Piazza Tasso is a lovely square in Sorrento…read more Lucky to stumble across a local festival on our cruise ship tour to Sorrento and Pompeii. Our tour guide was not sure what they were celebrating. Take time to check out the beautiful baroque yellow church and everything Limoncello while you are in the neighborhood. The lemons in Sorrento are enormous and the geography reflects their impact. Limoncello granitas. Lemon pasta. Lemon biscotti. Lemons on everything from dish towels, baskets and bags to headbands. My sister-in-law even bought a pair of swim shorts that were covered with a large lemons in the pattern. Nice for a short stop while exploring Sorrento. Tip: There is a bathroom next to the church. It takes one euro each.

On your way around Sorrento's city center, you're bound to pass this piazza since it connects the…read morepedestrian only zones to the part of town with many hotels, summer apartments and leads to more local residential areas. Restaurants, cafes, hotels and a couple miscellaneous shops and church buildings line this thoroughfare. The car traffic coupled with many pedestrians constantly crossing, I'd warn drivers to be very careful in this area! A statue of Saint Antoninus of Sorrento, patron saint of the city, stands in the center, a salutation to those entering the historic old town. On the north edge, the sidewalk overlooks and connects to stairs that descend down to a hairpin turn in the road at the base. On the southern edge, there's a deep ravine (Vallone dei Mulini) filled with plants, trees and shrubs, and an old abandoned mill?), smack dab in the middle of the block. Constantly tourists take pictures here day and night lol. Walking thru here about a dozen times over the course of two days, there wasn't ever a quiet moment, even during shoulder season. Restaurants are busy being that it's such a central meet up point. Perhaps only at around 7am one day when most tourists were still sleeping was it quieter with only locals out and about.

While most of Sorrento is perched up on the limestone cliffs, if you want to take a ferry to Capri…read moreor other islands or ports, the Port of Sorrento is where you depart. With beautiful blue water, views of the steep cliffs from sea level, and Mt. Vesuvius in the background, it's very picturesque and worth experiencing even if you aren't catching a ferry. There are some cafes and a few touristy souvenir kiosks, one that sold some very pretty and functional tote bags. I purchased one that folded up to practically nothing and easily fit into my handbag. This way, I always had a tote to carry any items I bought along the way. For $5, my tote covered in signature Sorrento lemons was a treasure! The beach here isn't what one typically envisions. There is no sand and not much space. Most areas are owned by the hotels and they have private lifts that take you down to their private docks lined with recliners. On the far south end is a public area and if you are coming from the town above, you can walk down a path of steps and switchbacks to reach the public docks and cafes. From above, the lift / elevator is located over by the museum and small. For just $1 euro each way, you can make it down to the beach or back up to the town easily. Some people walk down then take the lift up. After a full day of walking, I did the round trip for $2 and it was totally worth it!

Clean quiet port. Spectacular views of volcanoes, yachts,Vespas and volcanic cliffs. Outdoor…read morecafes @ hotels facing the ocean.

I am such a nerd and was soooo excited to get to see these ruins…read more It is correct that there is no way down the gorge and you can only visit by looking down from the street but I thought it was well worth the look. The sidewalk you can look down is quite narrow and the street is quite busy, being essentially the main thoroughfare from the main square, Piazza Tasso. However, there is a wider spot, with the best view, from the end of the street by the hotel parking garage. There aren't a lot of cars there so I'd recommend this spot. I really do wish you could go down there and of course my intrusive thoughts went wild but it was well worth the look down.

These ruin are very close to the city center so worth the short walk to get there. You cannot walk…read moredown to it unfortunately, but the view from above is very nice and leaves you with a bit of mystery, imagining what the inside looks like. The place is an old flour mill from the 13th century and is surrounded on either side by two rivers. When we were there in July, the greenery that you may see in pictures online wasn't quite at its peak. I am not sure when the peak time is, but it was still great to see. The view point is not marked or anything, but is along a narrow sidewalk with sometimes busy traffic going by so be careful. We spent less then 5 minutes there.

Meandering down Corso Italia, this church set back from the street caught my eye. A simple facade,…read moreI figured to give it a go and check if it was open. Cattedrale dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo (Cathedral of Saints Philip & James), also known as the Sorrento Cathedral, is one of the most well-known and culturally significant important churches in town. As a functional parish, regular masses are held here and it's a central gathering place for local religious festivities. Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and Saints Philip and James, its history dates back to the 11th century, with a plethora of changes altering its appearance from its Romanesque origins to add Baroque and neo-Gothic components. An example of this is the cathedral clock tower, which sits apart from the main building, having been built later in the 16th century over ancient Roman ruins, with vertical extensions adding the top levels in the 18th century. Inside the church, multi-hued marble walls and columns, vibrant ceiling frescos with swirling gold acanthus leaves* and scenes of the aforementioned saints, baroque wall accents, and a number of side chapels in various states of decor, ornate wood inset paneling, etc. all combine for what appeared to me a somewhat restrained appearance (compared to most other church buildings I visited on this trip). A serene atmosphere pervaded the main building; since it was late afternoon on a weekday, only a handful of other visitors walked about. No fee for admission and I spent about 20 minutes here. Note there's a break in the daily hours so plan around it! Opening hours: 8:00AM- 12:30PM ​4:30PM - 8:30PM *I was today years old when I learned that's what those curling leaves are called which form the basis of much classic Greek/Roman architectural and ornamental painting motifs! For example used atop Corinthian columns.

Well-manicured little piazza directly across from the Basilica di Sant'Antonino, the church where…read morehis relics are held. At the center of the small circle of lawn is a monument honoring this patron saint of the city, shown in a monk's garb and staff, which represents shepherding of animals considering he is known to be the patron saint of animals, farmers and the poor. Surrounding the square, aside from the church, is a Catholic school, several restaurants, a handful of mostly tourism-adjacent stores--like food souvenirs, art for purchase, jewelry and clothing. Being close to many hotels, this area is pretty lively well into the night, since a few of the restaurants and bars are open late.