Sorrento

Sorrento is the principal town of the Sorrentine Peninsula, perched on cliffs above the Bay of Naples across from Vesuvius. It sits on the Circumvesuviana rail line, making it an easy base for visiting the archaeological sites at Pompeii and Ercolano (Herculaneum), and its harbor is a departure point for ferries to Capri, Positano, and Amalfi. The town has a centuries-old tradition of intarsia (wood inlay/marquetry), visible in the choir and doors of its Duomo and sold today as decorative panels and souvenirs. Its historic center is anchored by the Sedile Dominova, a 14th-century open loggia with a distinctive yellow-and-green majolica-tiled dome, once a meeting hall for the town's nobility and one of the last such buildings surviving in Campania.

Sorrento is the terminus of the Circumvesuviana railway from Naples, which also stops at Pompeii and Ercolano en route. By road, it lies at the end of the SS145 from Naples via Castellammare di Stabia. Ferries and hydrofoils connect Sorrento's harbor with Capri, Naples, and (seasonally) Positano and Amalfi.

The historic center is compact and walkable; local buses and the Circumvesuviana connect Sorrento with surrounding towns on the peninsula.

The Sedile Dominova, a 14th-century open loggia with a majolica-tiled dome and frescoed heraldry, and the Duomo (Cathedral of Saints Philip and James), notable for its inlaid-wood choir stalls and doors, are the town's key historic sights. The Chiostro di San Francesco, a cloister with interlaced arches next to the public gardens overlooking the bay, is also worth visiting, along with the clifftop views themselves.

Wandering the historic center, visiting the Sedile Dominova and Duomo, and using Sorrento as a base for day trips to Pompeii, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast are the main activities.

Sorrento's traditional inlaid woodwork (intarsia) — boxes, panels, furniture — and limoncello, made from the peninsula's lemons, are the characteristic local products.

Sant'Agnello and Piano di Sorrento are immediately adjacent along the Circumvesuviana line. Capri is a short ferry ride away, and the Amalfi Coast towns, including Positano and Amalfi, are reachable by road or seasonal ferry.