10 Things to do and see in Sorrento Coast

It’s so easy to fall  in love with the panorama of Sorrento coast. The irregular and indented coastline seems to protect the little coloured houses and the streets of the internal areas. Sorrento coast will welcome you as a real Eden. The scent of lemons, the fragrances of flowers and fruits and little towns on this coast are the real richness of this part of Campania.

The best painters tried to reproduce the colours of this beautiful place, which is going to charm you too, during the summer and the winter. Every year in Sorrento and its surroundings there is an overcrowding of tourists in hotels, streets and bars. It’s enough to choose the best period to visit the most beautiful places of the Sorrento Coast: Sorrento, Massa Lubrense, Vico Equense, Sant’Agata sui due Golfi .

Spring is the best period for an holiday, when the sun becomes warmer and the flowers begin to bloom. We suggest you 10 places to visit in the Sorrento Coast, that will make you want to come here again and again.

If you are looking for a hotel in Sorrento Coast, we suggest you to choose among those offered by Booking.com. There are about 120 hotels with prices, pictures  and comments of guests already stayed there. Go to Booking.com

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Sorrento is the pearl of the Sorrento Coast and it has all that nature can offers: green hills filled of scented flowers near a stupendous sea. That’s the reason why many famous writers, painters and artists like Goethe, Dickens, Nietzsche and D’Annunzio, chose Sorrento as destination for their holidays.

The Vesuvius seems to protect and to watch over the beauty of this town and its monuments: the Cathedral, the Basilica of San Francesco and the Sedile Dominova. The fulcrum of Sorrento is Piazza Tasso, dedicated to the writer who was born in this area. Near the square there’s the Villa Comunale, often subject of the postcards, from which you can admire a breathtaking view.

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The first name of this town was Sirenusion. Why? Because an old legend tells that it was the town where lived the mermaids (sirene in Italian) that charmed Ulysses with their sweet singing. The geographical position influenced its history: the sea helped the development of the town but it was exposed to the incursions of the enemies too. That’s why Massa Lubrense has on its coast a series of sighting towers that are still there and has a very particular charm. At the sunset, when the streets and the houses of Massa Lubrense become red, you should give a look to the sea and you could see a mermaid vanishing into the water, because in this city reality and fantasy are often mixed together.

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The name of this town comes from its particular geographical position, among the  Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno (the name of the town translated is: “Sant’Agata on two gulfs”). The name comes also from the little church of Sant’Agata (a Saint original of Catania, in Sicily). The particular catholic vocation of this town is evident in two places, both deserving a visit: the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which is still the centre of all the social and cultural activities of the town, and the Monastery, built on the hill called “Deserto”,  which offers a wonderful view. In Sant’Agata you can have a walk in the streets, among the shop windows and the seaside, and when you’ll be tired you can sit in a restaurant and taste the “caprese salad” (a salad made with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella) prepared with the typical and delicious tomatoes produced in this zone. We suggest you to stop in the famous restaurant “Don Alfonso”:  antique furniture, chandeliers made of Murano glass, hand-painted majolica and, of course, delicious dishes. Just one tip: if you want to eat at Don Alfonso’s is better to reserve a table, the biggest part of tourist want to taste his famous cuisine. So we suggest you to call before you go.

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The bends that characterized the Sorrento Coast seems to take a pause in Vico Equense, where they are sweeter and less stressing. In the past Vico Equense was the point where Roman, Greek and Italic populations had commercial exchanges.

The old town centre maintains its appearances of medieval village. Walking through the streets of Vico Equense means to walk into history, in an open museum, where you could notice the historical evolution of the town. In the old town  you can admire the Cattedrale dell’ Annunziata, the unique example of Gothic architecture in all the Sorrento Coast. Moving a little from there, you can visit the Mountain Faito of the Lattai’s chain. If you leave the centre you’ll have a walk among the Casali (rustic farmhouses). They are organized as little towns and each one has its Saint Patron. During the week-end Vico Equense is full of people coming from the surroundings, the reason of such crowd of people is the restaurant “da Giggino”, famous for its pizza!

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Punta Campanella is so beautiful and uncontaminated that in 1997 has been declared a protected area, in order to preserve its characteristics. The name Punta Campanella (Literally: “Little bell point”) comes from an ancient structure on the top of the highest area of the territory. It was a tower used as alarm when the enemies boats were sighted. The best way to discover Punta Campanella is to have a walk at the sunset and with the fresh air. Took the street that from Nerano goes to Marina del Cantone: you’ll suddenly see the islands of “Li galli” and the Cantone beach.

Walking through the mediterranea maquis you’ll find on one side the view of Punta Campanella, on the other side Punta Penna and at the centre the view of Capri with its Faraglioni. But this isn’t the only way to arrive in Punta Campanella: you can start from Termini and walk through the Monte San Costanzo. Before you arrive to the tower of Punta Campanella and to the lighthouse, you’ll pass through paths completely surrounded by  nature. If you continue walking you’ll see the Leranto Bay, a paradise beach with crystalline water. After 40 minutes of walking maybe you’ll be a little tired but, we’re sure, you’ll you reach the old temple dedicated to Athena-Minerva that has a surprising beauty.

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Marina di Equa also known as Marina di Seiano, is a pretty fishing village. The tower of Capo Rivo in the past protected the town from the enemies and nowadays it watches over the little seaport. Nearby the seaport there’s a stones beach known as “spiaggia delle calcare” that deserves to be visited for its particular structure. The very protagonist of the village is the Church of Sant’Antonio, that can be found in the principal square: every 13th June (in the Catholic calendar this is the day dedicated to this Saint) all the fishermen bring the statue of Sant’ Antonio in the sea and they made a procession on the boats. Marina di Equa is the ideal destination for people who love the sea and nature and for people who love good food too: there’s a lot of little restaurants where you can eat seafood and pizza.

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You’ll feel like a child in a candy shop looking at all the shops you can find here. But take it easy because actually the prices are not cheap. The objects, the dresses and the handicraft has an excellent quality but they are expensive.

In Sorrento you can have a walk in Corso Italia where you can find a lot of fashion shop selling unique “pieces”.  The little towns are full of workshops and bazaars where you can find a lot of particular and typical things. You can also take a look at the gastronomical shops where you find all kinds of citrus fruits,  lemons and tangerines too, wines and liquors. During your shopping don’t forget to taste the handmade ice cream, that in this part of the Campania is delicious, and will help you during the hot hours of the day.

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Maiori is another characteristic village of the Amalfi Coast even if there are many doubts about its origins. It has the longest beach of this part of the peninsula and you have the chance to dive yourself into its natural beauties, religious and gastronomy paths. Walking on the streets it’s possible to see all the principals monuments: the Collegiata of S. Maria a Mare or the castle of S. Nicola de Thoro-Plano. If you prefer the seaside you can swim in a deep-blue sea or visit the caves. Among the caves of Maiori the most known are the Grotta Sulfurea and the Grotta di Pandora. Don’t forget to taste the gastronomical specialties.

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The ingredients are very simple and genuine, that’s the strong point of the Sorrento Coast food. Basil, mozzarella, oil and tomatoes give life to delicious recipes such as: gnocchi alla sorrentina or cannelloni ripieni but also simple second courses as caprese (little fresh pieces of tomatoes with mozzarella). At this point who cares of etiquette? Put away the good manners and try the “scarpetta” (in Italy is the habit to dip slices of bread in the sauce in the plate) with the tasty  bread. You can continue  with a delicious  babà, a bigné or the sciù which are filled with lemon cream. Or, if you prefer, you can taste the Delizia al limone (sponge cake filled with lemon flavoured cream and whipped cream). After all this delights maybe you’ll feel like you’re in a food coma, so you can have a limoncello (lemon liqueur) or a nocillo (nut liqueur), that will help you to digest.

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The Sorrento Coast is full of tourist facilities so you can choose where to sleep: hotels and B&Bs are always ready to host you in every period of the year. In summertime prices are very expensive so we suggest you to book in advance or to take a last minute. It’s even better, if you can, to change period and planning  a visit in Spring when the weather is warm, the prices cheaper and the Coast isn’t crowded as in Summer.

In Sorrento, the most chosen destination,  prices in  one to three stars hotels can be from 60 € to 140 €, while in a five-stars hotels can arrive to 345 € a night. The less known Massa Lubrense is cheaper, a three-stars hotel can cost you 90 € and a four-stars 240 €. Sant’Agata sui due golfi is affordable too with rooms that go from 70 € to 240 € a night. If you prefer to choose a B&Bs prices are even cheaper (everywhere), because the prices are from 44 € to 140 €

If you are looking for a hotel in Sorrento Coast, we suggest you to choose among those offered by Booking.com. There are about 120 hotels with prices, pictures  and comments of guests already stayed there. Go to Booking.com