and there weren't many tourists about, it was mainly locals and reasonably quiet. We liked it there and would go back.

Kay

Cyanna

When we were there - tourists ourselves - we enjoyed it. It helped that there was a sweet parade of school children celebrating the various activities of the area, such as olive growing (a whole class dressed as colored-paper trees), tomatoes, wine (no, the 3rd grade weren't schnockered - they just carried baskets of paper grapes), etc. That made it more a locale than a tourism-hub for us. The smell of the lemon groves helped, as did watching 'locals' in the Piccolo Porto (I think I've got that wrong - it's the next harbor over from the main Sorrento port) talking together at the cafe tables.

I enjoyed Sorrento quite a bit, and being able to get to Pompeii or Capri or Ischia without relocating was a plus.

Mimar

I thought Sorrento a pretty town. Lush foliage probably fertilized by volcanic ash. Nobody's mentioned Sorrento is on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples. So great views.

nytraveler

Sorrento is a reasonably sized town that is typically tourist with lot of hotels, shops and restaurants at all price points. As mentioned it's a great center to travel from - by bus, train or ferry - down the coast, to Pompeii and Naples and out to Capri or the other islands. (But I think you may find Oct too cold to go into the sea.

hamptons

I have done a similar walking tour and the area is gorgrous. Old Sorrento is charming. Via San Cesareo gate and all the little streeets and shops. Plus the convenince for traveling by boat, train or bus.

I am thinking of doing another trip can you tell me the name of your tour group?

dickensdad

Here is an excerpt from our March 2008 trip report:

We arrived in Sorrento in the middle of the afternoon. Our B&B (Il Roseto) was halfway between two Circumvesuviana train stations. On the way in, we got off at the main Sorrento station and walked to the B&B. After settling in, we walked around Sorrento, and then had dinner in the old part of town at the Ristorante Giardiniello. Sorrento has only one main street, so it is relatively easy to get oriented to the town.

Day 8

Today was perhaps the highlight of our trip – a visit to Pompeii. We were glad to be staying in Sorrento, so that we could get to Pompeii on a half-hour Circumvesuviana ride. Even so, we could have easily spent two days at Pompeii – perhaps one day without the guidebook to just let it all sink in, and another day with a guidebook.

Our innkeeper recommended a restaurant in Sant Agnello, which is the town just east of Sorrento. We had a nice meal at Ristorante Peppino, which reminded my wife of her Italian grandmother’s home cooking.

On the way to dinner, my wife tripped on the sidewalk and strained some muscles in her back. The sidewalks on Via Corso Italia are very narrow (and in some spots non-existent). This injury caused her discomfort, but she was able to walk without difficulties.

Day 9

This day was spent walking around Sorrento. Sorrento has a picturesque old section, highlighted by Via San Cesareo, a pedestrian-only shopping mecca. There is a lemon grove garden where you can get a free sample of limoncello (the local lemon liqueur). Sorrento sits on a bluff overlooking the sea – the best view is from Villa Communale. We walked down through an ancient Greek gate to Marina Grande, a fishing village. We ate again at Ristorante Peppino.

Sorrento was pretty, but it is definitely a resort town with shopping as the main activity. The tour buses were already arriving, and I shudder to think how crowded the town must be during peak tourist season. We found the people to be less friendly than in other parts of Italy we have visited. Our theory was that the locals hardly have any respite from the hoards of tourists, so they develop a callous attitude. On the other hand, it was only March, and the tourist season had barely started. When we arrived in town, we asked a couple of locals if we were headed in the right direction to reach Corso d’Italia (the main drag). The first two people refused to help us. The people working in the stores and restaurants seldom made eye contact, so it felt somewhat awkward to greet them with our usual “Buon giorno”.

joannyc

Dickensdad,

Sorry to hear of your experience with the locals in Sorrento. That is completely the opposite of mine!

I found the shopowners/bartenders/etc. to be very friendly and offer excellent advice on restaurants, etc. The folks at the front desk of my hotel even gave me bubble wrap and packing tape to protect my bottles of wine, olive oil, and vinegar from breaking/leaking in my luggage.

Dobermina

Lots of interesting points and advice. It's beautiful but a bit touristy for myself, though it does make a convenient regional base, and you can't leave without picking up some exquisite local limoncello!

emmywoodfall

Just came back from Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Tarifa. The must see in without a doubt, Granada, especially the Alhambra. Palacios Nazaries where Isabella tells Columbus Si Senor. Also St. Nicholas viewpoint, the Royal Chapel (Isabella and Ferdinand are here not in El Escorial. And highly recomment flamenco "zambra" in the gypsy caves. All in all spectacular place and nicest people. If ur packing lite check out Casa 1800. Great hotel if u dont mind dragging ur luggage about 3 blocks. must make reservations for alhambra's palacios nazaries. you wont regret this option.