Curious about Sorrento vs Positano

And thoughts about Amalfi Coast travel- is it actually worth it?

Last month I took some time to travel through Southern Italy to include Sorrento and some of the Amalfi Coast. I have a lot of reflections to share as someone who lives in a touristic hotspot destination like Florence, going to another popular area of Italy (and also making the time to go to lesser-known spots).

As a newbie to substack, please take mercy on me in not writing about Florence (where I live) but the thing is I have been sitting on some things I’ve been wanting to write about and if I don’t publish now, I’m afraid I’ll never get the ball rolling. If you are curious about some Florence tips/finds/etc, check out my food blog. Thanks for reading!

I spent time in Sorrento and surroundings, Salerno with a couple Amalfi coast day trips, stopped off in Paestum and the Cilento before heading to Matera and Bari. Spoiler: You probably couldn’t pay me to go back to visit Bari unless it was to go back to Altamura which I cannot wait to tell you about. I’ll get to that eventually in a future post and how I feel Bari (now it has garnered international attention) is trying to imitate the blatant rip-off-tourists and serve-frozen-tv-dinner-meals commercial tourism business model of Florence and Venice from 20 years ago.

If you’re curious why Sorrento makes a better Amalfi Coast base than Positano, dining tips and some not-miss activities- sign up to my monthly newsletter and you’ll get access to archives/past mailings where I already shared this info.

Sorrento is best known for its lemons (and limonaia lemon houses are everywhere!) and have been cultivated for centuries, dating back to Roman times. Sorrento's unique microclimate married with sunny days and volcanic soil, paves the way for these citrus gems to thrive.

It is also famed for its spectacular position high on sheer limestone cliffs overlooking the Sorrentine Peninsula. With loads of public transport options, flat walking avenues and frequent ferries for Capri and along the Amalfi Coast, these conveniences make Sorrento a more realistic base for the Amalfi Coast, especially over stair-y Positano.

I try to keep on first time goggles, and spend a lot of time reflecting on the questions travelers ask. One of them is how to best plan their visit to the Amalfi Coast. So I think for some people who aren’t as flexible, intrepid or truly culturally curious and are coming to Italy for a vacation vs an adventure- Sorrento makes sense vs trying to force them to go to off-radar spaces.

This may be a whole other post, about how there needs to be a balance with easy destinations and the unspoiled ones (without coming off elitist). Perhaps dramatic, but it seems like the claws of touristic pandering commercialization are inflicting a sort of deforestation of Italian cultural diversity and “authenticity” at an alarming rate. In the nearly 20 years of traveling/living in Italy, I’ve noticed magic lost to chain stores replacing independent shops. Then again, the whole world seems like its on fire. So a little cultural erosion might not be such a big deal in the grand scheme of things?

Back to the original topic. Bear in mind I'm based in Florence and by no means an Amalfi Coast expert (hopefully providing an interesting POV?)

Coming to Italy (for the first time) might be the highlight of someone's life. It was my first visit that inspired me to actually want to move here, for crying out loud! Moving to Italy was life altering and despite the ups and downs, I love it here.

Especially when the sun shines against Florence's warmly colored rickety centuries-old buildings with laundry waving around from the windowsills and wafts of fennel salami practically melted in wedges of fresh baked schiacciata bread from my local bakery fill the air. It is a reminder, that life on planet earth does have its perks.

This is why when someone tells me they are planning to visit Italy, I want to throw a party for them. I want to roll out the red carpet. I want them to experience the very things that made me fall in love with Italy and to see all her goodness.

That said, I know Italy is far from perfect. It has many traps along the way to hurdle over like a tiny meaningless frog precarious to be crushed under its centuries-old weight of customs and arbitrary outdated rules that keep the country stagnant in many ways.

I am constantly asking “what is Italian anyways? Does Italian culture actually exist? If not for foreign influence? Yet why are they so resistant to outsiders but so willing to sell itself out to American capitalism?” I digress yet again!

And if you're reading this space, this means you are someone who cares enough to research a place and listen to the people who live there have to say. I won't go into great details and don't want to be that person to tell you Santa Claus isn't real.

My advice is if you never want to feel the beating of the dark heart of Italy- don’t move here. Visit for vacation or live part of the year- Italy will remain the best place on earth! I think working in tourism helps me keep a fresh perspective on Italy. And strangely enough, keeps me sane here.

I've been working in tourism for a while now, and I remember a cooking class over 10 years ago I translated for with a couple from Arkansas who had just retired and never left the United States. I was so charmed by their childlike enthusiasm, by how special this was for them and how they had worked hard their entire lives to be able to be there right then.

I still remember their kind smiles and earnest euphoria, that inspire me still to this day. This is what motivates me to keep my first time in Italy goggles on, because how I travel as someone who lives here will be different from a first timer.

So If you are planning to visit the Amalfi Coast, keep reading.

Once you've done the Amalfi Coast and are ready to experience genuine Italian southern Italy coastal culture, heaps of history, no crowds, and some of the most memorable food from the cleanest soil and waters (don't get me started on toxic mozzarella)- consider heading a little further south to the Cilento (Cilentan) coast. Ideally under the expertise of my incredibly knowledgable friend, food historian and Roman empire enthusiast Danielle Oteri at Feast Travel.

I understand the postcard inciting curiosity that drive people to want to go to the Amalfi Coast. Namely, its most famous village of Positano which was an encampment for fishermen until the 1950s when Le Sireneuse first opened and then created a domino effect for other hoteliers to grab up space (or worse- Amalfi the town itself which you couldn't pay me to go back to)

Considering there isn't much rich history nor much local culture aside from hotels- why spend your precious vacation time in Italy here when there's so much more? My friend Daniele Oteri has a fascinating blog post on the historical origins of Positano and another voice in the choir that unapologetically belts out that- it's mostly hype. 

a sneak peak of an Amalfi Coast gem I posted about on Instagram

Is wanting to visit the Amalfi Coast coming from a place of FOMO or a genuine desire? Maybe a bit of both, and that's understandable. After all, these places are a little more approachable for first time visitors or travelers from the US who aren't used to traveling, and may not have the patience for language barriers (the more "authentic" corners rarely have as many English speakers or a willingness to be patient while you try to order an oat milk latte.)

When I was a student, I had a ball of a time visiting Positano but now living here, I have a better idea of what's more special. Of Positano, I do remember a lot of stairs. I feel that Sorrento city is a better base for the Amalfi Coast over Positano- if you must stay on that side of the coast.

Especially for day trips to explore the Sorrentine peninsula's surrounding scenic countryside like  Massa Lubrense within Monti Lattari helps make a stay in Sorrento worth it. Plus you're able to stop off in Nerano which is a darling fishing village.

That being because Sorrento is very walkable, there are plenty of connections to clamor-worthy destinations such as Capri and villages along the Amalfi Coast.

Provolone del Monaco- a local cheese of Monti Lattari within the Sorrentine Peninsula

If you made it this far, would you be so kind to share a comment of your own thoughts on any of the matters I discussed or a question I could answer? Thanks kindly for your time and eyes on the screen

Sincerely, Coral