My name is Guido. I’m an Italian native, travel enthusiast and founder of Ciao Italy & Carrani Tours. My job is all about helping others to enjoy an Italian vacation. However, every so often, I get to go back to my homeland to visit family and friends and to test the experience of our guests on Italian holiday packages and tours of Italy. Lucky me!
A few months ago, I tried out a mini tour from Rome to Naples and Sorrento, which we offer. It was lovely to see Naples, the Sorrentine Coast, and beautiful Capri. I was lucky enough to build in some free time in Sorrento before heading back to Rome. Exploring the town itself was just as big a highlight as the rest of the trip, perhaps unexpectedly so. Sometimes I get so bowled over by the surrounding area that I forget that Sorrento is a great place to just wander, explore and to shop. So, to ensure I don’t forget about this again, I wrote down some notes on what I did in Sorrento – which was indeed mainly shopping. Here are some of my tips for an unforgettable shopping experience in Sorrento.
This is one of the best and most well known shopping streets in Sorrento. It’s popular with locals as well as tourists. It’s full of wonderful fashion boutiques. Of course Italy is well known for its contribution to fashion, and this street demonstrates that wonderfully. You’ll also find some lovely home furnishings and accessories for sale here too. The backdrop of this area is lovely also – the buildings are beautiful and quite grand, which adds to the overall experience.
In the narrow streets around this main shopping area you’ll find lovely handmade items – from sandals and bags to local handmade gifts that are both stylish and unique. Highly skilled artisans make them all – everything is excellent value and quality. I like to buy items made here for that reason – plus it helps to keep these very important and ancient skills alive.
This area is famous for the use of Intarsia – which is wood inlaying. There are shops that are dedicated to items made in this way that all carry a design or picture made from delicate wood inlaying. The skill used, and the level of detail these artists achieve is quite breath taking. You can find out more about the skill at nearby Museobottega della Tarsialignea which houses examples from as far back as the 19th Century.
You’ll spot many fruit and vegetable sellers in this area selling the region’s most well known home-grown item – lemons. The lemons here are special. They are vibrantly coloured and they are full of flavour – which makes them perfect for making Limonecello – a lemon liquor that is regularly served in the area. There are many shops dedicated to selling Limoncello and other lemon infused items. These are superb items for taking back home with you.
What I do love about this area is that the shops are open late – sometimes until 10pm during the season. When the weather is warm, it’s wonderful to peruse this area. It feels like you have all the time in the world.
Once you’ve finished shopping, stop and rest with another item Italy is famous for – Gelato. You’ll find plenty of options here in Sorrento – you won’t find flavours like these outside of Italy.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I founded Ciao Italy & Carrani Tours – we are experts in Italian tours and Italian vacations. We have a number of travel options covering Sorrento – our Essential Italy Dolce Vita and Limoncello options or our Eatalia Food and Wine – Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast or Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast.
To find out more about us and what our guests thought of their time in Italy with us, you an visit the reviews page of our website. From new to repeat customers, our focus is on making sure you experience the best of Italy.
For more Italian travel inspiration – check out my twitter page and my other travel blogs about Italy.
Ciao,
Guido.
