Sorrento is one of the best known resorts in Italy. The town is situated on a plain above the sea, overlooking the Bay of Naples. Sorrento is surrounded by orange and lemon groves and lush thickly wooded hills where vines and olives are grown. A deep gorge runs down to the port on the sea. The town has pretty pastel-coloured houses and several quaint small squares. Sorrento boast 2 harbours, the Marina Grande and the Marina Piccola, both are picturesque bays with small beaches. The Marina Piccola lido is situated right below the Villa Comunale gardens and accessed by lift or steps. Marina Grande is a 15 min walk or a short bus ride away.
According to legend, it was at Sorrento that Ulysses heard the tempting song of the Sirens, the nymphs who attempted to seduce passing sailors. The site of luxurious villas during Roman times, Sorrento has been a popular vacation retreat since at least 600 AD. The town has been nicknamed "La Gentile" because of the gentleness of its climate and the cheery friendliness of its inhabitants.
A charming resort in a spectacular setting, the town is exceedingly popular with tourists, many of whom flock here every year, using it as base for exploring the famous Amalfi Coast. It is a great town for wandering around on foot. At the center of Sorrento is Piazza Tasso, a bustling and typical Italian square filled with several bars and restaurants. The view from the public gardens above this square is spectacular. Near the square is the church of San Francesco, a major landmark of the town where evening concerts are staged the evening. Close to the plaza are lanes lined with bakeries, boutiques, clothing stores, and souvenir shops.
The old historic quarter has charming cobbled streets and alleyways, a 15th-century cathedral, and several luxurious old villas. The area of Via Comunale, lined with colourful flower beds and stately trees, terminates at a seaside terrace that offers spectacular views of the Bay of Naples the peak of Mt Vesuvius.
There is some very good shopping in Sorrento, with inlaid wood, lace, designer clothes, antiques and jewellery being the most popular items, together with Italian wines, aperitifs and liqueurs in festive bottles. The town has a number of excellent pizzerias, trattorias and restaurants, with an emphasis on Southern Italian cuisine. Local specialties include seafood, almond cakes, smoked cheeses and limoncello, a sweet-sour liqueur fermented from the lemons that grow in the area.
Sorrento is an ideal base for visiting other nearby sights in the region. The town harbour has frequent ferry departures to Capri, Amalfi and Naples, and is within easy reach of the Amalfi Coast, Pompei and the city of Naples. You can easily reach Pompeii and Naples by train, and Amalfi and Positano and Ravello by car or by bus.
What to see in Sorrento
- Piazza Tasso, formerly called Largo di Castello: it is the unavoidable crossroads to reach every place in Sorrento. On the opposite sides of this square there are the Town Hall, housed inside the Old Orphanage by the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Graces), and the Basilica of Sant'Antonino: in the crypt it is kept the reliquary of Sant'Antonino Abate, the patron saint of the city, portrayed also by the statue in the middle of the square.
- San Frank Convent: inside the convent of San Frank there is the characteristic cloister nowadays used as scenery for concerts of classical music. The cloister has a rectangular plan, with columns and their capitals carved in tufa rocks and which form slender double lancet arches in Gothic Moresque. Its style is not uniform because of several restoration works done in different times, but it is very suggestive.
- the Villa Comunale: behind the S.Frank Convent, on the edge of the cliffs, there is the the Villa Comunale (Public Gardens), with a wonderful view over the bay in front of Sorrento. In its flowerbeds there are some marble busts. The adjacent rooms of the convent nowadays house the local School of Arts, who continues the prestigious tradition of the inlaid wood works done by the craftsmen of Sorrento.
- Marina Grande, a charming bay with a characteristic fishing village: on its beach, as a shipyard in the open air, they were built the famous "gozzi sorrentini", typical boats from this area, with a single lateen sail, long from 6 to 12 meters, manageable and reliable, practically unsinkable. In the middle of the Marina there is the church of Sant'Anna, the patroness of the village, who is celebrated on the first Sunday after the 26th of July, which is the day dedicated to this Saint. For this occasion the village is adorned with illuminations, the bay is populated by boats and they present a show of fireworks.
- the Romanesque style Cathedral dating from the 15th century: located between Corso Italia and Via San Cesareo, the Cathedral, seat for the Archbishop of Sorrento, was restructured several times but it saved an interesting Aragonese portal of the 15th century. Nearby there is the campanile (a dislocated bell tower), with a medieval structure but decorated in the 18th century.
Another pearl of the town is the "Correale Museum", where a collection of paintings and pieces of furniture dating back to various periods, ceramic statuettes and archeological remains are kept. In addition, from Sorrento You can easily reach Punta Campanella, with its beautiful views and seascape from the very tip of the Gulf of Naples and also its relics of historical interest, as well as the towns of Massalubrense and Nerano.
Restaurants in Sorrento
L'Antica Trattoria Via P.R. Giuliani, 4 - Tel. +39 081 8071082
Zintonio Via L. De Maio - Tel. +39 081 8781623
Gigino Via Degli Archi, 15 - Tel. +39 081 8781927
La Fenice Via degli Aranci, 11 - Tel. +39 081 8781652
Giardiniello Via dell'Accademia, 7 - Tel. +39 081 8784616
Ristorante Da Cataldo Via Marina Grande 202 - Tel 0818782170
Caruso Via Sant’Antonino, 12 - Tel. +39 081 8073156
'O Canonico 1898 P.zza Tasso, 7 - Tel.+39 081 8783277
Il Buco
2° rampa Marina Piccola - Tel. +39 081 8782354
Le Macine Via Atigliana, 6 - Tel. +39 081 8072034
Antico Frantoio Via Casarlano, 8 - Tel. +39 081 8072959
Il Pozzo Via Tasso, 32 - Tel. +39 081 8073124
Tourist sights of the area - Distances and driving times
Amalfi: 31 km / 19 miles / 35 min.
Praiano: 21 km / 13 miles / 25 min.
Positano: 16 km / 10 miles / 20 min.
Ravello: 38 km / 23 miles / 48 min.
Pompeii: 28 km / 17 miles / 37 min.
Naples: 49 km / 30 miles / 53 min.
Caserta: 75 km / 46 miles / 77 min.
Rome: 265 km / 165 miles / 170 min.
Salerno: 56 km / 35 miles / 56 min.
Paestum: 100 km / 62 miles / 96 min.
Castellabate: 121 km / 75 miles / 120 min.
Marina di Camerota: 182 km / 114 miles / 180 min.
According to legend, it was at Sorrento that Ulysses heard the tempting song of the Sirens, the nymphs who attempted to seduce passing sailors. The site of luxurious villas during Roman times, Sorrento has been a popular vacation retreat since at least 600 AD. The town has been nicknamed "La Gentile" because of the gentleness of its climate and the cheery friendliness of its inhabitants.
A charming resort in a spectacular setting, the town is exceedingly popular with tourists, many of whom flock here every year, using it as base for exploring the famous Amalfi Coast. It is a great town for wandering around on foot. At the center of Sorrento is Piazza Tasso, a bustling and typical Italian square filled with several bars and restaurants. The view from the public gardens above this square is spectacular. Near the square is the church of San Francesco, a major landmark of the town where evening concerts are staged the evening. Close to the plaza are lanes lined with bakeries, boutiques, clothing stores, and souvenir shops.
The old historic quarter has charming cobbled streets and alleyways, a 15th-century cathedral, and several luxurious old villas. The area of Via Comunale, lined with colourful flower beds and stately trees, terminates at a seaside terrace that offers spectacular views of the Bay of Naples the peak of Mt Vesuvius.
There is some very good shopping in Sorrento, with inlaid wood, lace, designer clothes, antiques and jewellery being the most popular items, together with Italian wines, aperitifs and liqueurs in festive bottles. The town has a number of excellent pizzerias, trattorias and restaurants, with an emphasis on Southern Italian cuisine. Local specialties include seafood, almond cakes, smoked cheeses and limoncello, a sweet-sour liqueur fermented from the lemons that grow in the area.
Sorrento is an ideal base for visiting other nearby sights in the region. The town harbour has frequent ferry departures to Capri, Amalfi and Naples, and is within easy reach of the Amalfi Coast, Pompei and the city of Naples. You can easily reach Pompeii and Naples by train, and Amalfi and Positano and Ravello by car or by bus.
What to see in Sorrento
- Piazza Tasso, formerly called Largo di Castello: it is the unavoidable crossroads to reach every place in Sorrento. On the opposite sides of this square there are the Town Hall, housed inside the Old Orphanage by the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Graces), and the Basilica of Sant'Antonino: in the crypt it is kept the reliquary of Sant'Antonino Abate, the patron saint of the city, portrayed also by the statue in the middle of the square.
- San Frank Convent: inside the convent of San Frank there is the characteristic cloister nowadays used as scenery for concerts of classical music. The cloister has a rectangular plan, with columns and their capitals carved in tufa rocks and which form slender double lancet arches in Gothic Moresque. Its style is not uniform because of several restoration works done in different times, but it is very suggestive.
- the Villa Comunale: behind the S.Frank Convent, on the edge of the cliffs, there is the the Villa Comunale (Public Gardens), with a wonderful view over the bay in front of Sorrento. In its flowerbeds there are some marble busts. The adjacent rooms of the convent nowadays house the local School of Arts, who continues the prestigious tradition of the inlaid wood works done by the craftsmen of Sorrento.
- Marina Grande, a charming bay with a characteristic fishing village: on its beach, as a shipyard in the open air, they were built the famous "gozzi sorrentini", typical boats from this area, with a single lateen sail, long from 6 to 12 meters, manageable and reliable, practically unsinkable. In the middle of the Marina there is the church of Sant'Anna, the patroness of the village, who is celebrated on the first Sunday after the 26th of July, which is the day dedicated to this Saint. For this occasion the village is adorned with illuminations, the bay is populated by boats and they present a show of fireworks.
- the Romanesque style Cathedral dating from the 15th century: located between Corso Italia and Via San Cesareo, the Cathedral, seat for the Archbishop of Sorrento, was restructured several times but it saved an interesting Aragonese portal of the 15th century. Nearby there is the campanile (a dislocated bell tower), with a medieval structure but decorated in the 18th century.
Another pearl of the town is the "Correale Museum", where a collection of paintings and pieces of furniture dating back to various periods, ceramic statuettes and archeological remains are kept. In addition, from Sorrento You can easily reach Punta Campanella, with its beautiful views and seascape from the very tip of the Gulf of Naples and also its relics of historical interest, as well as the towns of Massalubrense and Nerano.
Restaurants in Sorrento
L'Antica Trattoria Via P.R. Giuliani, 4 - Tel. +39 081 8071082
Zintonio Via L. De Maio - Tel. +39 081 8781623
Gigino Via Degli Archi, 15 - Tel. +39 081 8781927
La Fenice Via degli Aranci, 11 - Tel. +39 081 8781652
Giardiniello Via dell'Accademia, 7 - Tel. +39 081 8784616
Ristorante Da Cataldo Via Marina Grande 202 - Tel 0818782170
Caruso Via Sant’Antonino, 12 - Tel. +39 081 8073156
'O Canonico 1898 P.zza Tasso, 7 - Tel.+39 081 8783277
Il Buco
2° rampa Marina Piccola - Tel. +39 081 8782354
Le Macine Via Atigliana, 6 - Tel. +39 081 8072034
Antico Frantoio Via Casarlano, 8 - Tel. +39 081 8072959
Il Pozzo Via Tasso, 32 - Tel. +39 081 8073124
Tourist sights of the area - Distances and driving times
Amalfi: 31 km / 19 miles / 35 min.
Praiano: 21 km / 13 miles / 25 min.
Positano: 16 km / 10 miles / 20 min.
Ravello: 38 km / 23 miles / 48 min.
Pompeii: 28 km / 17 miles / 37 min.
Naples: 49 km / 30 miles / 53 min.
Caserta: 75 km / 46 miles / 77 min.
Rome: 265 km / 165 miles / 170 min.
Salerno: 56 km / 35 miles / 56 min.
Paestum: 100 km / 62 miles / 96 min.
Castellabate: 121 km / 75 miles / 120 min.
Marina di Camerota: 182 km / 114 miles / 180 min.
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