The city has attractions and facilities to meet the needs of both children and adults. The city’s beaches and those of neighbouring Positano are good places to enjoy the summer sun or to get some water sport action, but it’s the various boat trips from the city that offer the most universal appeal.

Beaches
Family visitors in particular appreciate Sorrento’s beaches, although anyone looking for relaxation, inactivity and the chance to catch a few rays will also find themselves drawn to the sands during the summer. Romano Pollio Beach is a small beach created by a relief in a large rock shelf and while it’s a touch more rocky than it is sandy, it’s viable for a quiet afternoon with a good book. A better option for families is Marina Puolo Beach, a lengthier and sandier strip with plenty of space for sunbathing, making sandcastles or playing Frisbee.

Boat Trips
Local tour operators offer cruises from Sorrento along the scenic Amalfi coast with stops made for sightseeing at both Positano and Amalfi. Cruises are made on open-topped vessels large enough to accommodate up to 40 persons and deckchairs are provided so passengers can sit back and relax while they take in the picturesque coastal scenery.

Hiking
The hills around Sorrento offer terrain and conditions suitable for both relaxing walks and challenging treks depending on your mood and level of fitness. Positano and Amalfi, both within easy reach of Sorrento, are some of the best places to head to find areas well suited to this activity.

Water Sports
Sorrento’s beaches are not really geared towards water sports; however, if you take a bus or a boat ride to Positano, you’ll find the beach there offers a variety of activities including windsurfing, waterskiing and scuba diving.

With something of an emphasis on museums, Sorrento offers a modest but interesting selection of cultural venues exploring topics such as history, archaeology, art and woodwork. If woodwork catches your attention, then be sure not to miss the impressive Museo Bottega Della Tarsia Lignea with its splendid collection of inlaid wooden creations and examples of both artistic and functional wooden objects on display.

Antiquarium Aequano
Housed within the limits of the Palazzo Comunale, the Antiquarium Aequano is a museum with a collection of archaeological exhibits from a variety of major historical eras that have been found on digs in and around Sorrento. Among the most interesting objects on display are finds dating back to Etruscan, Greek and Italian times. Phone: +39 81 801 56 68.

Archaeological Museum of Sorrento Peninsula 
The history of the city of Sorrento and of the peninsula of which it is a part are explored through a variety of exhibitions featuring archaeological artefacts found in these areas. Phone: +39 81 5341050

Museo Bottega Della Tarsia Lignea
Sorrento has a reputation as a producer of some of Italy’s finest inlaid woodworking and this museum gives visitors the chance to see exactly what its craftsmen have done over the years to earn it this reputation. The museum’s collection features furniture and decorative wooden creations from the 19th century as well as a variety of photographs, prints and paintings that depict the settings most closely associated with the pursuit of this craft in Sorrento. Phone: +30 81 877 19 42.

Museo Correale di Terranova
Housed in a picturesque 18th-century villa, the Museo Correale di Terranova features a collection of artworks that belonged originally to Antonio Correale, the Count of Terranova, and his brother. The collection includes a number of paintings, ceramics and decorative arts of Neapolitan origin as well as archaeological pieces from Greek and Roman times, old-master paintings, and 17th-century majolicas. The gardens in which the villa sits are beautiful and well worth a walk around. Phone: +39 81 878 18 46.

Sorrento Cathedral
Originally built in the 11th century but subject to reconstruction in the 15th century, the Sorrento Cathedral features a Romanesque architectural style and is best known perhaps for its collection of 17th-century artworks. Included in the collection are pieces by Giacomo del Po and Oronzo Malinconico. Also of note in the church’s interior is the restored baptistery which is famous for having witnessed the christening of Italian poet Torquato Tasso.

Italy is a nation famed for its fine food and the cuisine of Campania region is no exception to this reputation. Sorrento’s restaurants cook up all the most popular of Campania’s dishes and visitors can be sure that dining out is rarely a disappointing experience.

Among the regional creations worth trying are bistecca alla pizzaiola, beef steak in a tomato sauce with garlic and oregano; calzone alla napoletana, a deep fried wheat flour dough filled with ham and cheese; and parmigiana di melanzane, a baked dish comprised of aubergine in a tomato sauce topped with cheese.

Restaurants can be found the length of Sorrento and while the cost of dining errs of the expensive side, the standard of the food is invariably high. You’ll find plenty of venues offering local fare, but if you are in the mood for something a touch blander then there are various restaurants offering English- and American-style dishes. The restaurants of the city’s top hotels offer quality international food if you want to sample something more exotic.

Shopping in Sorrento can be a fun experience if you are interested in traditional local products. The narrow streets of Sorrento city centre are home to a wealth of independent retailers selling goods such as: decorative arts in media including wood, porcelain and china; leather and linen products; candles and a wide variety of edible products. The lemon liqueur known as limoncello is considered an essential purchase if you want to take home something truly representative of Sorrento.

If you are interested in aesthetics, then you’ll love the many small art galleries tucked away in the back streets of the city. The paintings, charcoal drawings, carvings and prints may not be the work of big name artists, but the talent involved is evident and you are sure to find something both unusual and unique.