While Positano was our first choice of locations to stay in – we ended up going with Sorrento because of availability. That being said I am SO happy with our choice. It was charming and bustling without the overwhelming busy feeling we experienced in Positano. The beach was great for swimming, fabulous restaurant choices with good prices and its easy to travel to other areas of the Almafi Coast. We stayed in this Airbnb which was a fab location and the host was awesome – it was walking distance from amazing restaurants, the train/bus station, shopping and the beach. 

Things to do in the Almafi Coast

Peter’s Beach in Sorrento

There is nothing like a beach day to relax on vacation and if you are in Sorrento, Peter’s Beach is the place to be. It’s such a unique beach experience since its at the bottom of a gigantic cliff. There are stunning views all around and great water to swim in. I recommend going early so that you can get a spot. It gets pretty busy on a hot day!

Ravello

This region of the Almafi Coast was my favorite – the second you arrive you feel a sense of calm as you soak in the beauty. Go here if you are looking for a quiet escape with stunning views.

Eat at Cumpa Cassimo and order the pasta sampler. This is another family owned restaurant and mamma comes around to make sure you are okay. At one point we asked to hear some Italian music on the radio and they ended up singing to us because their speakers were broken – now THAT is service! (check out my Italy story highlights to see).

You MUST MUST MUST go to the garden of Villa Rufolo – I would describe it as heaven on earth – a garden composed of plants and flowers from all over the world that sits atop the highest point of Ravello to give you stunning views of the coast.

Capri

Book a boat tour of the island that also includes a stop at Capri for a few hours. To be honest I was a bit underwhelmed by the town of Capri – while the views are gorgeous its very pricey and the town is akin to other buslting Eurpoean streets. However you can and should go to Anacapri on the lift and soak in the views.

My favorite part of the day however was boating around the island. Before going I was hyped about seeing the Blue Grotto – however, after learning it costs an additional 14 euros on top of the tour price you are already paying and requires waiting in a line up of boats to go see it – we opted out. Instead we had a blast touring other grottos, swimming in the prettiest water, soaking in coastal views and enjoying a glass of prosecco or two.

Positano

This is probably the most popular region of the Almafi Coast, but because of that it is also extremely busy. I recommend stopping here for a few hours on a day trip for some shopping and soak up the views from the beach but aside from that it wouldn’t be my first pick for staying in. Now everyone has their preferences but I personally liked the beach experience in Sorrento and calmness of Ravello.

Restaurant reccomendations in Sorrento

Since we stayed in Sorrento I have the most restaurant reccomendations for this region in the Almafi Coast.

Porta Marina

By far the FRESHEST seafood I have ever had – we ate here for lunch and dinner on the same day! This is a family run restaurant and you can literally watch them fish for seafood as you eat.

Dishes to order:

• Mussels and Clam sautee- you can literally taste the ocean!
• Seafood pasta – this is a proper seafood pasta
• Octopus – this was one of the catches of the day – absolutely superb
• Fried calamari – super light and fresh

La Catinaccia del Popolo

We happened to stumble upon this while walking out of our Airbnb it was about a 3 minute walk and ended up having dinner here twice – it was THAT good.

Dishes to order:

• Gnocchi – just do it, you won’t regret it
• Catinaccia pasta – it is their special – I don’t even know what was in it but SO GOOD
• Vongole – this is one of my favorite pastas and La Catinaccia del Popolo knows how to make it right
• Salami and cheese appetizer – perfect for sharing to get a taste of local salamis and cheese

Primavera

Go here for DAMN good gelato

Grand Favorita

Go here for rooftop drinks at sunset – killer cocktails and stunning views.

Stay tuned for my travel guide to Florence, Siena and Rome!