Sorrento vs Positano: Which Is Right for Your Trip?

Sorrento suits a trip built around town sights, museums and easy hydrofoil links to Naples, while Positano suits a beach trip with five named beaches. Positano can become very crowded in the summer months, so the season matters as much as the town.

At a glance

• For beaches: Positano, with Spiaggia Grande, Fornillo, Arienzo, La Porta and Laurito
• For a quiet stay: Fornillo beach in Positano, farther from the town center
• For sights in town: Sorrento, with three churches, the Sedil Dominova and the Museo Correale
• Hydrofoil from Naples to Sorrento: Alilauro, seven departures a day from Beverello
• Ferry to Positano: May to October, about 2 hours, €25 on average

Should you choose Sorrento or Positano?

Sorrento suits travelers who like to wander between sights. The town has the cathedral of Santi Filippo e Giacomo, the church of San Francesco with its cloister, and Piazza Tasso, which the tourist board calls the city’s salon. Museums and a garden with a lift down to Marina Piccola beach round out the days.

Positano suits a trip built around the sea. The town has five named beaches, and its main beach has flown the Blue Flag for more than twenty years. The town also holds the green flag for child-friendly beaches.

The Amalfi Coast draws millions of visitors from around the world, and Positano can become very crowded in the summer months. Anyone who dislikes crowds will do better with the quieter Fornillo beach, or with a visit outside summer.

• Choose Positano if: you want a choice of five beaches; you travel with children and want beaches with the green flag; you want a quiet corner like Fornillo, farther from the town center.

Which has better beaches, Sorrento or Positano?

For a beach trip, Positano is the pick, with a large main beach and quieter coves. Spiaggia Grande, also called Marina Grande, is the best known and largest beach and carries the Blue Flag. Fornillo is calmer and less crowded, and Arienzo, La Porta and Laurito complete the list.

Sorrento has Marina Piccola and Marina Grande at the foot of the town, next to the ports. The Villa Comunale garden has a lift that goes down to Marina Piccola and the port, so the beach is an easy add-on to a day of sightseeing.

Which is busier, Sorrento or Positano?

Fornillo is usually frequented by fewer tourists than Marina Grande because it is farther from the town center.

Torre Trasita has no roads or crowds of tourists nearby, which makes it a calm spot to head for when the center fills up.

What is there to see in Sorrento and Positano?

Sorrento has the most to see in town. Santa Maria delle Grazie has a notable majolica floor, and the Sedil Dominova from the 16th century is the only remaining sedile in Campania, under a yellow and green majolica dome. The Museo Correale di Terranova, at Via Correale 50, has 24 rooms of furnishings and artworks, plus an archaeological section with remains of ancient Surrentum. Villa Fiorentino is a few steps from the cathedral, at Corso Italia 53.

Positano is seen mostly from its beaches: Spiaggia Grande, Fornillo, Arienzo, La Porta and Laurito. For a first trip, Sorrento fills a rainy day better, since its museums and churches are indoors, while Positano rewards a day on the sand.

Can you visit both Sorrento and Positano on one trip?

Both towns are reached by sea from Naples. Ferries and fast hydrofoils run to Positano from May to October and take about 2 hours depending on the company, at around €25 a ticket. They leave from the Beverello pier, about 1.2 miles (2 km) from Naples central station. From Salerno, boats leave from the pier near Piazza della Concordia, close to the train station, and both Salerno piers operate between April and October.

Sorrento is easily reachable by land and by sea, which makes it a practical first stop. Plan the Naples links around these hydrofoil times:

• Naples Beverello to Sorrento: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:05 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 5:05 p.m., 6:35 p.m., 7:30 p.m. · seven a day · for arrivals from Naples
• Sorrento to Naples Beverello: 7:20 a.m., 8:15 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:20 p.m., 4:25 p.m., 6:40 p.m. · seven a day · for returns or day trips to Naples

The 7:30 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. runs do not operate on Saturdays and holidays.

When is the best time to visit Sorrento or Positano?

In Sorrento, May brings highs of 76°F (24°C) and four rainy days.

Earlier in spring, Sorrento is cooler and wetter. April reaches 68°F (20°C) with six rainy days, and March reaches 62°F (17°C) with seven. January is the coolest of these months, with a high of 57°F (14°C) and nine rainy days.