SORRENTO, Italy — This town is situated in southern Italy along the Amalfi Coast. It is a popular destination for tourists because of its small shops, and it can easily be reached from Naples and Pompeii. Its luxury hotels are known to attract celebrities.

Sorrento is a great place to sit by the sea with a glass of lemonade, particularly because the area is famous for having the best lemons in Italy. About 60% of Sorrento lemons are reserved for making limoncello, a Sorrento specialty.

The beaches are lined with high cliffs and are only a short walk from the town’s plaza. There’s a combination of public beaches and beach clubs, where you can rent chairs and cabanas for the day. Keep in mind visitors will find that most clubs only have a small strip of sand/volcanic ash. Some hotels have access to the water, which is definitely a big plus.

Sorrento is an easy trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum. Both destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., the excavated archeological sites are in amazing shape and offer a day emerged in the history of the Roman Empire. There are many guided tours offered and they offer transportation to get to and from the cities.

For nature in the Sorrento area, take a short drive to the Path of Gods trailhead. The five-mile hike brings hikers up into the clouds, past vineyards, along the coast and into the town of Positano. The town is similar to Sorrento and offers the opportunity to take a swim and eat after the hike. There’s a ferry back to Sorrento from Positano.