The Bagni della Regina Giovanna are a natural pool cut into the tufa, joined to the open sea by an arch in the rock. The water flows in and out with the swell, the bottom is shallow and clear, and there is nothing around it: no bar, no umbrellas, no lifeguard.
It is the swimming spot the people of Sorrento actually use, out at Capo di Sorrento, on the headland west of town.
The ruins under your feet
The cove sits inside the grounds of the Villa of Pollio Felice, a first-century Roman seaside residence. The remains — reticulated masonry, vaulted rooms, stretches of paving — surface through the scrub all along the headland, and you walk over them with no fences and no ticket.
The name comes from the popular tradition that Queen Joanna of Anjou bathed here. That is legend rather than history, but the name has stuck.
Getting there from the B&B
About thirty minutes on foot from the B&B along the road to Capo di Sorrento, or ten minutes by car or on the SITA bus towards Massa Lubrense, getting off at the Capo di Sorrento stop.
From the main road a ten- to fifteen-minute dirt path crosses the olive groves and runs out to the point. It descends gently on the way out and climbs on the way back, over uneven ground.
The final stretch down to the pool is over bare rock: there are no proper steps and in places you will need your hands. It is not dangerous, but it is not for everyone.
Who it does not suit
Worth saying plainly, because it is the most frequent disappointment:
- Pushchairs and wheelchairs: impossible — the path and the final rock rule it out.
- Very small children: you enter the water off rock and there is no supervision of any kind.
- Anyone wanting facilities: there is no shade, no drinking water, no toilets, nothing to hire.
What to bring
Rock shoes — not optional; the rock is sharp and slippery where wet. Plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen. A towel, because there is no sand to lie on. And carry out everything you carry in: there is no waste collection here.
When to go
Early morning, or after five in the afternoon. At midday in summer the cove is full, there is no shade at all and the rock is scorching.
The best months are June and September: the water is already or still warm, with a fraction of the August crowd. In rough seas, though, stay away — the swell comes through the arch and the pool turns into a washing machine.
Our advice
Pair it with sunset. The headland faces west, and in the hour before the sun drops, the light on the yellow rock and the water is the reason this place ends up in every photograph.
Swim in the late afternoon and walk back at an easy pace: it is thirty minutes that passes far better in the cool than at noon.
Regina Giovanna Baths