TYRRHENIAN WONDERLANDS

As you disembark your cruise ship in Naples, meet your private guide and driver and begin your day with a 1-hour ride along the coast to the delightful cliffside town of Sorrento.

According to tradition, Sorrento’s name derives from the word Siren and is linked to the legend of Ulysses and the mermaids. These mythical sea creatures, half female and half fish, seduced sailors with their celestial voices and lured them onto the rocks causing shipwrecks. As the Odyssey recounts, Ulysses heard the Sirens singing as he was sailing past Sorrento and succeeded in defeating them by filling his companions’ ears with wax and asking his crew to tie him to the ship’s mainmast. The Sirens were so humiliated by their failure that they hurled themselves into the water and turned into the rocks that today rise from the sea, south of the Sorrentine Peninsula, and are known as Li Galli. Sorrento was a fashionable summer resort for wealthy patricians in ancient Roman times and remains a prime tourist destination today with its tasty culinary specialities, gorgeous seascape views and glorious weather. Limoncello, Italy’s golden liqueur, is also produced locally so don’t miss the chance to sample a glass on your walk through town.

Here you can saunter along pretty streets lined with Baroque-style churches, boutiques and craft shops, take a peek inside the intimate cloister of San Francesco, famous for its 14th century arcade, and admire the trompe l’oeil paintings of the Sedil Dominova. This is an open loggia which once served as a meeting place for the local nobility and is now a popular gathering spot for card players. Not to be missed are also Piazza Tasso, the pulsing heart of Sorrento, and the view of the Vallone dei Mulini from Via Fuorimura. Here visitors can look down on this deep ravine that appeared more than 35,000 years ago, after the eruption of the Phlegraean Fields. Though abandoned today, this site was formerly a bustling centre of activity. Ruins of a 17th century flour mill enveloped by lush vegetation still stand as enduring monuments to Sorrento’s distant past.

After a leisurely stroll, reach the port, hop aboard a public ferry boat and set sail for your next port of call. A 20-minute ride will bring you to the dream island of Capri, the “ultimate holiday destination” (Vidal Sassoon) for countless generations of artists, philosophers, writers and rulers. For over 2,000 years Capri has mesmerized travellers with its magical allure. Indeed the island’s first tourists were the ancient Romans, drawn to its shores in search of beauty and tranquillity. Roman aristocrats and emperors would reach Sorrento on horseback or by carriage, then sail nine miles to Capri to escape the summer heat and relax away from the pressing demands and duties of the Caput Mundi.

Upon arrival take the funicular up to the small Piazzetta which is surrounded by busy cafes and overlooked by its characteristic clock tower. The town centre’s streets are alive with voguish boutiques selling fine quality crafts – from pottery to sandals, from perfumes to jewelry – and tempting eateries where you may enjoy some free time for lunch.

Later, head for the island’s upper village, Anacapri and explore the former residence of Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe. Located on a towering plateau about 320 metres above sea level, Villa San Michele embodies the dreams of its visionary creator: “My house shall be open to the sun, to the wind, and the voice of the sea, just like a Greek temple, and light, light, light everywhere!” The rooms of this 19th century hideout are filled with Dr Munthe’s original furnishings and precious collection of antiquities, including marble and bronze sculptures, fragments of sarcophagi, columns, capitals and bas-reliefs. Brightly coloured azaleas, roses and hydrangeas bloom in the lovingly tended gardens, punctuated by stone seats that once must have provided prominent guests with a welcome place to rest. As you amble under the wisteria pergola and pause on the outdoor terrace, imagine the Swedish Queen Victoria – Munthe’s special friend – revelling in the views of the dramatic cliffs cascading down into the jewel-toned waters below.

The final stage of your excursion will be an exhilarating chairlift ride up to the summit of Mount Solaro, soaring 589 meters above the sea, from where you can feast your eyes on the spellbinding panorama stretching all the way to the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.

It’s late afternoon and your day in this Tyrrhenian wonderland is now over. Time to catch the ferry back to Naples.