The famous Amalfi coast is painted as every tourist’s desire, thanks to the gram. But let me tell you why you should skip the overcrowded town of Amalfi and hop on over to the town next door: Sorrento!
Sorrento, a gem nestled snugly along Italy’s Amalfi Coast, resembles the quintessential Italian image but without the mass of tourists. Narrow alleys where artisans craft exquisite ceramics, local pebble beaches with crystal blues of the Meditteranean and the town’s love affair with lemons stand out. It permeates every aspect of its culture: from the vibrant yellow hues adorning buildings to the homemade limoncellos straight from the lemon orchards.
This is how I spent a day full of secrets and a sunset supper on my solo trip to Sorrento.
A sacred dip in the ancient roman baths of Regina Giovanni
I woke up early one morning to catch a local bus to the tip of the Southern Italian peninsula to explore the hidden baths of Queen Regina Giovanna of Naples. Legend has it that in the 1500s, Queen Regina used this natural pool as her private baths where she came to meet her lovers for a refreshing swim. The romance of it all drew me in. The path to get to the pool included a 15 minute walk on an undefined path through an ancient Roman villa. I arrived at this enchanting natural pool to find it empty of any people. I was thrilled that this secret pool was going to be my personal oasis this morning, as if I was the queen herself taking a private bath! The formation of the pool was interesting. I couldn’t tell where the history of the villa ruins stopped and where nature began.
The water was clear as crystal and there lay a little window through which you could see the larger Mediterranean blues: a window to the world outside. The morning light, the refreshing water and the privacy of my own company, my heart was soaring with joy. “What’s up” by 4 Non Blondes burst out of me, echoing in the chamber of the pool. A cathartic moment. Until I was joined by a French couple more adventurous than I, who climbed to the top of the pool for a few rounds of cliff diving. If you enjoy cliff diving, I cannot think of a more beautiful spot! Personally, I preferred to soak in the sacred water, humming to myself with a heart full for this rare morning.
In the afternoon, I took a quick 20 minute train ride to the ancient ruins of Pompei.
Only 20 mins away from Sorrento lies a
portal to history. The ancient city of Pompeii is an archaeological marvel that left me utterly speechless. Buried under the ashes of Mount Vesuvius long Before Christ was the thriving local civilization of Pompei. Imagine walking through a 2,000 year old city so perfectly preserved that the stories of the past feel like apparitions of the present. Large villas, alfresco paintings, bakeries, courtyards, amphitheatres, statues of ancient Greek gods, temples and even the victims of the volcanic eruption that destroyed the legend of Pompeii. It was like walking into a time capsule.
I spent two hours walking around this 160-acre ruin where Pink Floyd once performed their historic concert film. History wrapped in history. Something about this place didn’t allow me to leave despite the summer sun. I was wrapped in a feeling of fascination at the fact that I was here, able to experience history up close. How odd is it that the great tragedy of Pompei that buried the city in ashes is the reason why it was preserved, and now serves as a time machine for humanity. There’s a silver lining to everything, I suppose.
Dine at Sunset
Ristorante Lorelei: a Michelin-star restaurant sitting on a terrace where sea and sky merge on the horizon and the Vesuvius stands majestically on the Bay of Naples. I arrived just before sunset and the orange glow of the sky was mesmerising.
I don’t know about you but I am absolutely obsessed with truffles. There wasn’t a single day that went by where truffle didn’t enter my belly on this trip. So when I say that the truffle linguini here was out of the world, I mean it. I stopped after every bite, shaking my head in disbelief at how something can taste this good. The light buttery truffle sauce, soft shrimps, pasta al dente and the most exquisite shaved truffle. God bless.
Sorrento has it all. The well-kept secret spots where most tourists don’t venture.The fine dining experiences to feed your soul. The sweet luxury of unfiltered people watching found in small towns.
