After our great time in Naples, we took a 1 hour train ride to the picturesque town of Sorrento, situated on the famous Amalfi Coast. This small town of approx. 25,000 people was in stark contrast to Naples- uncrowded, laid back and waaaay prettier.
Our hotel, the Relais Correale, was a 10 minute walk from the train station and a real hidden gem. Situated in the middle of a lemon orchard, this hotel oozes character and is all about simplicity, hospitality, peacefulness and great service. Every morning, we woke up to the sound of peace and quiet, isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city.
We spent our time in Sorrento mainly exploring the city center, its markets and port area. The city’s main avenue is called ‘Corso Italia’ and is lined with nice restaurants and shops. Everything is muuuuch cleaner than Naples and the people nicer. I’d also recommend exploring the ‘Via S. Cesaro’, a narrow street that runs parallel to ‘Corso Italia’ but which has a lot more character and a real small town charm.
We were fortunate to be visiting during the Christmas season, because the city center was beautifully and very tastefully lit up. We found a nice restaurant (The Fauno Bar) right in the center (Piazza Tasso) and next to the Christmas tree. We had a first line view of when all the lights were turned out, and the Christmas tree lights came to life and danced to the tunes of famous Christmas songs. I should point out here that most bars charge a slight premium for drinks, but they do include a whole lot of free snacks, so it’s worth it. This seems to be true for most of Italy, as I pointed out in last year’s visit to Bologna.
You will also notice that everything in Sorrento is about limoncello, a digestif made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar. Pretty much every other store sells it, and it is completely acceptable for you to ask to taste some before you buy it. I just wouldn’t try too much if I were you because it has a relatively high alcohol content (30%) and hits you pretty fast. Apart from the standard limoncello, stores also sell lemon cream liquor (the Honey Bee really liked it), melon flavored limoncello (I really liked it), and strawberry flavored limoncello (gross!).
One last thing I’d like to point out is that if you’re in the area, it is well worth your time to visit Capri, and other towns on the Amalfi coast like Positana. We were unable to visit due to time constraints, and also due to the fact that it was December, at which time these are all pretty much ghost towns.
Wrapping things up, we really enjoyed our mini-vacation in this part of Italy, especially Sorrento. We will undoubtedly be returning to better explore the Amalfi coast, and of course to get to the top of Vesuvius.
Arrivederci!
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