We Love Sorrento, Italy

When reminiscing on our May 2023 trip to Italy, we both talk about how much we love Sorrento. Sorrento is sometimes considered part of the Amalfi Coast but in reality it is just north and west of the famed coastline. That being said, it is close and very accessible to not just the Amalfi Coast but also to Capri, Naples and Pompeii. A big plus is Sorrento is less expensive than the rest of the Amalfi Coast! Because of all the above mentioned reasons, we choose Sorrento for our base in this part of Italy and totally fell in love with the area.

While based in Sorrento we found much to do and were able to easily taxi, train, ferry and walk to the places we wanted to see. We spent five nights here but woould have liked to have stayed longer. During our time here we e-biked up Mt. Vesuvius, visited the Ancient Greek temples in Paestrum, enjoyed a couple of hikes, visited Amalfi and Positano, shopped, drank limoncello and ate a lot! In this post I will highlight the town of Sorrento, places we dined, where we stayed, and shops and streets we enjoyed. I will be blogging about all of our side trips in later posts. Even though we loved Sorrento, after we stayed here we boarded a ferry to Capri and spent a couple of nights there. To be honest, we loved Capri as well and it would be hard to pick a favorite.

The Streets of Sorrento

Sorrento is a very walkable town which we found out when we first arrived by train and walked the 15 minutes to our hotel. We had visited Pompeii earlier in the day so it was mid afternoon when we arrived in Sorrento. This actually worked out well. After checking into our hotel at the Grand Hotel Riviera we decided to explore the town. Even though not a large city, the streets were vibrant and there was an excitement in the air. The Naples men’s soccer team, Napoli, had won the Series A soccer title and celebrations were happening in all the streets over several days.

Tiled Murals along the Way

Shopping in Sorrento

Since we enjoyed wandering around in Sorrento we found ourselves looking for a few things that we would love to remind us of Italy. In the end, we mainly bought Limoncello, Italian sweets, and pasta. I guessed we loved the food too! I did buy a pair of earrings and a carry all bag as well. The shops were all fun to visit.

Marina Grande

We did not wander around Marina Grande as so many advise, but we did walk down the stairs to see the views. We also viewed the area on the way to one of our hikes. There never seems to be enough time to do everything when traveling.

Places We Ate

Eating in Italy is half the fun and food is great in Sorrento, another reason to love this town! We ate all of our breakfasts at the hotel and also had a couple of meals there. We seemed to have pizza, capri salad, buffalo mozzarella and limoncello spritz daily! Why not? We were on vacation!

Grand Hotel Riviera (Our Hotel)

The food and service was quite good at our hotel and I could have eaten there more but it is fun to try other places as well. The ambiance was wonderful for all meals and the choice of indoor or outdoor dining worked nicely as the weather was quite variable in early May.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Del Franco’s Pizza

In addition to loving Sorrento, we love pizza and Del Franco’s Pizza is a true Italian pie. There was a bit of a line when we arrived but we were able to get a table outside within a short time. True to its reputation, the pizza was terrific. We each ordered our own pizza as sharing pizza is a no no in Italy. Afterwards we found a gelato shop.

The Foreigners Club

The Foreigners Club in Sorrento looks over the bay of Naples and has one of the best views in town. It is called The Foreigners Club because during WWII the allied soldiers set up base here. We weren’t very hungry when we were here but wanted to enjoy the view and have a bite or two.

Where We Stayed

In Sorrento we stayed at the Grand Hotel Riviera and we couldn’t have been happier. The hotel was immaculate and luxurious. The staff were excellent and everyone was so nice and helpful. The views from our room were fantastic. I highly recommend this hotel!

Conclusion

Obviously, we love Sorrento, Italy and had a fantastic time. I would love to visit here again some day just to wander the streets, eat great food, and stay at the wonderful hotel.

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Click below for more from my Italy 2023 trip.

Our Rainy Day in Rome – May 2023

Rome to Pompeii by Train-May 2023

Check out my 2022 Italy trip posts:

Wandering Lecce, Italy – April 2022

Tenuta DonnAnna Cooking Class-Puglia, Italy, April 2022

Walking Through Porto Selvaggio-Puglia, Italy April 2022

Walking Through Capo di Leuca-Puglia, Italy April 2022

The Ciolo and Cipolliane Path-April 2022

Punta Palascia Italy-April 2022