For such a famous resort, Sorrento's beaches are limited -- most of them are just piers extending into the water. Chaise longues and umbrellas line these decks along the rock-strewn coastline. The best beach is Punta del Capo, reached by going along Corso Italia to Via del Capo.
If you'd like to go hiking, you can explore the green hills above Sorrento. Many of the trails are marked, and the tourist office will advise.
From Sorrento, the more confident drivers among you can undertake the gorgeous but nerve-racking Amalfi Drive. If you want to leave the driving to someone else, you can take a blue SITA bus that runs between Sorrento and Salerno or Amalfi. In Sorrento, bus stations with timetables are outside the rail station and in the central piazza.
Although few visitors come to Sorrento to look at churches and monuments, there are some worth exploring. The Chiesa di San Francesco, Via San Francesco (tel. 081-8781269), dates from the 14th century. This cloister is a pocket of beauty in overcrowded Sorrento, with delicate arches and a garden dotted with flowering vines. The cloister is open daily 9am to 6pm, and admission is free.
If time remains, visit the Museo Correale di Terranova, Via Correale (tel. 081-8781846), north of Piazza Tasso. A former palace, it has displays of ancient statues, antiques, and Italian art. Here's a chance to introduce yourself to intarsia, a technique of making objects with paper-thin pieces of patterned wood. Neapolitan bric-a-brac and other curiosities finish off the exhibits. After, you can stroll through the museum's gardens. From March to December, it's open Monday and Wednesday to Sunday 9am to 2pm. Admission is 6€ ($7.80/£4) to the museum and gardens.
Sorrento has better shopping than anywhere else along the Amalfi Drive. The city's cobbled alleyways and flower-ringed piazzas encourage strolls, and the best ones for window-shopping are Piazza Tasso and Via San Cesareo, densely packed with shoppers on weekend afternoons.
Gargiulo & Jannuzzi, Via Fuori Mura 1 (tel. 081-8781041), is the region's best-known maker of marquetry furniture. Opened in 1863, the shop demonstrates the centuries-old technique in the basement, where an employee will combine multihued pieces of wood veneer to create patterns of arabesques and flowers. The sprawling showrooms feature an array of card tables, clocks, and partners' desks, each inlaid with patterns of elm wood, rosewood, bird's-eye maple, or mahogany. Upstairs is a collection of embroidered table linens, and the outlet has its own ceramic factory. The pottery can be shipped anywhere.
Embroidery and lace are two of the best bargains in Sorrento, and Luigia Gargiulo, Corso Italia 48 (tel. 081-8781081), comes recommended for embroidered sheets and tablecloths; the shop also offers children's clothing. In Cuomo's Lucky Store, Piazza Antica Mura 2-7 (tel. 081-8785649), you'll find a little bit of everything made in the area, including porcelain from the 1700s.
One of the most appealing assortments of cameos, meticulously hand-carved from seashells, is available at the reasonably priced Ciro Bimonte, Via Giuliani 62 (tel. 081-8071880). And if you're feeling underdressed or underaccessorized, consider checking out Max & Co., Corso Italia 62 (tel. 081-8074408), which sells clothing of all degrees of formality for men, women, and children.
