Sorrento Peninsula, Italy

The Sorrento Peninsula in Italy extends from the Campania region of the Apennine Peninsula to the Tyrrhenian Sea and is part of the Mediterranean Sea. I first knew about this place from the famous Italian song "Return to Sorrento" originally sung by Pavarotti. The mountain range of the Sierra Latta runs across the peninsula and extends to the coastal town of Punta Campanella, which is across the sea from the island of Capri (right in Figure 3) a few miles away. The side overlooking the Gulf of Naples forms the Sorrento Coast, while the side overlooking the Gulf of Salerno is the Amalfi Coast, which was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997. Sorrento, a city named after the peninsula, is located on a cliff in the middle of the northern shore of the Sorrento Peninsula, across the sea from Naples, the largest city in southern Italy, to the west of the bay. To the north of the Sorrento Peninsula is the Bay of Naples, and to the south is the Gulf of Salerno. Standing on the commanding heights of Mount Lattari, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the entire Capri Island. The famous Mount Vesuvius is located in the northern part of the peninsula. At the foot of the southeast slope of the volcano, there is an ancient city called Pompeii, which was swallowed by the magma of the volcanic eruption in ancient Rome. The peninsula covers an area of ​​only 192.13 square kilometers. However, this small peninsula is one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in Italy in my mind. The only thing that can be compared with it is the Alps in the north. If the Sorrento Peninsula is divided into two parts from east to west, the middle part dividing the north and south coasts happens to be the highest part of the peninsula. However, the topography of the north and south coasts is completely different. Almost all the towns on the south bank are built on cliffs. From any town on the cliff, you can see the top of the mountain. The terrain is much better than that of the north bank. The north bank is mainly hillsides with lush vegetation. In addition to the original forest, there are some orchards and vineyards, as well as many small towns. It occupies a relatively flat but not very large traffic artery. There are many farmhouses similar to those in China in the mountainous areas of the peninsula, like stars in the vast sky, submerged in the lush vegetation on the hillsides. Although it is located in a remote area, the daily needs of residents can usually be met in the town. The churches on which they place their faith are standard in every small town. Here, one can feel the simple folk customs and the local people's passion for life. As a popular tourist area, there is no shortage of specialty hotels with excellent accommodation and great viewing locations. Some of them offer views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius, and some offer views of the Mediterranean Island of Capri, but only a few of them allow you to go into the sea. Before arriving at the Sorrento Peninsula, I had also been looking forward to visiting the world-famous Amalfi, but it was not considered that way by the locals on the north coast. When I first came to the Sorrento Peninsula, I asked a child in a small town on the north coast how far it was from Amalfi, but the child curiously asked back: "Why do you want to go to Amalfi? Isn't our place beautiful enough?" In fact, due to my inseparable complex between the north and south coasts, I really don't think Amalfi is the most beautiful. #Overseas Travel #European Travel #European Travel #Italian Travel #Southern Italy #Peninsula #Sea View #European Town #Vesuvius Volcano #Village