Capri, Blue Grotto, or Sorrento

Hi, Barbara: You can do it all in one day...we did it two years ago. Catch the ferry to Capri early and head right on over to the boat that takes you out to the Blue Grotto (a third boat takes you into the Grotto). Just keep in mind that if the water conditions are rough, the boats don't go into the Grotto. When the boat takes you back to the ferry pier, pick up the bus to Anacapri and treat yourself to lunch. After that, explore Anacapri (don't miss the church with the mosaic floors that Rick mentions in his book - it's beautiful) and take the funicular to the top of the island - amazing vantage point for photos. We did all of that by 5 PM, then headed back to Sorrento for exploring and dinner. We were back to the hotel (Il Nido) by about 10 PM.

Others are going to weigh in with different ideas...you can use Sorrento as a stepping off point for a trip to Pompeii or an excursion along the Amalfi coast. Don't know what your trip includes, but if it doesn't include these, consider them.

And most of all, have a great time!

It looks like on day 9 after your visit to Vesuvius you'll also have time for Sorrento.
We were on our own but had plenty of time in a day to do Capri and Blue Grotto and still have time to explore Sorrento. Have a great time.

Apart from restaurants almost everything closes down in Sorrento between about 1pm to 4/5pm for the afternoon siesta. Things are then open until about 9pm so, unless you are leaving that night, plenty of time for a stroll around and shopping.

Hi Barbara, visiting Capri & the Blue Grotto in the morning and returning to Sorrento is definitely feasible as Capri is a fairly small island. As Roy stated weather conditions will dictate the availability of the Blue Grotto. As far as exploring the back streets of Sorrento.. I was not all that impressed by the tourisic shops & over priced cafes. My suggestion would be to rent a scooter in Sorrento and drive the coast to Ravello. Have dinner in the clouds in the Medieval town of Ravello as you over look the cities & sea below. Stop at a vendor along the coastal road for a lemon ice & take in the view. Be sure to stop in Positano & city of Amalfi. Perfect day in my opinion!

You can do Capri-but I was not impressed with the crowds. We got there early in the morning(May 2 years ago) and the shoving to get to the boats turned me off. I would suggest there are ferries leaving Sorrento for Positano- explore - then take a local bus at the mid point of town to Amalfi.(ask any Tabac shop to purchase a ticket 1E). The ride by bus is breathtaking. You then can explore Amalfi and take a Ferry back to Sorrento. If there is time - buses leave the dock area for Ravello this also is a breathtaking area high above Amalfi.I believe Rick Steves mentions this in his Italy book.
Enjoy - this area it is fantastic.
Shelley

"the tourisic shops "

Yes Sorrento is a holiday resort, for both Italian and foreign holidaymakers, so it will of course have the sort of shops that you see in all resorts. But that is not the whole story and it is worthwhile to explore further.

Sorrento has for centuries been a centre for the manufacture of inlaid wood. If you go through the back streets of the old town you will still see the small workshops. Be careful that you buy the genuine article from reputable outlets. There are poor copies around that use sheets of veneer rather than proper marquetry work.

Same goes for the lacework. Unfortunately, we no longer see the old ladies making and selling their lacework down in the Marina Grande that we saw 20 to 30 years ago but it is still made locally. Check the label of any item before you buy because it may well have come, like much else these days, from somewhere further east! I almost forgot, there is also the beautiful cameo work from nearby Torre del Greco. All the gold sold in Sorrento jewellers is at least 18 carat.

Those of you interested in leather goods will find plenty of shops that cater for your particular addiction at reasonable cost. A lot of the leather goods sold throughout Italy under well known names are made in Naples so any "over produced" unlabelled items find their way into local shops and markets perfectly legally. I'm not admitting anything, but the designs and the colours used for certain desirable items are wonderful.

There are shops selling the usual Italian brand names if that's what you prefer. And don't forget the little grocery/deli shops, they are not there just for tourists, Sorrento folks have to eat.

Sorry to have gone on at some length but the Sorrento area is one of my favourite holiday destinations and wanted to put another side to the story. As with everything each to their own

Linda I appreciate your comments on Sorrento. I have visited Sorrento twice & I think there is no comparison between the Coastal Amalfi Cities & Sorrento.

Thanks to all of you who wrote. Now I have a better understanding of what my options are. I'm going to print them all out and pack them along with my guide book. You are great!
Barbara