Hike Coastal Sorrento: Swim in the Unusual Queen’s Baths

A Fun Sorrento Hike to Bagni della Regina Giovanna

Sorrento is the gateway to the Amalfi coast. A traveler can easily visit all the beautiful seaside towns and islands such as Positano and Capri from Sorrento.  But if you are looking for an adventure right in Sorrento, consider Bagni della Regina Giovanna, aka the Queen’s Baths.

Queen Giovanna went on holiday at an ancient Roman villa in Capo di Sorrento from 1371 until 1435. It is said that she preferred young lovers, and she would entertain them here, away from prying eyes, then cast them into the sea to quickly get rid of them.

There are a variety of ways to get to the Queen’s Baths by bus, car, or boat, but if you are looking for exercise and a mini hike, walking is your best bet. From the center of Sorrento, it is a thirty-minute cliffside walk and hike down into the baths. Along the way you will have great views of Mount Vesuvius, Capri, and Ischia.

Leaving the center of town follow the signs for Capo di Sorrento. You will basically be hugging the coastline and walking along the cliffside. There are guard rails and mostly sidewalks although in a few stretches you must walk on the shoulder so be wary of cars.

We wore our bathing suits with quick dry shirts and shorts over them and put towels in our backpacks. The sky was rather overcast so we also brought along rain shells. The baths are always open and are free – another perk.

At the sign we turned right down a scenic lane towards the baths. As we got closer the path became narrow and we scrambled down. Before we made our final approach, we paused at the top of the limestone cliffs to admire the views. This is an important archaeological site on the Sorrentine peninsula. You can also explore the remains of the ancient Roman villa.

We took the final few steps down to the baths and admired the view around us. The baths are a perfect little bay surrounded by rock. On the coastal side there is a natural arch over the sea.  If you are arriving by boat the driver drops you off in the water and you must swim through the arch.

The baths were busy when we got there mid-day. It was a great place to people watch; young and old were enjoying them. My husband and I took turns taking a dip in the natural pool and swimming around. The turquoise water was warm and inviting. There aren’t any lifeguards, so this is an at your own risk adventure. However, I could stand in most of the area; it is only when you swim towards the arch that the water gets deeper.

After our swim we had planned to hang out on the rocks, eat a snack and take in the views; however, we heard the distant roll of thunder and thought otherwise. As we were hiking out, we saw lightning shoot across the sky, so we hightailed it back to the main road. It did briefly rain as we walked back towards Sorrento, but it was part of the adventure.  We took the steps down to Marina Grande and explored this tiny fishing village where you can find restaurants and few shops. If you have the time in your itinerary and want a cool excursion, check out the Queens Baths.

If you’d like more ideas for hiking adventures in Italy click here. And if you’d like to read about biking in Tuscany click here. Please make sure to click subscribe in the upper right hand corner so you don’t miss any of my posts.