Southern Italy (Odyssey Unlimited Tour) Part 2
September/ October 2022
Our last stop on the Odyssey Unlimited tour was Sorrento. Of course, we still had added time on the end of the tour to do our own exploring! But first…
Sorrento: 5 nights
Hotel Antiche Mura https://www.hotelantichemura.com
A nice hotel and probably one of the best breakfasts we had at a hotel. The room was expensive and not as nice as others we stayed in. The tour paid for four nights, and we stayed one extra night on our own. After taxes it was over €300. But it is in a good location. I’d look at other options in that area if you’re not on a tour’s dime.
Sorrento is a good base for exploring the Campania region of Italy. It’s a resort town that’s relaxing with plenty of good restaurants. The narrow streets are full of shops selling anything lemon from limoncello, lemon soap, lemon cookies. You name it and it has lemon in it.
Marina Grande harbor. Be brave and walk the zig-zag stone steps down to the historic picturesque fishing village at the west end of Sorrento. Just remember what goes down must come up. You can see the steep cliffs surrounding this small harbor and older men sitting on a bench swapping stories. Marina Grande has the charm of a traditional fishing harbor. You will see pastel-colored houses, family-run taverns and a few modern restaurants.
Tips:
- We saw kayaks on the water, and I think it would have been fun to rent one at Marina Grande and explore. Maybe next time. https://kayaksorrento.com/gb
Meals:
- Greengrocer
Across the street from the Hotel Antiche Mura, this small grocery store will make you sandwiches that are good and cheap.
- Ristorante Zi ‘Ntonio
We had spaghetti with black olives and capers with wine. Desert was a delicious chocolate cake. We liked this place so much we ate 2 meals there.
- Ristorante Bagni Delfino https://www.ristoranteildelfinosorrento.com
Family owned. They get their seafood from the local fishermen.
- Gelateria Davide
Homemade ice cream. Try the pistachio. My husband’s favorite.
Adventures:
- Pompei
We had a wonderful local guide give us a walking tour of the ancient city that was buried by the 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He had the ability to keep us away from the swarm of people so we could enjoy the history lesson and view the ruins. Interesting to learn that the Romans knew it was cheaper to control the people by giving them things they enjoyed (public baths) than to go to war with them. They were brutal rulers who raped and imposed their rule without the people’s voice. Our guide was able to bring this ancient city back to life for us. It’s approximately an hour drive from Sorrento to Pompei.
Tips:
- Take a hat and wear sunscreen or sun shirt if sunny and hot. There’s not much shade.
2. Capri
The island is famous which means its packed with tourists. Our Odyssey tour took a jet boat to Capri in the early morning.
The Giardini of Augusto is worth a visit on the island with its alluring views of the sea and the icon of the island, the Faraglioni Rocks. You can get some great pictures up here. The cost is €1,50.
If you’re into high-end shops, then you’ll like it here even more or you can just window shop. The main drag is nicknamed, “Rodeo Drive”. Go Figure.
The famous Piazza Umberto is the public square that’s has lots of cafes that are almost always full.
Tips:
- We didn’t do it, but if you did want to visit Capri and escape the hordes of people then rent a boat with or without a skipper. The water was too rough when we visited. I wish we could have done the Blue Grotto (that adventure requires a guide).
- I wish we’d taken a bus to Anacapri and rode the chairlift to the top of Monte Solaro, a 1900’ summit and then hiked back down.
3. Amalfi Coast
There’s a lot of hype to driving the Amalfi coast and I know why. The narrow road winds along near-vertical limestone cliffs which reach the sapphire Tyrrhenian Sea. It is beautiful.
Luckily our Odyssey tour bus driver was a skilled driver but unluckily I sat on the driver’s side of the bus. The views were on the right. The drive is nothing short of exasperating with too many buses, cars, and scooters darting in and out of traffic as your driver honks to let oncoming traffic know our bus is rounding a blind curb. Your vehicle (bus or car) won’t also be able to pull over and let you capture your Kodak moment since most parking lots are full. On the return trip we were stuck in traffic in a tunnel for over an hour. We assumed it was because of a traffic accident, although we never saw any signs of one.
Tips:
- If you feel you must have this experience riding along the Amalfi coast and you’re not on a paid tour, then hire a driver. Otherwise find alternative places to explore.
- Sit on the right side of the bus.
- Or explore the coast from the water. My husband and I did a boat tour that stopped in Positano and Amalfi city.
4. Amalfi City
Amalfi City lies at the mouth of a deep ravine and is surrounded by remarkable cliffs and of course the beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea. And of course, it’s uncomfortably crowded.
The first thing you will notice is the duomo that dominates the piazza. It is from 17th Century architecture. The fountain in Piazza Dante is unique and will catch your eye. You can fill up your water bottles here.
Fun fact: The city’s maze of streets and alleys was a deliberate design to keep invaders lost trying to navigate through the city.
Museo della Carta (Paper mill museum) Small but informative and well-preserved museum showing you the art of paper making. The museum is in the upper part of the historic center, an uncrowded area. Take the main road up the hill…and keep walking! It’s a good way up the hill, but well worth the walk.
Tips:
- Take a guided tour of Museo della Carta for only € 7,00/pp.
5. Positano
There is only one street that allows cars. Positano is a cliffside resort town with narrow streets that have steep steps allowing you to get around. My husband and I climbed and climbed to escape the swarm of tourists at the harbor and get views of the sea. When we were able to see below, the harbor was jam packed with boats.
There isn’t a lot to do here except eat, shop, and climb for views (which in our case was disappointing).