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Holy Week
Easter is a big deal in the Campania region of Italy, and religious traditions that were started in the Middle Ages are still practised today. In Piano di Sorrento, Holy Week marks the start of a series of sombre processions to remember Jesus’ final days. It’s all really atmospheric and moving, with hooded townsfolk plodding slowly through the streets to the sounds of drums, chants, and prayers.Piano di Sorrento has a handful of historic churches under its belt, and the Basilica of San Michele is one of the most visited. The church’s oldest parts date back to the ninth century, with its custard yellow and slate grey façade added more recently, during the Baroque period. The holy site is famed for its frescoed walls and carved bronze doorways, which depict scenes of San Michele – AKA Saint Michael the Archangel – defeating Satan.
Read MoreYou’ll find Piano di Sorrento's main beach down in the coastal neighbourhood of Marina di Cassano. It’s a little sweep of volcanic sand, sandwiched between a pretty harbour and striking, 100-metre-high cliffs. Comb the sand for your perfect sunbathing spot, or hire a motorboat for the day and explore the Sorrentine Peninsula. You’ll get the lion’s share of hidden coves etched into the coastline, and the A-list island of Capri is just half an hour across the waves.
Read MoreHead down the cliffs to Piano’s seafront hamlet, Marina di Cassano, and you’ll come across some of the most authentic eateries in this part of Italy. The pastel-hued buildings face the harbour and, naturally, flaunt menus that are big on seafood. You can order pasta mingled with mussels and prawns, and sea bream that was hauled in fresh just a few hours earlier.
Read MoreAsk the locals where the best place to shop is, and they’re sure to point you in the direction of Corso Italia. It’s Piano di Sorrento’s main artery, which rolls out all the way to Sorrento Town, and is scored with brand-name clothing stores, souvenir shops, and jewellers peddling handmade products. On the other hand, find out when market days are, then pop along and pick up some bottles of home-brewed limoncello to take home.
Read MoreWhen it comes to the after-dark scene, the Sorrentine Peninsula keeps things pretty sedate. All-night parties make way for chilled evenings watching the sun set across the Bay of Naples. Plus, this part of Italy's one of main producers of its national drink, limoncello. You’ll find the best places to sample this citrus liqueur in the centre of Sorrento, where trattoria-like bars frame palm-studded piazzas.
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