Marina Piccola is Sorrento's harbour: every hydrofoil and ferry connecting the town to the rest of the bay leaves from here. It is seven minutes' walk downhill from the B&B, and it is the reason you can reach Capri, the Amalfi Coast and Naples from here without ever taking a car.
Mind the name
Marina Piccola in Sorrento is the port. Marina Piccola on Capri is a beach on the island, on the other side of the water. Two different places with the same name, twenty minutes apart by hydrofoil: always check which of the two a booking refers to.
And do not confuse it with Marina Grande, Sorrento's fishing village, which lies below the cliff on the other side and has no ferry berths.
Where you can go from here
- Capri — twenty to twenty-five minutes by hydrofoil, around thirty by fast ferry. This is the only route that runs all year, with thinner sailings in winter.
- Naples — a fast sea link, and an alternative to the Circumvesuviana train.
- Positano and Amalfi — a seasonal service, roughly mid-April to mid-October.
- Ischia and Procida — seasonal and not daily; out of season you route via Naples or Capri.
- Boat excursions along the peninsula, towards Punta Campanella, the Faraglioni of Capri and the Amalfi Coast.
Every sailing depends on the sea: strong wind or swell cancels them, even in high summer. This is not a remote possibility — it happens several times a season.
How the port works
The ticket offices are on the quay, one per company. In high season buy online the day before: the first morning sailings to Capri sell out, and the queue at the windows in August costs half an hour.
Turn up at least twenty minutes before departure: boarding closes early and the companies do not wait.
There are a few bars on the quay, a couple of kiosks and the excursion stands. Beside the berths there is a small shingle beach with a lido, handy for waiting out the gap before departure with a swim.
Getting there from the B&B
Seven minutes on foot, downhill, by the old stairway that runs from the centre down to the port.
Coming back, the same warning applies as at Marina Grande: it is uphill all the way. With luggage, or after a day on Capri, the public lift connecting the port to the Villa Comunale gardens and the town bus to Piazza Tasso are both worth knowing about.
Our advice
If you are going to Capri, take the first sailing of the morning: leaving at eight rather than ten puts you on the island ahead of the coach parties.
And if the sea is rough, check the sailing status before you walk down. Seven minutes downhill is nothing; seven minutes back uphill after discovering your crossing is cancelled is another matter.
Quays and boats at Marina Piccola