THE SORRENTO COAST
The beauty of the Sorrento coast.
The Sorrento Peninsula holds a special place in my heart. My 102 year old grandmother was from Piano di Sorrento on the peninsula where she lived her childhood and came back for the last years of her life. My family and I used too spend all the Summer holidays here too.
Memories from my childhood.
Protruding into the Tyrrhenian sea, the Sorrentine peninsula extends from Castellamare di Stabia to Punta Campanella, between the gulf of Napoli and Salerno. Sorrento is the most famous of all the towns on the peninsula, however there are other beautiful towns situated one after the other all along the coast that can be a cheaper alternative to Sorrento for a holiday. Just before Sorrento, coming from Napoli there is Vico Equenze, famous for its wellness spas, like the spectacular thermal baths of Scrajo. This is really an amazing way to treat yourself as it is a remarkable experience for your body and your mind!. Have a look at the website of the baths here. The next stops are Meta, Piano di Sorrento, Sant' Agnello and Massa Lubrenze. For peace and quiet is the town that I know best Piano di Sorrento, with its lovely beaches and its nice villa Fondi.
The Sorrentine coast is renowned for its sophistication, popular for weddings and honeymoons and so can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. It is also family friendly and has reasonable places to stay such as campsites, value hotels and b&bs.
Family friendly beaches at Marina di Cassano in Piano di Sorrento.
Harbour in Piano di Sorrento.
Where to eat in the Sorrento coast?. There are many places, however my favourite restaurant is just outside Piano di Sorrento up in the hills. Its called Zio Sam. I have been going here with my family for ages and I still love it!. If I keep going, there must be a reason. Well, I'll give you more than one, it is an amazing experience if you are looking for authentic local specialities. The ingredients are all fresh and local, the staff are very friendly and the view is beautiful. It's not expensive and the most important thing of all, the food and drink are stunning!. It's not that easy to get to unless you have a car, however you can take a bus with the destination of 'Colli' or you can book the private shuttle of the restaurant.
One of the specialities of zio Sam is linguine al cartoccio, linguine with sea fruits cooked in foil.
another must try dish: scialatielli (fresh hand made pasta) with clams.
Of course with a nice local wine.
Gnocchi alla sorrentina you can't get it wrong!
The local limoncello.
Vico Equenze is famous for its pizza al metro, a metre of pizza with all the toppings you like (except for the pineapple, of course!). There are many pizzerias that do pizza al metro, to take away or sit in, so there is plenty of choice.
Special mention to Gragnano. This town is not actually on the coast, it's more inland, but not far from Castellamare di Stabia. Gragnano famous worldwide for the production of pasta, wine and the panuozzo. What is the panuozzo?. Nothing more than a huge panini (made with the dough of the pizza) and filled with all local and traditional ingredients. This is very famous in Campagnia and there are many places to eat the panuozzo. There are so many fillings so choosing is not easy, however some of the best are Pizzeria Mascolo, Pizzeria Malafronte, Pizzeria da Iolanda, Pizzeria O’ Presidente or Il Ritrovo degli Ingordi.
HOW TO GET AROUND THE SORRENTO COAST
The Sorrentine peninsula towns are connected with the Circumvesuviana or internal busses.
From May to October, there is also the Campania Express a fast train connecting only Napoli - Herculaneum - Oplonti - Pompeii - Sorrento. Trains run four times a day, with the possibility to reserve seats and air conditioned. Tickets are available at Stazione Centrale, at the airport of Capodichino or at the Circumvesuviana station. For further info visit the official website of the Campania Express here.
If you are coming from Capodichino Airport in Napoli, there are taxis that will take you to Sorrento. Go to the TRAVEL INFO section of my website for the taxi fees. There is also the CURRERI schuttle service. Tickets can be bought on board. You can check the official CORRIERI website for more info here or call this number +39 081 80 15 420.
Another easy way to go to the Sorrento coast is by train. From the main train station in Napoli, Stazione Centrale/Piazza Garibaldi you can take the Circumvesuviana on the line Napoli-Sorrento, which is the terminal and stops at every town. Trains from Napoli to Sorrento run every 30 minutes from 6.00 to 21.30 and the journey is about 110 minutes. Tickets are available from the train station and might vary.
If you are coming by car, from Napoli you need to take the A3 to Salerno exit Castellammare di Stabia to Sorrento. From south take the A3 highway from Reggio Calabria, direction Salerno, exit Castellammare di Stabia.
From Napoli port Molo Beverello there are frequent ferries and hydrofoils to Sorrento.
Ferries from/to Napoli-Sorrento.