Travel - Live 'la dolce vita' in Sorrento

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Amber Swearingen
  • 31st Maintenance Group
SORRENTO, Italy --  Sitting on the train with sun beating down on my face and Mount Vesuvius in the distance, we pass a tree with the biggest lemons I have ever seen. We have now entered the town of Sorrento and the beautiful scenery has made my parents and I even more excited to start our trip.

Sorrento is one of eight towns that make up the Amalfi Coast just below Naples in southern Italy. After doing some research I found two things that I had to do. First, I needed to check out the towns beautiful coastline. Second, I would have to try Sorrento's famous limoncello.

The coastline of Sorrento is unlike anything you would see back in the states. Instead of beaches along the shore, you will find jagged rocks and cliffs that tower over the Adriatic Sea. Though one of the days I spent in Sorrento was foggy, we still had a great view of Mount Vesuvius. The hills that surround one side of the town tower over with fruit trees of all kinds.

The Port of Marina Grande is known as the "fishing village" in Sorrento and sits hidden behind a few cliff sides. The reasoning behind the name became apparent as we walked along the rocks and saw fishermen with their nets and boats either sailing out to sea in search for food, or coming back before sunset with their catch of the day. There were plenty of restaurants along the way to the port but also a few inside as well. Of course a few of the main dishes were seafood, however, I opted to try the Cannelloni instead and what a great choice it was! Long pasta filled with spinach, ricotta, and topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

After a long, sunny day of walking, sightseeing and delicious food there was only one thing left to do: sip on some of the best limoncello in the world. For decades Sorrento has been the hub for all limoncello and with all of the lemon and citrus trees that sit behind the town it's easy to see why. I definitely recommend that any travelers going to Sorrento stop by few shops that sell limoncello and see what it is all about. You will find lemon cakes, candy and of course, all sorts of bottles of limoncello. A few places will even tell you how many generations have been making this famous drink and may even give you a sample.

Once you've had enough walking around, make sure to take one of the buses from Sorrento over to the towns of Positano and Amalfi for more of a beach setting. The buses run often throughout the day and tickets can be bought at any tabacchi store or at the train station.