Marina Grande at Sorrento Italy

George you are so right. My husband & I stayed in Marina Grande May 2008 instead of Sorrento & loved it. Nice room w/fantastic view. And ohhhhhh the restaurants we remember so well.

Hi Rachelle,
This is Pat answering for George.Busses run almost every 1 and 1/2 hours from Positano to Sorrento and vice versa. Catching the bus from Positano requires a climb up to the main highway. Check with your hotel because I believe that there are buses down in the city of Positano that can take you up to the bus stop. Also check for fall bus scedules. You will take a SITA bus. Make sure that it says Sorrento across the front of the bus.The bus goes directly to the bus/ train station in Sorrento. This is convenient for you. You just need to walk to the main square which is Piazza Tasso. There is only one bus stop there on the right side of the square where there is an iron railing overlooking a street below. To go to the Marina Grande, you take the red D bus. On the front of the bus, you will see the words Marina Grande. Get off at the end of the line. You will take the same bus back to Piazza Tasso. The bus leaves the Marina Grande about every 40 minutes.Then you walk to the bus/train station. At the station , you will take the SITA bus back to Positano.
You can also take the boat from Positano to Sorrento and vice versa. You arrive at the Marina Piccola in Sorrento.You would then take a bus from the Marina Piccola to Piazza Tasso. From there, you take the bus to the Marina Grande.
I think you would find it enjoyable to do lunch at the Marina Grande. There is a beach set up there called Ann's beach that is very pleasant. You can rent a sunbed and umbrella and swim there. They also have a nice restaurant. The total fee was 13 Euros for the two of us.We went there every day after our classes were finished.
For the amount of travelling from Positanto to Sorrento, I think it merits more time in Sorrento to justify the trip. WE went to Amalfi this year ( down by boat and return by bus). We left mid afternoon and also visited Ravello. We had dinner in Amalfi, but didn't get back to Sorrento until 11: 30 PM.
Hope this helps. Pat

Rachelle, I'd recommend taking a boat from Positano to Sorrento rather than the bus. It's a much nicer and more relaxing way to get there, and you don't have to go uphill to get the bus, just go downhill to the harbor. When you return you could take the bus (sit on the right side for best views) or another boat. And I totally agree with Tim, we didn't care for Marina Grande either. We absolutely love the town of Sorrento though, and I highly recommend spending a day there. We've been there 3 times, for a week each time, and would love to go back again and again.

Hi George! We will be staying in Positano for five days in October. Do you think we should take the bus from Positano to Sorrento for the day and at what time of day or evening do the buses stop. If we visit Marina Grande will it be easy enough for us to get back to Positano? We would love to have dinner there. Thanks in advance.

I wasn't particularly impressed with Marina Grande. In fact we had originally booked a hotel near the Marina per Rick Steves book recommendation. But at the last minute we cancelled and rebooked at the Grand Ambasciatori high on the cliff overlooking the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea. It was wonderful being so high up with such a great view and an elevator down to the sea bathing platform below.

I guess the Marina Grande was OK to see, but I wouldn't want to spend a great deal of time there, and I certainly wouldn't make a special trip from Positano just to see the Marina Grande.

We go each year to Sorrento and often eat lunch in Marina Grande, there are several good restos to choose from. This year we are renting an apartment overlooking the harbour because it is a quiet location but only a short stroll to the town centre. From Piazza Tasso it's about 1 kilometre and should take about 10 minutes walk. A bit longer going back as the first part is uphill. But not as steep as the walk up from the other harbour, Marina Piccola, where the ferries come in!

I agree that I would not make a special visit just to visit Marina Grande but rather as part of a trip to Sorrento itself.

Rachelle, you can take a town bus from Marina Grande or from Marina Piccola (where the ferries come in) up to the town of Sorrento if you don't want to walk. They come often, but I believe you have to buy tickets before you get on the bus.

We loved our stay in Sorrento staying in a hotel on one of the cliffs overlooking Marina Grande. The sea views off our balcony were breathtaking! We took the bus to Positano and the boat back to Sorrento. Beautiful!