Things to Do in Sorrento: Piazza Tasso, the Museo Correale, Villa Fiorentino and the Marina Piccola Lift

Start with the Museo Correale di Terranova, an 18th-century villa among citrus trees with a terrace over the sea. Then add Villa Fiorentino, a few steps from the cathedral, and the lift from the Villa Comunale down to Marina Piccola.

At a glance

• Top sights to see first: Piazza Tasso, Museo Correale di Terranova, Villa Fiorentino
• Main access: Circumvesuviana train from Naples Piazza Garibaldi, about 1 hour
• Ferry to Capri: operated by NLG, ticket office at Piazza Marinai d’Italia

What are the best things to do in Sorrento?

Piazza Tasso

Piazza Tasso is the city’s salon, and the statue of the poet stands in it.

From the station, go down the stairs, follow Via Ernesto De Curtis and turn left on Corso Italia. Make it your first stop, since the sights below start from here.

The churches and the Sedil Dominova

The Sedil Dominova dates from the 16th century and is the only remaining sedile in Campania. Look up at its yellow and green majolica dome.

Villa Fiorentino stands a few steps from the cathedral, so the two make an easy pair. Look down in Santa Maria delle Grazie, where the majolica is underfoot.

Museo Correale di Terranova

The museum is in an 18th-century villa at Via Correale 50. It has about two dozen rooms over four floors, with more than 10,000 pieces: furniture, inlaid wood objects, majolica, clocks and Neapolitan crib statues. A newer archaeological section shows remains of ancient Surrentum.

It is a 6-minute walk from the Circumvesuviana station and 3 minutes from the Achille Lauro car park. From the Marina Piccola port, allow 14 minutes. Finish in the garden and walk up to the Belvedere, which looks over the Gulf of Sorrento.

Villa Fiorentino

Villa Fiorentino, at Corso Italia 53, hosts exhibitions and cultural events. Upstairs, on the second floor, is a permanent display of music boxes donated by the cabinetmaker Enrico Salierno. A second permanent exhibition covers Sorrento wood inlay.

From Piazza Tasso, continue straight for about 400 meters (a quarter mile) and the villa is on the left. Wood inlay is also the subject of the museum-workshop in Palazzo Pomarici Santomasi, so the two visits go well together.

Villa Comunale and Marina Piccola

The Villa Comunale has a panoramic garden. From it, a lift goes down to Marina Piccola beach and the port.

Take the lift down when you want the waterfront, and plan the way back up. From the port, the Museo Correale is a 14-minute walk.

Pompeii and Herculaneum

The Great Pompeii is a diffuse park that includes the archaeological areas of Pompeii, Boscoreale, Oplontis and Stabia. The Pompeii ticket covers the ancient city, the suburban villas (the Villa of the Mysteries and the Villa of Diomedes) and Villa Regina in Boscoreale with its Antiquarium.

At Herculaneum, the Villa dei Papiri is closed with no reopening date set. The Ancient Theatre stays closed until further notice for urgent maintenance. Check the site’s current notices before you plan the day.

When is the best time to visit Sorrento for sightseeing?

January brings highs of 57°F (14°C) and rain on nine days, so keep a museum such as the Correale in reserve for wet ones. April warms to 68°F (20°C), a comfortable temperature for walking between Piazza Tasso and the villas. By July highs reach 89°F (32°C) and rain falls on about one day, so put outdoor visits in the morning and save the shaded gardens and museum rooms for the afternoon.

Beaches and outdoor things to do in Sorrento

The lift from the Villa Comunale reaches Marina Piccola directly.

Sorrento Walks is a network of pedestrian routes promoted by the Municipality of Sorrento. New paper maps of the itineraries are handed out at the municipal info points, so pick one up before you set out.

NLG runs the ferry from Sorrento to Capri. Its ticket office is at Piazza Marinai d’Italia.

Day trips from Sorrento

Two sea trips leave from Sorrento with NLG. One is the ferry to Capri. The other is a tour to Capri and Positano with the return to Sorrento in the evening.

• Capri: ferry operated by NLG · from Sorrento
• Capri and Positano: NLG tour · back in Sorrento in the evening

For a single island, take the Capri ferry. The combined tour covers Capri and Positano in one day. The Circumvesuviana from Naples Piazza Garibaldi reaches Sorrento in about 1 hour, which is the way back to the train.

Things to do in Sorrento with kids

The Museo Correale has clocks and Neapolitan crib statues to look for, and its garden and Belvedere give a place to sit at the end of the visit. At Villa Fiorentino, the music boxes on the second floor are a good stop.

A boat to Capri with NLG is an easy trip on a day with fine weather. In summer, when highs reach 89°F (32°C), plan the beach for the early morning or late afternoon.