What to Do in Sorrento: Historic Center and Beaches
- Apr 14
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Sorrento is usually the first contact with the Amalfi Coast and, for us, one of the most practical towns to explore the area. In this guide, we’ll show you what to do in Sorrento, walking through the center, visiting its beaches, and enjoying the city without rushing.
It doesn’t have the dramatic vertical views of Positano, but it easily wins in organization, connections, and overall comfort during your trip.
Before You Keep Reading
If you want a general idea of how to get around between towns, where to stay, and how to organize your route, you can check out OUR COMPLETE AMALFI COAST TRAVEL GUIDE, where we explain everything in a simple way and connect each destination.
What You’ll Find in This Sorrento Guide
📍 How to get to Sorrento – train, ferry and access options
🏠 Where to stay – why Sorrento is a great base
🏝️ Things to do in Sorrento – center, viewpoints and main spots
🏙️ Historic center – streets, Piazza Tasso and local vibe
🌿 Vallone dei Mulini – unique viewpoint
⛪ Churches – Cathedral and Basilica of Saint Anthony
🌅 Villa Comunale – views and sunset spot
🏖️ Beaches in Sorrento – what to expect
📌 Travel tips – what to know before visiting
✨ Our experience – why we think it’s the best base
How to Get to Sorrento
Sorrento is one of the best-connected points in the area and one of the most practical gateways to the Amalfi Coast.
You can get there:
By Circumvesuviana train from Naples (direct and budget-friendly)
By ferry from Naples or Capri, a comfortable option with great views if the sea is calm
By car, although it’s not the most practical option once you’re moving around the coast.
Because of its location and connections, Sorrento is one of the best bases to explore Capri, Positano, and Amalfi without changing accommodation
Where to Stay in Sorrento
Sorrento is an excellent option if you’re looking for comfort, good connections, and more accommodation options than other towns along the coast.
The center is ideal for getting around on foot and being close to the train station, port, restaurants, and services. Prices are usually more affordable than in Positano or Capri.
For all these reasons, Sorrento works really well as a base to explore the Amalfi Coast, doing day trips and coming back to a comfortable place.
🇮🇹 What to Do in Sorrento 🇮🇹
Walk around the historic center without rushing
The center is perfect for walking at your own pace: narrow streets, artisan shops, ceramics, lemon-themed products, and bars with outdoor seating.
Piazza Tasso is the heart of the city and basically the starting point for everything. From there, the main streets branch out, like Corso Italia, the main one, full of shops and cafés, and Via San Cesareo, smaller and more traditional, with fruit stands full of giant lemons, souvenirs, and bottles of limoncello.
Still, the best part is wandering through the side streets, you’ll always find a different corner.
Piazza Tasso
As mentioned before, it’s the main square in Sorrento and the place where there’s always something going on. It’s a busy area surrounded by terraces, bars, and cafés.
From Piazza Tasso, a small tourist train departs that goes down to Marina Piccola, where ferries leave for Naples, Capri, Positano, and Amalfi.
If you prefer walking, you can take the long stairs that connect the center to the port.
Vallone dei Mulini
Following Via Fuorimura, very close to Piazza Tasso, you’ll find this deep, green valley covered in vegetation.
From the viewpoints above the street, you can see the remains of old buildings being taken over by nature. It’s a pretty unique sight.
Sorrento Cathedral
This is the main religious building in the city and a quick stop that’s worth it if you’re already walking around the center.
Entrance is free, so if it’s open, step inside even if it’s just for a few minutes.
Opening hours: every day from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM and from 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
Basilica of Saint Anthony
Continuing through the center, the next stop is Piazza Sant’Antonino, where you’ll find the Basilica of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of Sorrento.
It’s a quick and easy stop to add to your route. If you go inside, you can visit the crypt where his remains are kept.
If not, it’s still worth stopping in the square, which usually has a nice atmosphere.
Villa Comunale Park
Located right on the edge of the cliffs, it offers incredible open views of the Gulf of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.
It’s the perfect place to slow down and just enjoy the view.
Tip: Go at sunset! Watching the sun go down and the coast light up is something else.
Beaches in Sorrento
Going down the stairs from Villa Comunale or using the elevator (around €1 per person), you’ll reach Leonelli’s Beach in just a few minutes, the most popular beach in Sorrento.
It’s not very big, and the public area is limited. Most of the space is taken up by private beach clubs with sunbeds and umbrellas on wooden platforms.
Still, it’s a good option to spend some time near the center, cool off, and enjoy the view of Mount Vesuvius.
Other urban beaches in Sorrento include Marina Piccola and Marina Grande (the latter being the most picturesque, with a more local fishing vibe).
If you’re looking for something more natural, Bagni della Regina Giovanna is the best option.
It’s a bit further away, you’ll need to walk about 30–40 minutes from the center or get there by car or bus. It’s a rocky cove with crystal-clear water surrounded by nature, perfect for a peaceful swim.
Personal Opinion
Honestly, we feel like Sorrento’s beaches aren’t the best in the area.
For us, the city is much better enjoyed walking around the center and getting lost in those little streets where there’s always something new to discover.
If you’re looking for crystal-clear water and postcard-like beaches, we’d recommend saving that for other stops along the Amalfi Coast, like Capri, Positano, or more hidden coves.
Sorrento is unbeatable when it comes to atmosphere, shopping, and logistics, but not so much for its beaches.
Travel tips – what to know before visiting Sorrento
Sorrento is one of those places that’s super easy to enjoy, but there are a few things we’d keep in mind:
• If it’s your first time, try to stay close to the center → everything is walkable and it makes a big difference
• Use Sorrento as a base instead of moving every day → it saves you time and makes the whole trip way more relaxed
• 1–2 days is more than enough to explore Sorrento itself → it’s more about the vibe than ticking off a long list of sights
• Don’t expect amazing beaches here → the town itself is the highlight, not the swimming spots
• Bring comfortable shoes → nothing too crazy, but you’ll be walking a lot
At the end of the day, Sorrento is more about wandering, stopping for a drink, and enjoying the vibe than trying to “tick things off” a list.
Our Experience in Sorrento
Sorrento is one of those places you enjoy just by walking, looking around, and not minding going through the same streets more than once.
It’s the perfect destination to slow down and use as a base to explore the rest of the area without the hassle of changing accommodations every day.
During a trip along the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento gives you the perfect balance: movement, great connections, and that bit of calm you need to rest.
It’s easy to combine with other towns and lets you adapt your itinerary to your own pace.
Are you planning your trip to the Amalfi Coast?
After traveling through it ourselves, we created a super complete guide with the itinerary already organized day by day, so you don’t have to spend hours figuring out how to get around, where to stay, or what’s actually worth doing.
The guide includes:
📍 Day-by-day itineraries
📍 Interactive Google Maps
📍 Ferries and how to move between towns
📍 Real restaurant and beach recommendations
📍 Recommended accommodations
📍 Tips to save time and avoid unnecessary expenses
📍 Alternatives depending on your energy, the weather, or your travel style
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