The stunning views and lush scents of the citrus city.
What is there to see in Sorrento?
Sorrento is one of the most spectacular destinations in the outskirts of Naples. It bewitches the senses and sends tourists home dreaming of wonderful sights and delicious flavours.
Getting to Sorrento
Guests at Hotel Magri’s will only take an hour to get to Sorrento and spend the whole day exploring the glorious colours of the citrus city filled with blooms in spring and summer, or they can wander through the pretty town streets and admire the lush vegetation, the cliffs dropping sheer to the sea and the beaches lapped by clear waters. Guests can get to Sorrento on the Circumvesuviana train (Naples-Sorrento line), a short 5-minute walk from the hotel (Gianturco station), by car in 1 hour from the hotel along the A3 (Castellamare di Stabia exit and then the Sorrentina 145 trunk road), or by hydrofoil or ferry boat with departures from the Beverello Pier, which is a 15-minute drive from the hotel.
The Historical Town Centre
Any walk worth its salt to the historical heart of Sorrento must start from piazza Torquato Tasso, the name of the famous Italian writer who was born in Sorrento in 1544. Then, visitors to Sorrento can continue walking along the long pedestrian street which is lined with chic boutiques, coffee shops and ice-cream parlours. Anyone who is interested in culture must pay a visit to the Correale Museum of Terranova, well known for being the best provincial museum in Italy in terms of variety and quality of the artwork on display. Then, there is the Church and Cloister of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Basilica of St. Anthony Abbot (the patron saint of Sorrento), the Church of Carmine where a copy of a portrait of the Dark Virgin Mary from the Church of Carmine in Naples is kept and the Church of the Servants of Mary with a famous wooden statue of the dead Christ which is carried through the town streets on Good Friday evening.
The Landscape
There is a wonderful panorama with a sweeping view of the gulf of Naples from the Villa Comunale (Municipal Public Gardens) of Sorrento perched on a cliff overlooking the sea.
The sea
Sorrento and its surrounds are well known for its beaches bathed by crystalline water and its dense coastal maquis. There is a vast choice of beaches – pebbly ones, gravelly ones, sandy ones and ones with flat rocks – there is something for everyone and each one is served by beach clubs with amenities.
Souvenirs
Just like Naples, Sorrento offers a wide range of delicious local food that can be enjoyed in restaurants or at the hotel, or taken back home as a present. Traditional Sorrento cuisine boasts many gastronomic delights, like limoncello-flavoured sorbet, lots of lemon-scented treats, hot chilli pepper, sundried tomatoes, the famous “follovielli” (vine-leaf parcels stuffed with sultanas), the Bebè di Sorrento (a sweet Caciocavallo stretched-curd cheese) and nocino, a dark-brown aromatic liqueur made from walnuts.
Sorrento is famous all over the world for its exceptional levels of artisanal expertise. The streets of the town centre are lined with specialised handicraft shops and stores which sell pretty lace, exquisite furniture and hand-carved wooden objects that draw discerning tourists from all over the world.
