Sorrento is up there as one of my favourite places in the world right now. It is beautiful beyond belief and looks exactly as breathtaking as the 1.5m Instagram photos suggest. Looking out to Mount Vesuvius as I ate breakfast each morning, I was already thinking about my next trip there.
In the three days that we spent in Sorrento, we explored many of the towns attractions, enjoyed lots of Italian food and strolled without intention around the bustling streets in the cool(er) evenings.
If you’re heading to Sorrento soon, here’s some ideas for what to do, where to eat and where to stay.
What to do?
Pompeii and Vesuvius
While we didn’t visit these sites ourselves, the reviews from others have been fantastic – we preferred to look at the volcano from our breakfast terrace! Pompeii and Vesuvius are two historical wonders of Europe that are easy to reach by train from Sorrento for a small fee.
If you’re planning on visiting, be sure to bring plenty of SPF, water and snacks as shade and shops are not what Pompeii are about. For more details check out Earth Lists blog which gives details of getting to the site and what to expect when you’re there.
Capri
A visit to Capri can be done as a day trip from Sorrento with many companies offering transfer services, some even including pick up from your hotel. While the island itself has been become commercialized and tourist-y, the trip out on the boat is something worth experiencing.
Visiting this lemon grove was one of my highlights of Sorrento. It’s a short walk from the Main Street and worth the trip to learn about the lemon industry of this area.
Have a taste of Limoncello and enjoy the best ever lemon sorbet. Tours of the facility are optional and something which I recommend. You might even manage to get a lemon to take home with you.
Where to eat?
Our dinner in Sedil Dominova was our most delicious, most authentic and cheapest meal while staying in Sorrento. We paid €17.50 for two mains, one side and one bottle of water, along with a complimentary bread basket.
This beautiful gem is tucked down a busy side street with ample outdoor seating. We opted for very traditional Italian meals – penne all’arrabbiata and margherita pizza.
We visited Bougainvillea three times during our three day stay in Sorrento. We popped in specifically for the gelato and the frozen yogurt.
The selection of gelato in Bougainvillea is something else. Choose from heavenly chocolate to refreshing coconut, exotic fruits to subtle vanilla and everything in between. The coffee here is excellent too and is served with a complimentary mini meringue.
Where to stay?
Our stay in Sorrento was made complete by the hospitality and beauty of Hotel Minerva. Standing at about 100m above sea level, Hotel Minerva is a 20 minute walk from Sorrento train station, tucked into the cliff edge.
With beautiful sea view rooms, a vast breakfast buffet and exception service, there’s nothing negative I can say about our stay here. They even have complimentary glossy magazines and books for you to peruse while chilling at one of their two swimming pools. What more could one ask for!
When I was booking our accommodation in Sorrento, I narrowed it down to two hotels – Hotel Minerva and Hotel Bristol. In the end, it was the availability of dates that swayed my decision.
Turns out, Hotel Minerva and Hotel Bristol are next door neighbors. Since I’ve returned home and went back to work, I’ve learned that one of my colleagues stayed in Hotel Bristol on her last trip to Sorrento and am not passing on her high regards of this beautiful hotel.
I hope you get the opportunity to visit Sorrento in your lifetime. From Ireland, the travel commitment is small and the financial burden is reasonable for a sun holiday. If you’d like more details on this trip, be sure to drop me a line via the contact page.
The Baking Nutritionist 
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