Must See Spots in 48 Hours in Sorrento, Italy

Ciao d’Italia - hello from Italy! The past few days have been crazy; I landed around 11 PM (EST) which is 5 AM in Italy on Wednesday and I feel like I haven’t stopped since! I flew into Naples and have been exploring the stunning Amalfi Coast ever since. Picking a hotel in a foreign country really can be difficult; especially if you haven’t been to it before, but I’m so lucky with the one we picked and you’ll see why in some of these pictures… Literally jaw dropping and breath taking! Any way, since I’ve done so much in the past two days here, I wanted to share some of the best tips for traveling around Amalfi in a short period of time. As you may have heard me mention before, we have a family home in Southern Italy that’s been in my family for hundreds (yes, hundreds…) of years. Pretty awesome to get to say, and it’s pretty awesome to have! It’s old but beautiful and in good condition - although I would LOVE to have the Property Brothers do a European spin-off and renovate the entire thing! ; ) Can you imagine?!
I’ve already almost filled up an entire 16 GB memory card of pictures on my camera in the matter of two days, that’s how beautiful this place is! There’s something about the Italian lifestyle that is just SO insanely relaxing and let me tell you - SO different than in the United States. The majority of the roads are steep, narrow and windy and no matter how much traffic there is, you can guarantee that there will be dozens of vespa’s beeping their way in between traffic! It’s sort of insane, but it’s awesome to see and experience such a different culture/atmosphere.
Even though there’s more to do along the Amalfi Coast than you could ever do at once, Sorrento is definitely one of the most beautiful spots in my opinion and I just can’t stop staring at the views! In fact, I’m sitting on an ocean-view terrace as I write… I mean!!! The other awesome part of the Amalfi and Italy in general is that you really can easily dedicate one day to each place and be perfect with it; there's so much to see but there are so many spots to visit too, so fitting a lot in is easier than you'd expect. Before I ramble any more, I’ll dive into my travel experience and tips for seeing as much of Sorrento as possible:
Where to stay:

As you enter Sorrento and more specifically along the Amalfi Coast, you pass a LOT of hotels. Like, every other building… And you notice how many there are when you book your trip too. I’m staying at the Grande Hotel Capodimonte and let me freakin’ tell ya - it’s beyond gorgeous!! Every room, spot and window has a view of the Mediterranean, the city and even Mount Vesuvius.

There’s also 5 (FIVE!) infinity pools that also have the most gorgeous view, amazing food, and great service. Mini disclaimer - these are totally just my opinions; I wasn’t paid for this! I’m just proud that we picked such a great hotel! ; )

I’m obsessed with pretty floors and tiling and oh my goodness, what a dream this place has been for that! I’ve been taking #shinyponies pictures nonstop! Every spaces’ flooring is different but they have such a pretty theme going on. So yes, here are my favorite floorings from the hotel:

I could go on and on about this hotel, but let’s be honest - as gorgeous as it is, you don’t spend much time in the room when you have such gorgeous things to see! I’m sure all of the surrounding hotels are also really great, but I’m very happy with this one and I’d definitely stay here again and again. It’s also important to point out - when searching for a hotel in Italy and in most of Europe, it’s important to look at the ratings. 4 stars and up is what to aim for, because honestly these are the hotels that have the amenities closest to what you’re used to in the U.S. I’m not sure what they’re like with less stars, but this is the rule of thumb for most foreigners visiting.

Visiting Capri:
If you’re staying in Sorrento, you absolutely NEED to visit the island of Capri! There’s so much to do and it could probably use it’s very own travel guide. From the port of Sorrento (which is about a 5 minute drive or 15 minute walk from the Grande Hotel Capodimonte), you can take a 20 minute ferry ride to Capri. Taxis can get expensive and some drivers will try to rip you off if they notice you’re foreign; no matter what hotel you stay at, ask if they can call taxi services for you. Instead of having to worry about driving the car and finding a spot to park it at or near the port, we spent 12 euros on a taxi to get there and it was money well spent! The taxis that hang around the port will charge more; coming back, we found out they were starting their prices at 20 euros for the quick drive that it was. So we again called the hotel, and they sent a taxi for us. I love that the hotels do that and this way, you know for sure that they’re legit and aren’t going to give you any kind of trouble. I should also mention that these were THE nicest taxis I’ve ever ridden in… I’m talking brand new Mercedes’ acting as taxis; um what?! And the drivers are all insanely nice and helpful!

Once you take the ferry over to Capri, here’s what you see:

There’s a lot to do and see so having some sort of plan is important. We ate at a little bar/restaurant right in the main square called Bar Aprea and it was so good. There’s a beautiful view of the water and the boats as you eat too!

Walking around the island is so much fun, but if there’s one thing you’re going to do - take the island boat tour! It’s under 50 euros and just under 2 hours long. The boats are gorgeous and they run simultaneously so you can choose which to take at what time between 9-1. The boat goes around the entire island and if it’s a hot day it’s even better because the wind feels so good! There are a ton of grottos surrounding the island; the most famous being the Blue Grotto. There’s always a long wait for it, but if you can handle tight spaces for all of 5 minutes, it’s one of the most beautiful sights you’ll see! Seriously breathtaking:

You can also take a quick trolley ride for 3 euros up to the top of Capri where there’s even prettier views and more to do. I really didn’t realize how big Capri is; there’s so much to do! Up here theres more restaurants and a ton of shops - including a Prada store that I couldn’t resist going into of course!

Positano:

One of the better known cities along the Amalfi is definitely Positano. I had never been before, and I'm so happy I got to see it because it's seriously amazing and like no other city - most especially compared to anything in the U.S. The city is fairly big and of course, is on a mountain; you can park and walk down or drive down (I suggest driving) and grabbing a metered parking spot. There's restaurants, shops, gorgeous beaches and seriously amazing views. We ate pizza at a bar and overlooked the infamous colorful homes that resemble the Cinque Terre homes. Absolutely stunning!

If you don't like wandering around or don't know the language, it's super simple to get onto a tour of Sorrento/Amalfi. They're fairly inexpensive and from what I've seen (from walking by them anyway), they're really great and in depth! They also usually start and end at your hotel which is great because you don't have to worry about how you'll get back or any of that. Usually, Italy in August is extremely hot but somehow I lucked out and it's absolutely beautiful! It's been 80-85 degrees and a cool breeze - I LOVE it! It's perfect for evening walks too; I've taken quite a few walks and honestly I've needed to because of how much food I've been eating!

Driving the Amalfi Coast:

If anything, this is what takes the most time - because 1. there is so much to see/stop for and 2. it never ends! Driving down the Amalfi and seeing all sorts of gorgeous beaches has got to be the most relaxing, breath taking experience. All you see is ocean water and beautiful views - words can't even describe the beauty! Being able to stop whenever you want to to take pictures, shop or eat is the best. I highly recommend trying mountain-side fruit and the Limoncello that nearly every bar/restaurant has. During the summer, there's usually a lot of traffic and the roads are very windy and narrow, so you have no choice but to go slow; the pace of the Italians! And once you see the Amalfi Coast, you'll totally understand why.

I will definitely be posting a LOT more about my Italy trip; including a ton of pictures! I have so many, but sifting through the thousands I've already taken is no easy or quick task! There's so many sights to see and things to do that I can't wait to share! Happy Friday friends!
XOXO