My Love Affair with Sorrento and theAmalfi Coast 🍋

My Love Affair with Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast 🍋 Italy is one of those places that has a way of getting under your skin, and for me, that place is Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast . I first travelled to Italy in 2022 with two of my friends , and then returned again in 2024 with my mum and daughter

Both times we chose to stay in and around Sorrento and, honestly, if you have never been, it is absolutely beautiful. It has become one of my favourite places in Italy and somewhere I would happily return to again and again. ❤️ Why Sorrento is such a great base The first time we visited, we stayed just outside Sorrento and caught the train into the town each day. It was incredibly easy to do and showed me just how convenient the area is for exploring. One of the things I love most about Sorrento is that it makes such a fantastic base if you want to explore the wider Amalfi Coast and surrounding areas. You can easily travel to places such as Pompeii, Positano and Capri , without having to constantly pack up and move hotels. The train station is centrally located and very easy to use, making it convenient to get around and explore nearby places. Of course, Sorrento itself is absolutely worth spending time in too. There is the marina, where you can sit and enjoy something to eat while taking in the atmosphere, or you can head up into the main town and square. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, gorgeous little streets to wander through and lots of tiny gift shops. It is one of those places where you can happily spend hours just wandering around without really having a plan. The views, the atmosphere, the narrow streets and, of course, the smell of lemons everywhere make it such a special place. 🍋

A day exploring Pompeii One of our first trips was to Pompeii , and getting there from Sorrento was incredibly straightforward. We simply caught the train, which drops you very conveniently close to the archaeological site. We paid on arrival and decided to explore Pompeii ourselves rather than joining a guided tour. You can absolutely book a guide if that is something you prefer, but on this particular trip, doing our own tour worked perfectly for us. The main reason? It was a heatwave! Temperatures were around 36 degrees most days , and it was incredibly hot and humid. Having the freedom to explore at our own pace meant we could stop whenever we needed to, find some shade and take a break from the heat. Walking around Pompeii is quite an emotional and surreal experience. It is difficult to comprehend what happened there all those years ago, and seeing Mount Vesuvius so close really brings everything into perspective. In fact, wherever you seemed to be travelling around this part of Italy, Vesuvius was always there in the distance. Sometimes it felt incredibly close! The people who live in the area have such a connection with the volcano and are very much appreciative that, for now, it remains asleep. 🌋 Pompeii is definitely somewhere I would recommend visiting if you are staying in Sorrento.

Positano – the picture-postcard Amalfi Coast Another day, we headed down to Sorrento harbour and caught the boat over to Positano . My advice would definitely be to book your boat tickets in advance ,ideally the day before. Positano is incredibly popular and the boats can get very busy. If possible, I would recommend getting one of the first boats out in the morning and leaving on one of the later boats back. Just be prepared – people start waiting early to get on! Positano really is the picture-perfect Amalfi Coast destination. The colourful buildings climbing up the hillside, the beach, the boats and the incredible views make it somewhere that you really should visit at least once. On our first trip, we booked sunbeds and spent the first half of the day relaxing on the beach. The beach is quite pebbly, particularly as you enter the sea, and the water drops away quite quickly, so that is something to bear in mind. After a relaxing morning, we enjoyed some absolutely amazing –and rather expensive – cocktails before setting off to explore the famous steep little streets! There are lots of markets, boutiques and little gift shops to explore, but be warned, Positano involves a lot of walking and plenty of hills. We made sure we continued upwards to get one of those incredible views looking back down over the town, and I can honestly say the walk was well worth it. Returning to Positano with my mum and daughter When I returned to the area in 2024 with my mum and daughter, we decided to do something a little different. This time, we actually stayed overnight in Positano. We caught the boat over and checked into the most amazing boutique hotel, Hotel Vittoria . The hotel was hidden away up on the hillside and had absolutely incredible views. What made it even more special was that the hotel had its own lift which took you all the way down towards the beach! The rooms were huge, the views were beautiful and it was such a lovely experience to stay overnight rather than rushing back to catch the boat. I would highly recommend Hotel Vittoria if you are looking for somewhere special to stay in Positano.

Capri – definitely worth a visit! Our next adventure on both trips was Capri . I know Capri can sometimes divide opinion. Some people absolutely love it, while others feel it is too busy or too expensive. Personally, I love it! Again, we simply caught the boat across from Sorrento, but one thing I would definitely say is to keep a close eye on the return boat times. Make sure you know when the last boat leaves because once that boat has gone... you are staying in Capri! And unless you have an endless pot of money available for a last-minute hotel, I would definitely recommend making sure you are waiting for that return boat! 😂 The famous Blue Grotto The first time I visited Capri with my friends, we decided to take a boat trip to the famous Blue Grotto . It is certainly an experience! You take a boat out to the grotto, where you then wait in the water before transferring into very small rowing boats. To get inside the grotto, you actually have to lie down in the boat as you pass underneath the cliff and through the small entrance.

It all feels very bizarre, but it is definitely something different and worth experiencing. One thing to be aware of, though, is that there can be several additional costs involved. You pay for the boat trip, then there can be separate charges for the smaller rowing boat, and there may also be additional costs for activities such as swimming. It can also get very busy, so patience is definitely required! Capri town – designer shops, restaurants and incredible views Capri town itself is lovely. Once you get up there, you will find designer shops, bars and restaurants, along with some fantastic views across the island and sea. It is a lovely place to wander around, enjoy a drink or something to eat and simply take in the atmosphere. I also really enjoyed sitting down by the harbour and peoplewatching. There is always so much going on, with people arriving and leaving on the boats, and it is a great place to just sit and watch the world go by. Walking... or taking the funicular! The first time we visited Capri, we decided to walk up to Capri town. Now, unless you enjoy walking in extreme heat, up very steep hills... go for it! 😂 We nearly killed one of our friends off that day!

On my second trip, I travelled with my mum and daughter, and as my mum cannot walk long distances, we used the funicular instead. It was such an easy and convenient way to get up to Capri town and made the destination much more accessible for travelling with different generations of the family.And that is something I really love about this area of Italy. You can create completely different experiences depending on who you are travelling with. A trip with friends can involve lots of walking, exploring, cocktails and adventure, while a trip with family can be adapted to be slowerpaced and more accessible. Heading up to Anacapri On my second visit to Capri, my daughter and I decided to explore a little further. We caught the bus up to Anacapri, which is located higher up on the other side of the island. The journey itself was an experience, but getting up there was definitely worth it. From Anacapri, we went on the famous chairlift, and I absolutely loved it! It was such a fantastic experience and something I would definitely recommend doing if you visit Capri. The views are incredible, and it gives you a completely different perspective of the island. For me, this was one of those experiences that made the trip even more memorable. Capri is somewhere that I personally loved, and despite some people saying it is not for them, I would absolutely go back again.

Why I would go back again and again Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast really do have something special about them. Whether you want to explore ancient history in Pompeii, relax on the beach in Positano, wander the glamorous streets of Capri, take a chairlift high above Ana capri or simply sit with a glass of wine and take in the views, there is so much to see and do. The scenery is breath taking, the food is incredible, the people are welcoming and every day can be a completely different adventure.

❤Having experienced Sorrento with friends, my mum and my daughter, I am really looking forward to sharing one of my favourite places with my Hubby too.  🍋

If you are thinking about visiting Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, Capri or Pompeii and would like help putting together your own Italian adventure, get in touch. Whether you want a relaxing hotel stay, a multi-centre itinerary, boutique hotels, family travel or something a little more special, I can help create a trip around exactly what you want to experience. Because sometimes the best holidays are not just about one destination... they're about all the incredible places you discover along the way. ✈