Nothing like a vacation recap to make Monday a little bit better!! It’s high time for PART TWO of our European summer extravaganza… and this one is serving up all the more relaxed coastal vibes! After a week of soaking up the sights [and all the carbs] in Florence [you can read that recap here], we headed south for the second leg of our adventure—Sorrento and the gorgeous towns that make up the amazing Amalfi Coast! This stretch of the trip was all about sunshine, spritzes, a more chill itinerary and the dreamiest views you’ve ever seen. From seaside strolls and lemon everything to boat days on the high seas and cliffside dinners, this part felt like a total reset in the best way possible for the entire family. So grab your sunglasses and come along as I recap all the highlights, must-try eats and can’t-miss spots from our time in Southern Italy!
We said arrivederci to our beloved apartment in Florence and hopped on a high-speed train to Naples, which honestly felt like a full adventure on its own—PRO TIP: don’t get too comfy in the lounge because the train platform announcements come in hot and fast, and it’s a sprint to board in time an as always I recommend grabbing porter service whenever possible because they are a tremendous help when it comes to transportation in a foreign country!
Once we arrived in Napoli, we went to a local lunch spot, Ventuno Grammi, for a quick bite to eat, which was AMAZING… we met the family who owns + operates this quintessential Italian eatery and of course made lots of friends while we were there. Afterwards, we headed straight to Pompeii to tour the ancient ruins. This was hands-down one of the most fascinating highlights of our entire trip—so much history, and the kids were totally into it. And we had the BEST tour guide who made sure to help us beat the heat, find the shade and make the most of our 2-hour visit [highly recommend seeing this city of ancient ruins… it was fascinating!!]. We went in the afternoon, which helped beat the bigger crowds, but it was HOT, so umbrellas, travel fans and cooling towels were lifesavers.
After a full day, we made our way to Sorrento and settled into our villa with sunset views and some much-needed downtime. We rented our villa through Feeling Italy [Jeff stumbled upon them after lots of research online] and the location of our villa was incredible… however, having said that, I will say I wouldn’t recommend staying in Villa Guilia. I always want to be up front and honest and based on how much we paid to stay with this Italian concierge, I don’t think it was the best option for us… the scenic views and outdoor spaces were amazing, however, the interior bedrooms, bath, living spaces and such just didn’t function well for our family of six. And the “concierge” service they provided was lackluster at best. The assigned property manager never visited us until the day we left [even though we were informed he would come upon arrival and never showed] and I just think for as much money as we spent the customer experience was sub par. The tiny hidden street also made it extremely challenging for transportation to pick us up so thank heavens for one of their staff-Carlos- who made personal trips in his own car to help us out in the 100+ degree heat… just keeping it real and saying I wasn’t the biggest fan of this property management company.
After all the hustle of the big cities, Sorrento was the breath of fresh air we didn’t know we needed. We kept things low-key and spent the day lounging poolside, catching up on rest, and letting the kids just be kids. One of the biggest highlights? A private pizza-making night with a local chef = think handmade dough, fresh toppings, and all the fun of rolling out our own pies. We watched the sunset over the coast with full bellies and full hearts. This was the PERFECT reset + relax day and a definite must-do if you have time to build it into your Italian itinerary!!
Time to get on the water!! My absolute favorite thing we did this entire trip… Jeff booked a private yacht excursion months before we headed across the pond and worked with Amalfi Sails to find the perfect boat for our crew. Definitely a core memory none of us will ever forget. We headed down to the marina to meet our captain + bosun and from there the day was pure perfection… chartering the boat all around the islands of Capri, Amalfi, Sorrento and more to take in the sights + swim at all the local hotspots and of course we got lucky enough to visit the famous Blue Grotto [island sea cave], too! The water was absolutely glowing and the kids were in awe as well… just be sure to arrive early in the day before crowds get too crazy and to be patient because it’s a long process as only a few vessels can go in at a time. And P.S. if you’re claustrophobic = this may not be the adventure for you. After that, we spent the rest of the day sightseeing, checking out all the superyachts, drinking the day away with loads of champs and just enjoying this quality time together as a family. It was one of those magical, unplugged days where everyone was just soaking it all in. Salty hair, sunkissed smiles, + memories we’ll be holding onto forever.
If one coastal town is good = three in one day is even better and that’s the way to do it when there are SO many islands in the Amalfi Coast that you’ll want to explore! We started our day with a boat ride to my top pick Positano—the ultimate shopping spot where the girls had the best time at CB Positano [and yes, you can shop their adorable finds online!]). We strolled the streets, snacked on the frozen lemon gelatos and shopped until we dropped for lots of souvenirs… a destination I would 100% want to visit again and possibly stay overnight in! Then it was on to Amalfi, where we grabbed lunch at Ristorante Marina Grande and explored the vibrant visitors’ district = I will say this was by far the busiest location we viisted that day so just be aware that it will be CROWDED. I might recommend visiting here first thing in the morning before boats/cruises and other group tours arrive for a little more laidback hotspot to hit. Finally, we wrapped things up in Ravello, a peaceful escape compared to the busier towns—picture-perfect photo ops, relaxing spritzes that we enjoyed to escape the heat, and a slower pace to soak in all the gorgeous scenic views. One day wasn’t enough to see it all, but it was the perfect taste of the Amalfi Coast and a definite reason to go back in the future!
Day 12 was all about slowing down and soaking up those last sweet moments on the coast. We started the morning with a hands-on local cooking class that proved to be one of the highlights from our entire trip [we’ve done this in Paris, Rome and now Sorrento and ALWAYS recommend doing an activity like this, especially with kids], rolling up our sleeves and learning how to make a full Italian meal from scratch—fresh pasta + eggplanT parmesan + tiramisu = the works! It was such a fun experience for everyone, and honestly, lunch might’ve been the best part… sitting down to enjoy everything we made and feeling pretty dang proud of ourselves. Even better, Jeff got the recipes for us to recreate everything back here at home and we’ve been doing it every few weeks which was been so much fun!
That afternoon, we took a leisurely stroll through Sorrento, winding through the charming little streets, popping into a few shops, and stopping for one last gelato under the sunshine. We ended the day with dinner at Il Cantuccio Nerano, a cozy favorite with the kind of comforting flavors that feel like a warm Italian hug = the perfect sendoff before heading back to the city.
We saved the best for last… after we checked out of our Sorrento escape, we drove to Naples for a full on food tour of the city. We met up with our guide who delivered a fast paced history of one of Italy’s biggest cities and then walked us along the Napoli streets, letting us sample their culinary delights, try out some of their most sought after snacks and then made our way to Rome so we could have one final night of family fun at the Michelin-star restaurant AROMA.
Jeff had scored us these incredibly difficult to get tickets 6+ months before our trip so just know they are hard to come by, but OH so worth it. It was absolutely amazing for our last summer in Italy with the coliseum as the iconic backdrop to our 5 course dinner. It was one of the most creative eating experiences I’ve ever had and something none of us will ever forget! THE perfect way to end two weeks together in our favorite place of all time…
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