Suitability

Upmarket and middlemarket. Boring for children, beautiful and titillating for singles, romantic for couples of all ages and very popular with honeymooners.

Accommodation

Hotels of every category; a bit of self catering.

Beach

Two public beaches: Marina Piccola has a tiny patch of dark sand/shingle protected by a long jetty; Marina Grande has a tiny, crowded strip of sand, plus groups of wooden platforms with amenities. A handful of private beaches are reserved for hotel guests. The sea front is accessed via a multitude of steps or steep paths and streets; lifts (mainly from the hotels) for those who prefer.

Shopping

Inlaid wood, lace, designer clothes, antiques and coral jewellery. Typical Italian wines, aperitifs and liqueurs in festive bottles. Smart delicatessen products in jars and tins. Market stalls behind the main square offer hand-made pasta and traditional limoncello (lemon liqueur).

Entertainment

Daytime: water sports, tennis, watching the world go by from a cafe terrace. Cathedral. Frequent religious events and processions. Archaeological and cultural museums.
Nightlife: a few discos and piano bars. A cinema with films dubbed in Italian. Atmospheric Foreigners' Club with live music. Classical-music concerts in the cloisters of San Francesco in the summer. 2 British-style pubs and a theatre. Many hotels, particularly the far-flung, have musical evenings and dancing.

Eating

Impressive choice of pizzerias and restaurants, with the emphasis on S Italian cuisine. Plenty of authentic trattorias and ice-cream parlours (some of which offer over 40 flavours). Local specialities include seafood, various almond cakes and tarts, and smoked or grilled cheeses.

Public Transport

Regular local bus service around town. Regular buses along the coast to Amalfi. Frequent train service to Naples via Pompeii and Herculaneum. Numerous daily ferries and hydrofoils to Capri and Naples; fewer to Ischia and Amalfi. Taxis. Car and scooter hire.

Excursions

Half day and full day: Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, Naples, Ischia, Vesuvius and local titbits - the Baths of Diana, scene of pagan rites, and the Grottoes of the Mermaids. Yacht cruises.

Location

About a third of the way up the W coast of the boot of Italy, on the S side of the Bay of Naples. 160 mls SE of Rome. 11 mls W of Positano; 22 mls W of Amalfi. 34 mls S of Naples and its airport.

Position

In a sheltered spot on a flattish clifftop terrace, 50 yds above the sea. Surrounded by steeply rising, thickly wooded hills with olive and citrus groves and vineyards. Bordered on one side by steep cliffs; a deep gorge runs down to a port.

Contact Information

Post Code: 80067 Website: www.sorrentotourism.it

Serving Airports

Airport : Capodichino Airport Code: NAP Flight time from ther U.K.: 2 hrs. 30 mins