Excursions

Not to be missed is a visit to the Blue Grotto that with its fantastic play of lights presents you with an unforgettable emotional experience; and a boat trip between the Faraglioni, the three rock peaks that survived the fragmentation of the coast.

Capri’s fame is not tied only to its marine beauty but also to its land, which offers unique attractions rich in art. A tour of the island cannot exclude Piazza Umberto I, which is known as “The Piazzetta” by many.

This is an optimum departure point for a walk among the shops and the characteristic local spots such as bars and restaurants of Capri.

Another famous attraction of the island is the Garden of Augustus where you may enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Faraglioni and the sea which is tinted an intense shade of blue.

For the lovers of art, Capri offers the baroque church of Santo Stefano, with its dome in Arabic style, an enchanting monument of art, difficult to find in other locations.

During the excursion to Pompeii, you can admire the Amphitheatre and Via dell’Abbondanza, one of the most famous streets of the ancient Roman city.

The evocative ruins include houses and craft shops, that permit you to imagine the rhythm and the habits of life at the time and a view of the Orto dei Fuggitivi (Garden of the Fugitives), where you can visit the remains of a group of peasants, who were working the land.

Herculaneum, diverse from Pompeii was submerged in mud and ash, which penetrated into every home, transforming it all into a compact and hard layer.

These circumstances have rendered conservation of the site in a manner better than the ruins of Pompeii. In particular, perishable materials such as wood and papyrus were found partially intact to the interior of a luxurious villa, which is still partly covered.

Contained within this dwelling were 1826 rolls of papyrus, all containing Greek texts. The villas you may visit in the archeological site of Herculaneum are numerous. A surreal find is a boat with its helmsman in which there is also a horse.

Naples is a city that must absolutely be visited! Its mix of attractions offers the possibility of an intense visit that together embraces art, history, tradition and popular culture.

The city features an immense historical center declared an UNESCO World Heritage site. Rich in churches, monuments, buildings and picturesque alleyways, they emphasize famous monuments such as: Castel dell’Ovo (Egg Castle), where the Cumans landed; Castel Maschio Angiolino, the seat of the royal palace of Charles of Anjou; and the Royal Palace, the heart of Naples’s power.

One of the streets in the vicinity of the centre, on which you can stroll is that of S. Gregorio Armeno, where you can admire the splendor of Neapolitan craft.

The ideal place for the lovers of shopping however is via Roma, the principal street of Naples, created as a pedestrian island to offer tourists and locals a relaxing corner to shop.

Prior to finishing the excursion, a visit to the National Archaeological Museum is a must, where priceless archeological finds are located.

The excursion continues to Amalfi, the first Maritime Republic and home of Flavio Gioia, the inventor of the compass. Amalfi offers scenery that is so charming that it is considered one of the most spectacular in Europe. At the center of Amalfi, you may observe the Cathedral, consecrated to Saint Andrew.

Its main feature is its façade, entirely decorated with mosaics of 1800’s.

Not to be missed is a visit to the Arsenal, where the great galleys of the Amalfi fleet were constructed and the Grotta Smeralda (Emerald Grotto), a popular destination amongst tourists.

You then proceed to Ravello, full of important monuments that form a backdrop to its famous romantic panorama, for example: the Cathedral, Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo.

It was in the garden of Villa Rufolo that in 1880, the great German musician, Richard Wagner, was inspired to compose his famous Pasifal. From here, the pathway was created for the Ravello Festival, one of the most ancient festivals of Italy, which conclusively consecrated Ravello as the “City of music”.

This fascinating volcano which falls within the complex of the Vesuvius park consists of numerous trails of diverse intensity. One of the most famous trials is that which rises from the Castle Medici Ottaviano, the entrance to which is allowed only to pedestrians and bicycles. This trial is located within a woody slope and leads to the view of the Valle dell’Inferno (Valley of Hell) .

There are a total of 15 trails of the park (of which 9 have been safely secured), which permits also inexperienced walkers to make use of the trials and enjoy the profound beauty of the landscape of Vesuvius. All the trials have appropriate signage and offer both natural and historical information.

To reach Vesuvius, take the Circumvesuviana train from the Sorrento train station and descend at the Herculaneum train station. From here, a bus will take you until 1000meters, at which time you may proceed the remaining 281 meters on foot.

Ischia: it is the largest of the island in the bay of Naples, the “green island” for its abundance of pine-tree forest. Its volcanic nature makes it unique in the world for the great variety of thermal and radioactive springs, practically found every where on its territory.

Ischia is divided into six commune districts and is the major tourist port for its importance; The “Ponte” area is distinguished by the rock on which the Aragonese Castle was built.

Procida: It is the smallest of the three islands of the bay of Naples, and surely the most genuine.

It is the island where it is still possible to admire the typical classical architecture of Mediterranean pink and white washed houses inhabited by the fishermen still living on the island.

Procida is almost totally flat and on the only headland lies a tufa building used as a penitentiary in the past.

Across tha Domitiana road you arrive to Pozzuoli. In the town you can also admire the Flavio Amphitheatre and, going towards the port, the temple dedicated to the Goddess Serapis, the columns of which emerge from the sea water, its level modified by the bradiyseism; I.E. uplifting and lowering of the crust of the heart.

The ruins of the villas built by the Romans that made famous the town of Baia are still visible, some of these are submerged by the sea. Baia was considered the most luxurious seaside resort of ancient times. In Baia we can admire the castle of the archeological site. Not too far away lies Cuma, one of the first Greek settlements in Italy, world-famous for the “Cave of Sibiyl” in which the oracles were given and for the temple to Jupiter.

In order to reach Campi Flegrei take the train to Naples from Sorrento train station, then, once in Naples, take the metro and stop in “Campi Flegrei”; the other sites are reachable by bus.

The palace was constructed in 1751 under the command of Charles of Bourbon, who desired a palace that could compete with the other sovereign residences of Europe. The palace is equipped with 1200 rooms, 1742 windows and offers also courtyards of inimitable and unique beauty. Inside the park of 120 hectares, you can admire avenues rich in fountains, sculptures of great value and the Great Waterfall that adds a touch of magic to the palace.

It is possible to extend the excursion to the nearby hill of San Leucio that was acquired in 1750 by King Charles to create a series of game reserves and secondary residences for the regalia. Successively, the son of the King, decided to construct a factory dedicated to the manufacture of silk, the first step towards the creation of a silk city. In San Leucio still today, is the presence of eight factories dedicated to the production of silk. Both the entire territory of the Palace and the site of San Leucio form part of the UNESCO National Heritage.

In Order to reach Caserta from Hotel Il Nido, take the free shuttle service to Sorrento train station and than the Cricumvesuviana train to Naples. Once in Naples take the FS Train to Caserta.

The second is Temple of Hera, also called the “Basilica”, which was the biggest temple that the Greeks constructed entirely from rock.

Finally, the Temple of Neptune, which according to some, was really dedicated to Hera. This is considered the perfect example of Doric temple architecture both in Italy and in Greece.

All exhibits of priceless historical and artistic value found at the site of Paestum are conserved in theNational Archeological Museum, including the painted slabs of the so called tomb of diver (Tomba del Tuffatore), the only example of painting from the Greek period of Magna Greece.

Paestum is of some distance from Sorrento and accordingly we recommend choosing an organised tour that offers the possibility of visiting also the city of Salerno and the surrounding areas all in the same day.