Should you go to Sorrento?

When I started planning our summer holiday, I debated where to go. Should we go somewhere in France, or maybe Mainland Spain since we have only been to Mallorca? Should we go to the Canary Islands or a Greek Island? As a travel advisor, I noticed a lot of interest in Italy. For me, Italy has always been a shoulder-season destination—March to May or September to November. I never gave Italy a thought during the summer holiday. So, after lots of research, I decided on Sorrento—a small cliffside village near the Amalfi Coast, known for all things lemon!

If you have been flying anywhere since Covid, you know that flight prices have skyrocketed. It’s a little hack that the earlier you fly out, and if you fly out on a Sunday, it’s much cheaper. So I booked our flights leaving Amsterdam at 8:30 am. The issue is getting to the airport from our house that early as the buses do not run until around 7 am. This means by the time we take the train to the airport, we will be too late. We decided to stay at a hotel with a free shuttle near the airport the night before our flight. This worked out perfectly. I had points, so it cost nothing. We stayed at the Ibis Airport Hotel. It was lovely—clean and comfortable, and there were three restaurants to choose from for dinner.

The best way to get to Sorrento is to fly into Naples and take a train or a ferry to Sorrento. We decided to take the Ferry, as we never pass up an opportunity to be on the water. After landing in Naples, you can grab a cab to Mollo Beverello Marina. You need to check in 30 minutes before your ferry departs. We were about 1.5 hours early. So, after Checking in and getting our tickets, we realized we were nearing hangery levels, and the heat was intense. There are several little spots to have a slice of Pizza and a drink while you wait. I would keep in mind that just because Naples is known for its pizza, as it was invented there; however, not all pizzas are created equal. We sat, ate our barely warm pizza, and enjoyed a local beer; Z had his first lemon granita, a lemon slush. It was sufficient enough.

Finally, it was time to board the ferry. I mistakenly thought it was one of those open-air boats where you could sit inside or on the top deck. While Z was very bummed, It wasn’t too bad. It was air-conditioned, and there was a snack bar. We found our seats and got our first Limoncello Spritz of the trip. Make a note: ferry prices for drinks are expensive. For my spritz and Rob’s beer, it was 20€. There were huge windows with great views even though we were inside. The trip takes about 45 minutes, so you can relax and enjoy views of Mount Vesuvius; unless you are Z. He gets motion sickness very easily. Trains and boats are usually okay, but buses and cars are almost guaranteed to make him sick. We learned that boats are fine unless you are inside. About 10 minutes from arriving in Sorrento, he started feeling ill. He thought he would make it until he didn’t. Rob and I were looking for a bag or trash can because, at that moment, we forgot about the bathrooms we had already used. As we pulled into the marina, he looked green and about to let it go, but then I remembered there were bathrooms. We made it to the back of the boat just in time. Not without accidentally running over a girl who had just stood up, thankfully, she was very understanding. We were off to a great start!

You are in a small, very touristy marina when you get off the ferry. The majestic cliffs of Sorrento greet you. There are a couple of restaurants, a few lemon stands selling lemon granitas and limoncello spirits, and a tourist shop or two—plenty of taxis and buses to take you to your hotel. We decided to take the bus for a cheaper option, and Z was already feeling much better. The bus dropped us down the hill from our hotel, or so we thought. It ended up being another 15-minute walk, which would not have been bad if we had not had to walk uphill with our luggage in 38c/100.4f-degree weather with the sun beating down. All we wanted to do when we got to the hotel was get in the pool.

When looking for hotels in Sorrento, there are many options for any budget. Normally, we stay in a 4-star hotel, but after our big trip to Norway in February and Italy being very expensive in summer, I found a lovely 3-star hotel. I was a bit nervous, but all the reviews were great. Seriously, I couldn’t find a bad one, so I booked us at Hotel Florida. I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived. We were greeted by reception and treated like we were their favorite guest. We are not special; their service is just that of a four or five-star hotel. They checked us in, grabbed our luggage, and led us to our room. Hotel Florida is a small hotel but so nice. Everything was clean, the rooms were spacious, and the pool was beautiful, surrounded by lemon trees. They have a great restaurant and poolside bar and a pizza night every Friday. They make ready-to-order pizzas in the wood-fired oven under the lemon trees, and it’s complimentary for the guest. You will pay for your drinks. The only negative thing I have to say is that breakfast was lacking. We opted not to have breakfast at the hotel.

After getting to our room, we changed and hit the pool. Z was in his happy place. After a while, Rob got antsy and decided to explore the area while Z and I stayed at the pool. That night, we decided to have dinner at the hotel and relax since it was a long travel day. The dinner was delicious and reasonably priced for a hotel. During dinner, Rob told us about this magical place he found to watch the sunset. We also realized we needed to find a little bodega or mini market; Rob and Z getting through the night without any snacks will never happen! We strolled around a bit and found the bodega. After getting what we needed, we went to the cliff to view the sunset, which was indeed magical and Z’s first time seeing a proper sunset. It is a restaurant, but there are benches to sit and enjoy yourself; you do not need to book a table.

On our first full day, we had no plans. We were going to hit the pool and relax. After a couple of hours and the sun beating down, Rob wanted to explore. He knew the only way to get Z and me away from the pool was the promise of another body of water. So we made our way to Spiaggia Di Sorrento beach. It’s a small beach with black sand. We were also ready for lunch and found Porta Marina seafood beside the beach. The kitchen wasn’t open yet, but as we were walking away, she quickly grabbed us and told us to sit by the water and have a drink to wait. Z couldn’t just sit there staring at the water, so he got in and played while we enjoyed more limoncello spritz; when in Sorrento, right?! It took a little longer than expected, so Z and I went over and rented our chair at the beach before it filled up. It was 30€ for two chairs and an umbrella for the whole day. Finally, our food came. Rob and I shared the mussels and calamari; it was delicious. I cut myself on my last mussel, trying to open it. They took me to the bathroom to clean it up, and before I knew it, they brought us another order because they felt bad. I highly recommend Porta Marina; the food and service were amazing. Plus, you have a view of Mount Vesuvius.

After Lunch, it was time to hit the beach! As I said, it is a small beach but so much fun. We played, I read my book and even took a nap. There were many places to have lunch, but we also realized there was a small bodega where you could get snacks, like fresh olives, cheese, wine, beer, soda, and water to take to your beach chair. In the back of the bodega was a small sandwich shop with this sweet Nona who barely spoke English making fresh Italian sandwiches. We had already eaten, but everyone who went there was going on and on about how good they were. We knew we would have to go on our next beach day! Finally, we decided it was time to head back. Z was having an issue with his swimsuit and was very uncomfortable. The walk from our hotel was about 45 minutes, so it would take at least an hour or longer to return. Rob and I were dry as we got out, with plenty of time for the sun to dry us. Trying to get a kid to sit still on a beach for that is a joke. So I went to the bodega and purchased an affordable pair of shorts for Z. He changed begrudgingly while we held a towel around him. Still not comfortable, we were starting the “suck it up” speech when a taxi dropped off another family, Rob ran over, and the driver was available to take us back. The day was saved!

After a little more pool time, we got ready for dinner. The first night, we noticed Il Ruttin Neapolita, a small family-run restaurant, on the way to the Sunset. Usually, we do not go to places where they stand out-front and try to get you to come in, but it had so many great reviews, and the hotel recommended it, so we decided to check it out. I am so glad we did. I had the gnocchi a la Sorrento, Rob ordered a pistachio pizza, and Z had his normal spaghetti with olive oil. Mine was good, and Rob’s pizza was the best I had ever had; we should have shared it. Z still maintains it was the best spaghetti he has ever had. After Dinner, it was back to the cliffs for sunset. Rob wanted to take us to the beach below the cliffs this time. It’s quite a walk down; you go through the cliffs through old cave-like ruins. It was beautiful, but the walk-up was tough in that heat; we worked off the pizza and pasta we had for dinner!

We promised Z a complete pool day. So I got up early and picked chairs in the shade. It was a relaxing day of pool playing and book reading. As lunchtime approached, Rob went to see what was around; some other guests had told us lunch wasn’t great at the hotel, and he found this little spot about a 5-minute walk from the hotel; he got us amazing sandwiches and brought them back. We loved this little spot. The food was good, and it was very inexpensive. We started going there every day for coffee and breakfast.

We had yet to explore the actual town of Sorrento, so that night, we made our way down from the hotel, about a 25-minute walk. On the way to the center, there is a charming shop that sells all things lemon. We decided to take a beat; they make all of their treats, even the limoncello. In the back is their lemon grove, so we sat with lemon granita before getting lost in the little alleys of Sorrento. We checked out the shops and even found another small, hidden, family-owned restaurant serving up gnocchi and nothing else. We had the best truffle gnocchi. Then, it was time for the sunset. This time, we got there early enough that we were able to get a table and enjoy a glass of wine with the sunset.

The day before, at the pool, we talked with other guests about going to Pompeii; we had all these plans for day trips. Other than Pompeii, we were going to go to Capri, Almalfi, and Positano. It was way too hot, though. After hearing about their experiences, we decided to cancel all-day trips. We needed to be near bodies of water that we could get in! We also decided we needed to find something to do indoors, as we all had gotten a little too much sun. Rob found the Sorrento Experience museum. An interactive museum that gives you the history of Sorrento and what it was like when Vesuvius erupted and destroyed Pompeii. I also wanted to go to the Baths of Giovanna. The museum was great. Not only did we learn about the legends of the Sorrento sirens, but we also learned about the Baths and how Queen Giovanna used to take her lovers to the baths so they could bathe naked.

We pretty much had the museum to ourselves, which was cool. The temperature, however, was anything but cool. It was time to make our way to the Baths. It’s a cove surrounded by ruins that date back to 71 BC! You can swim, snorkel, or cliff dive. There are many options to get there; you can do a boat trip, kayak tour, or get yourself there. We went with the latter. There is a city bus you can take that drops you off at the entrance to the hike down. It took about 25 minutes down a steep, narrow walkway to reach the cove with beautiful views. The water was breathtaking. It was so incredibly clear. We swam and cliff-jumped for several hours before heading back. Some wisdom I can share: Do not take snacks or anything with you. There is nowhere to put your stuff down; you must find a spot in the cove, like between rocks, to put your things. Water shoes are also a good idea. The walk back up is a lot harder than the walk down, and depending on your health level, it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour. There is nowhere to change into dry clothes after. Once you are back to the top, there is a small bodega where you can get water and a snack while waiting for the bus. Was it worth it? EVERY MINUTE!

The next day, we were exhausted. We lounged by the pool all day, followed by dinner at Il Ruttin Neapolita. Yes, we went twice. By this time, they knew us. We walked by every night on the way to sunset, and if I saw people curious, I would tell them they should go in. They even gave us a complimentary limoncello and a pistachio shot. There was no sunset viewing that evening as it was very cloudy, so we went back, got a bottle of wine, and watched a movie.

On our last day, we were sad it was ending, but it wasn’t over yet! We wanted another beach day; this time, we took a taxi instead of the long walk from the hotel. This will cost about 25€. We returned to the same beach, got our chairs and umbrella, and set ourselves up. It was a beautiful day of swimming and renting a paddle boat with a slide. I know it’s super cheesy, but it was a blast! We paddled around the harbor and even out to the sea, taking turns going down the slide and admiring the views of the cliffs and Sorrento from the sea. We laughed as we realized we had no photos to show of this because we left our phones on shore! That night was the pizza dinner at our hotel; however, we decided we wanted to eat at La Terazza, the sunset restaurant. The food was amazing. I had the truffle lobster pasta; they even brought out the lobster, which was still alive, so I could see how fresh it was!

Sorrento was magical. It has so much to offer everyone. Z even made a great friend at our hotel who lives in the UK, and they haven’t stopped chatting since we got home. The people are lovely and helpful, and the food is incredible, and the sunsets are breathtaking. So, in my humble opinion, you should definitely go to Sorrento! Just maybe not in the middle of August!

Stay tuned for more adventures with Rob, Z, and me.

“Italy was where the soul went to find calm and love, and I wanted to hold the best of it in the palm of my hand.”
— Lisa Brennan-Jobs –