Best time to visit Sorrento: a month-by-month guide

Spring: April, May, June — the golden season

The best time of all. Temperatures range from 15 to 22°C, the air smells of orange and lemon blossom, the trails are lush green and the beaches are uncrowded. Capri, Positano and Amalfi are lively but not yet swamped. Prices are lower than in July and August.

May is the perfect month: warm, sunny, the sea already swimmable (from mid-May), and long days.

Ideal for: hiking (Path of the Gods, Punta Campanella, Baia di Ieranto), cooking classes, day trips to Pompeii, couples and families.

Summer: July and August — hot, lively, crowded

The sea is at its best (28-30°C), the beaches are busy and nightlife is in full swing. But July and August are the busiest months with the highest prices. Daytime trips to Pompeii are tiring in the summer heat.

Tip: if you come in August, plan your excursions for the early morning and spend the afternoons by the sea.

Ideal for: beaches, Capri, ferries, nightlife, terrace aperitifs.

Early autumn: September and October — the locals' secret

September and October are the best-kept secret of the Sorrentine Peninsula. The sea is still very warm (24-26°C), there are fewer crowds, prices are falling and the light is soft and golden. The trails are not yet closed and the coves are half empty. October is the month of the grape harvest and village festivals.

September may be the best month of all.

Ideal for: everything — sea, excursions, food, photography, couples seeking romance.

Winter: November-March — for those who truly love the peninsula

The lemon groves are in full production, the villages belong to the locals again, prices drop to their lowest and the peninsula returns to itself. Winter temperatures rarely fall below 7-8°C. November is the rainiest month; December in Sorrento is magical: handmade nativity scenes, Christmas markets and an old-world atmosphere.

The ideal time for Mamy Lucia's indoor cooking classes.

Ideal for: cooking classes, long dinners, solitary hikes, photography, low season without crowds.

Events and festivals through the year

• Easter — historic processions in the centre of Sorrento
• May — Sant'Antonino patron-saint feast (second Sunday of May)
• July — Fires of Sant'Anna at Marina Grande (a great fireworks display over the sea)
• August — Ravello Festival (classical music on the Amalfi Coast)
• September-October — grape harvest in the hills of Massa Lubrense
• December — living nativity scene and Christmas markets in Sorrento