Sorrento, Italy + Capri

There are a lot of beautiful places in the world. The places that take your breath away, put a smile on your face, and just make you happy to be there. We’ve been lucky enough to visit a few in our lives, but one of the most notable was a complete surprise to us.

When we booked our trip to Italy, we knew we were going to Rome, Venice, and Florence…all cities we’d heard a lot about. But another stop on our trip was Sorrento and the island of Capri. We’d heard a friend of ours talking about Capri, as she’d been there on a trip years before, but we knew very little about either place.

Upon arriving however, we found this to be a place we would never forget. Next stop on the Italian tour, Sorrento!

We were only in Sorrento for two days, so we didn’t get to experience as much as we would have liked. An extra day or two to explore and chill on the black sand beaches with Limoncello spritzes and a good book would have been amazing. Court- It is so hard to describe Sorrento in a way that would do it justice because it is truly the most beautiful place I have ever been. The sand was amazing and we were even able to find sea glass when we waded out into the water, which was a first for me. The hotel sat high up on a cliff which gave us spectacular views of blue water that stretched out forever to Mount Vesuvius in the distance.

One of these two days, we set off on a guided tour of Capri. Our tour guide took us around the island where we got to see various shops, sights, and scenery. When you first arrive on the island, you’ll see many other boats docked in the port. You climb out onto land and are greeted with an assortment of shops and restaurants with a mountain as their backdrop. Behind you is a view of the Mediterranean.

We took taxis to the highest point on the island, which is its own town called Anacapri (literally above Capri). These 5-6 passenger convertible-with-a-pop-top vehicles are custom made for Capri and can only be found here. It made for a nice breezy ride to the top. Though the roads are narrow and a bit nerve-wracking to ride up a mountain on (for Mallory), the views were worth it. Court-though the ride was a bit nerve wracking, we did finagle our way through our group to sit with our new friends. There was a lot of competition for spots, so if you are in a tour group, remember, 5-6 people in a car… stand close to who you want in yours.

One of the most photographed areas on the island are the Capri Faraglioni (rock formations). They sit in the Bay of Naples and each even have their own name.

The Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto) is also a famous spot on Capri. When the tide is low (and sea calm), you can take a boat ride into the sea cave. Unfortunately, conditions did not allow us to visit the grotto, but if you have a chance you should definitely check it out.

Food

The most notable restaurant we ate at in Sorrento is Il Capanno. We ate here with the group on our first night in town. Mal- I had pizza with spicy salami and it was delicious. We had a lot of pizza on this trip, but this was one of my favorites.

A big staple of Sorrento/Capri culture is Limoncello.  But does it really live up to all of the hype? Why yes, yes it does. The first taste we had was when our tour bus stopped off on the side of the road at a Limoncello slushie stand. We all hopped off for the views, but stayed for the slushies. Actually we grabbed slushies and hopped back on the bus but, the point is, they were delicious.

Once we got to the hotel, we discovered Limoncello spritzes. We were a bit traumatized after the Aperol and Campari spritzes so were a bit unsure. But the slushies had been good, so why not. And Limoncello spritzes, friends, are wonderful. It almost made us forget the Aperol all together.

On our day trip to Capri, where Limoncello is a hot commodity, we visited Limoncello Di Capri and had a few free samples. Like most liqueurs, it’s a bit stout on it’s own, but easier to swallow than most. Courtney even bought a bottle to bring home. And we had another slushie because why not. Courtney- Note, I wrapped this bottle in all the clothes I had to ensure that it would withstand the trip back to Georgia. Then, I got to the airport and it was for sale past security so I could have just gotten some and put it in my carry-on. Live and learn.

Lodging

One of the best, if not the best, hotel we stayed at in Italy was the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Sorrento. First of all, the views of the Mediterranean were stunning. We sat out on the patio of the hotel for a good while both nights just to watch the sun set over the water. They served us snacks with our spritzes and we felt the most relaxed we did on the entire trip.

They actually had part of the patio blocked off one evening for a wedding reception. If you’re looking to have an Italian wedding, Sorrento is definitely a place to consider.

Our room was very nice with a nautical decor that matched the rest of the hotel’s interior. The continental breakfast was the best breakfast we had by far. They had an array of options that would leave anyone satisfied. The best part is you could sit with a view of the ocean while you ate. A great start to the day.

Other

Funny story from Sorrento, as told by Courtney. We walked into town one night and decided that we would walk back to the hotel. We either got turned around or missed a turn somewhere, so we had to walk down a dark alley like the kind your parents always warn you not to go down. I honestly figured we were safe because of all the places we went in Italy, Sorrento seemed to be the safest. Not that other places are necessarily unsafe, in fact, we never felt unsafe at all, but we had heard that there were pickpockets to watch out for in the bigger cities. So, we venture down this alley, phone flashlights in hand, and in an enclave, I spotted a fully grown Saint Bernard, who was sleeping. Not very loudly, I said, “Oh, there’s a puppy,” or something to that effect. Evidently, Mallory and Hillary did not hear me and the dog scared the life out of them. Oh well. (laughs to self)

While we were eating dinner our last night in Sorrento, we got an accidental front row seat to a Greek parade. After we finished, we followed the crowd to a stage where various groups of dancers were taking the stage. It was quite the show and a pleasant surprise.

Capri/Sorrento are part of the Amalfi Coast which is a popular spot for vacationing celebrities. We saw lots of yachts anchored in the bay. Capri has also recently become hot for another reason… home decor! Capri tiles are custom made tiles with beautiful patterns primarily of blues and yellows. Many feature lemons, as you can imagine. Court- I became very inspired in Capri by the colors and the tiles and am determined that my kitchen will be Capri themed if only so I can have a small part of this beautiful coast in my home.

Also random fun fact- Capri pants were named after the island of Capri.