Marina Grande of Sorrento

Below Sorrento, Marina Grande remains a working fishing village shaped by small boats, nets, and colorful houses facing the sea. Its small beach and waterside restaurants make it an appealing lunch or dinner stop with a more local feel than the busy town center.

Marina Grande of Sorrento is reached in about 15 minutes from Villa Lorelei: bus to Sorrento's center, then a short walk down Via Sopra Le Mura, or the lift from the Villa Comunale. It is the oldest and most authentic quarter of Sorrento, a traditional fishing village huddled at the base of the cliffs below the town.

You enter through a remarkable tufa stone gate dating back to the 4th century BC, and along the way you pass the Bastione di Parsano, a surviving section of the defensive walls built after the Turkish invasion of 1558. Here brightly painted houses line a small beach with bathing establishments on stilts over the water, fishing nets dry along the quay, and wooden boats bob in the harbor, this was the birthplace of the famous gozzo sorrentino, the traditional wooden sailing boat that was once the dominant fishing vessel across the entire Bay of Naples. The waterfront trattorias serve fresh fish with views toward Vesuvius and Castellammare di Stabia.

Mamy Lucia's tip: arrive around 1pm, choose an outdoor table at one of the historic trattorias, and order pasta al pomodoro and fried seafood, there is no better lunch in Sorrento. Come instead at sunset for an aperitivo with your feet almost in the water, because this is where Sorrento feels most authentic, far from the bustle of Corso Italia.

Lovely throughout the warmer months and quieter than the town center even in high season, for couples it is the perfect low-key evening: a short ride, a gentle walk down, and a long candlelit dinner by the sea before heading back to the villa.

Good to know: the marina is reached on foot down a series of steps and a small lane from Sorrento's center, so wear comfortable shoes, as there is no direct parking at water level. Booking a table at one of the seafront trattorias is wise for dinner, especially if you want a spot right on the water's edge.