I'm going to Sorrento, Capri and Sicily in September. Is the snorkeling good enough (for someone spoiled by snorkeling in the Yucatan) to lug snorkeling gear?

That depends on how much you like to snorkel. I snorkeled in Greece and enjoyed it, but I don't think the Med bears any comparison to the Caribbean, underwater. First, it's not tropical. Capri is farther north than Philadelphia! Second, it's been populated and polluted for several millenia. If it were me, I'd leave my swim fins at home, and concentrate on the gorgeous, Italian architecture and scenery.

This is an old thread, but I found it in a search for snorkeling and thought I'd add a little info for future reference. My snorkeling experience in Capri was fabulous, BUT I must say that I was hard-pressed to find/see any fish. Nevertheless, the underwater geography of Capri was as dramatic as the above-water geography (lots of underwater caves, crevasses, rocks, etc.), making the snorkeling very interesting despite the lack of marine life -- and the visibility (during my visit, anyway) was excellent (30-40').

ttt. Any recent comments? What about along the Amalfi coast?

My husband and I don't bring snorkeling equipment with us to the Amalfi Coast, but with regular swim goggles it was possible to see some very small fish (nothing colorful)and some Portugese Men of War off the beach of the San Pietro Hotel in Positano. There is a lot of boat traffic in Positano and Amalfi which stirs up the water and scares off marine life.