Photo: Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sorrento
A cliff-top base for Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast.
A lemon-scented cliff-top town facing Vesuvius across the bay, with lanes of shops and churches and lifts down to little harbours. Busy, but the handiest base for Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast buses.
Places to see
- Piazza TassoViewpoint · The busy main square, perched over a deep gorge where you can look down at the ruins of…Free
Museo CorrealeMuseum · A cliff-top villa full of Neapolitan paintings, porcelain and inlaid furniture, with a…≈ A$14
Madonna del CarmineChurch · A cheerful yellow baroque church right on Piazza Tasso, with a painted ceiling.Free
When to go
- Jan13° / 6°Often wetQuiet
- Feb14° / 6°Often wetQuiet
- Mar16° / 8°Some rainQuiet
- Apr19° / 10°Some rainBusy
- May23° / 14°Some rainVery busy
- Jun27° / 17°Mostly dryVery busy
- Jul30° / 20°Mostly dryVery busy
- Aug30° / 20°Mostly dryVery busy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Piazza Tasso. The main square over the gorge, with the station and buses a few minutes away.
The old town. Narrow lanes of limoncello shops, the cathedral and churches.
Flying in
Naples Capodichino (NAP): Airport bus to Sorrento, about 1 h 15 min, ≈ A$18.
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Sorrento; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
You can walk everywhere. A single ticket is ≈ A$8. The town is walkable. The Circumvesuviana runs to Pompeii and Naples, buses run the coast road to Positano and Amalfi, and ferries go to Capri and Naples (check).
Tourist tax
Sorrento's tourist tax: usually about €2–3 a person a night in hostels and B&Bs, more in hotels; under-14s don't pay. Paid at check-in (check).
Day trips
Pompeii, about 30 min by circumvesuviana train. The buried Roman town.
