Where to live

Living inside the postcard, between Piazza Tasso and the tuff-stone lanes down to the cliff. Everything is a walk away and the evening passeggiata is at your door, but so are the tour groups, the lemon-print shops, and the summer crush. Beautiful and central; scarce and dear, and busy from Easter to October.

Best for: short stays, or those who want the icon and will pay for it

The old fishing village below the town, a cove of faded colour, nets, and seafood terraces reached by a steep lane or a lot of steps. It still feels like its own place, a little apart from the resort above. Romantic and characterful; the climb home and the summer boat traffic are the trade.

Best for: those who want the water and the village feel over convenience

Up behind the town, in the lemon and olive terraces, where Sant’Agata famously looks over both gulfs at once. Cooler, calmer, greener, and a good deal cheaper, with some of the best food on the peninsula. The catch is plain: you need a car or the bus, and you’re above the life rather than in it.

Best for: calm, views, and value, if you don’t mind driving in

Sorrento’s calmer next-door neighbour. You can walk into town, but you sleep somewhere residential, with its own Circumvesuviana stop and a couple of grand old clifftop hotels. Most of the beauty, much less of the noise. The nearest thing to the centre without the full tourist weight.

Best for: the centre’s reach without the centre’s crush

Two working towns a stop or two up the line, where the peninsula goes back to being ordinary Italy: real shops, a Saturday rhythm, and a proper beach at Meta. Both have their own stations, so Naples and Sorrento are quick. Less charm per square metre, far more value, and a life that runs all year.

Best for: value and a local, year-round life with the train at hand

West toward Punta Campanella, spread across green hamlets above little coves: the most rural, least-trafficked corner of the peninsula, with the best swimming and walking and a view of Capri from your terrace. The trade’s real: it’s scattered and steep, and without a car you’ll feel stranded.

Best for: nature, calm, and the best of the peninsula, with a car