Like the Isle of Capri, visitors don't come to Sorrento Italy for history or cathedrals or historic strolls. The city, just across the bay from Naples and Salerno, is an unapologetic resort town, parading fancy shops, exquisite views and rock-strewn beaches as its prime attractions. Though there is rarely a dearth of things to do in Sorrento Italy, many of them revolve around sunning on the rocky coastlines, or traipsing through the lavish green hills nearby. Easily reached by ferry from both Naples and Capri, Sorrento holidays have long been a favorite for the budget traveler and wealthy alike.

Sorrento holidays can be a bit nerve-wracking due to the large crowds and absolute lack of traffic signals in town, leading those brave enough to drive to do so at ridiculously high speeds and with little regard for pedestrians. The city also has a liberal view of what constitutes a beach – the coastlines are mostly just a strip of rocks jutting into dangerous configurations. That means most sunbathing is relegated to lying on deck chairs on long piers extending into the halcyon water. If you desire to actually step foot in the water, the best place to do so is at Punta del Capo or, if you can afford it, at one of the Sorrento hotels that provide private beaches for their customers.

Shopping is another of the most popular things to do in Sorrento Italy, and it has some of the best prices and widest variety of any shopping districts along the Amalfi Coast. Full of cobblestoned side streets and scenic squares such as Piazza Tasso and Piazza Antica, Sorrento lends itself well to long hours spent window shopping. Lace sheets, exquisite furniture, table linens and hand-crafted pottery found here are among the most renowned of their kind in Europe.

Sorrento Map

Whether you choose to spend your days at the beach, in the shops or hiking through the mountains, try to fit in a trip to Don Alfonso, a Sorrento restaurant widely regarded as one of the finest places to dine in the entire country. Offering award-winning wines (which, in Italy, is saying a lot), creative Neapolitan dishes and views from a quarter mile above the sea, this Sorrento restaurant has definitely earned its lofty reputation.

Another staple of Sorrento holidays is a brief tour of the town after dark, which offers a wide variety of taverns and pubs that house rambunctious, fun-loving crowds well into the early hours. The effects of a visit to any one of these establishments will likely be felt well into the following day, but evenings spent there are amongst the favored things to do in Sorrento Italy.