Nestled on Southern Italy’s rugged Amalfi Coast is Sorrento, a picture-perfect hilltop town overlooking the turquoise glow of the Bay of Naples. Here, the fresh scent of gnocchi all a Sorrentina wafts through the air, locals bustle about in quirky antique stores and tourists swarm to the glorious shores like bees to honey. Should they look out into the horizon, they’ll see the enormous shadow of Mount Vesuvius looming in the distance. 

Scattered around Sorrento are colourful ports and sun-soaked beaches sitting beneath rows of honey-coloured houses and shop fronts, selling anything from ceramics to lacework. Dickens, Tolstoy and the poet Byron holidayed here, self-confessed addicts to the salt-tinged Sorrentine air. 

Wander around the Piazza Tasso, splurge at the shopping district on Via San Cesareo and make sure you cap off your days with a bowl or two of sensational gnocchi alla sorrentina. For dessert, gobble up the typical cake of the region known as la pastiera and round off your evening with an ice-cold shot of Limoncelloin true Italian style. 

Located in one of the most beautiful bay of Sorrento Peninsula, Mar Hotel Alimuri offers wonderful panoramic views of its own private sandy beach. The hotel comprises a total of 95 rooms, 90% of which have a sea view. 

In the evening, the piano bar opens, or you can sample the nightlife in the center of town; many of the restaurants and bars offer live music shows.