Beaches in Sorrento

If we want to talk about beaches in Sorrento, we have to talk about sun, sea and bays, which, especially those on the Sorrento Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast, can certainly be a good panacea to gloomy days.

Many guests who have seen Sorrento or who have come fleetingly to the Sorrento Peninsula are convinced that the beaches in the area are reduced to those just outside the port of Marina Piccola in Sorrento; or the two near Meta. They are particularly popular because they are easily reached by the Circumvesuviana train, being central.

Yet in our opinion, especially in the busy months, they do not represent the best example of the beauty the area has to offer.

As an alternative, we are pleased to propose a few beaches in Sorrento, less well-known but decidedly more fascinating.

La Marinella in Sant’Agnello: This is the town’s sandy beach a few kilometres from Sorrento. The beach has both equipped bathing establishments, with all comforts, and a free area.

Its shallow waters and play area make it an ideal place for families with children. From the terrace of its small square above the characteristic tufa ridge, the entire Gulf of Naples is visible.

La Pignatella: along Via Capo, just beyond Sorrento is a very small town road; just past Capo di Sorrento, a small cluster of houses about 3 km from the centre, there is a downhill slope to the right towards ‘Marina di Puolo’.

On the way down you come to a private drop-off, where you can park for a fee; and then a few steps (20-30 at most) to the beach.

Here comes the surprise: it is a beach made of a very rugged rocky ridge; where you can easily lie down or even rent sunbeds.

The beach is much loved by the people of Sorrento and little known by tourists; its greatest plus is the ease with which it can be reached, its limitation is the difficulty in descending and ascending to the sea; to be avoided on days that are too windy.

Bagni della Regina Giovanna (Queen Joan’s Baths): these are a true natural setting. It is a well-ventilated rocky ridge (therefore preferable on torrid days); on its bank are the remains of an ancient villa of the Roman patrician Pollio Felice, dating back to the first century BC.

The villa is not in a good state of preservation, but one can recognise some ruins typical of Roman villas; and it is certainly impressive to bathe in this scenery.

Moreover, the area here is very wide so there is no danger of overcrowding; average duration for descent and ascent from the road to sea level and vice versa, about 15 minutes on foot.

Note that there are two descents: one leads to the open sea, the other, the first one encountered on the way down, leads to a sort of open cave, which was originally the fishpond of the Romans, a very cool cove.

Continuing to the left, one reaches the rocky platform of La Solara, also known as LGBT friendly.

In the Gulf of Salerno we find:

Marina del Cantone or Baia di Nerano: this is a splendid bay on the side of the Amalfi Coast, a few kilometres before meeting Positano; here, in addition to enjoying the famous spaghetti with courgettes known as ‘alla Nerano’, you can go for a swim at the ‘big beach’ or preferably at the small ‘Spiaggia dei Tedeschi’; both are pebbly beaches, easy to reach and with all the services available.

The only downside is that Nerano is not exactly convenient to reach; expect quite a few bends and kilometres to travel from Sorrento! Near the beaches there are convenient parking spaces among the olive trees.

A good idea would be to hire a boat here, which will take you comfortably to Positano or Capri, leaving you to discover coves and small beaches that cannot be reached by land.

Crapolla: a small, indeed very small, natural bay, the ancient landing place, it is said, of the apostle Peter fleeing from Palestine; here, in addition to an enchanting sea, to tell the truth, it is not easy to reach given the many steps separating the inlet from street level, but perhaps for this very reason an exclusive place of serenity and peace.

The path starts from Torca, a small hamlet of Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, from where it takes about an hour to an hour and a half walk to reach the small beach. Here there is also an ancient Benedictine monastery as well as traces of ancient Greco-Roman landing places.

Ieranto: the heart of the Punta Campanella protected reserve, it is another emblem of the Sorrento Peninsula. Wounded by an industrial past, here limestone was processed, even today one of the promontories shows a large cut, a sign of the removal of material. Ieranto or Jeranto, is today only accessible by unpowered sea craft or by land with quite a few crumbling steps to climb.

The effort is rewarded on arrival, by the uncontaminated blue sea; the protected seabed and the incomparable view of Capri, only a few miles away.

The descent itself is a spectacle for the eyes, and a natural refreshment on sultry days; there is always wind here, thanks to the fact that you are on the furthest point of the Sorrento Peninsula.