Mooring in Gulf of Naples

"After leaving Naples, I spent the weekend between the Italian coastal towns of Castellammare di Stabia and Sorrento, which are great points from which to explore this breathtaking part of Italy. I was accompanied by Antonio, the first ship owner I met with in Naples, who invited me to spend a day with him exploring the area and getting a taste of the kinds of itineraries he offers his passengers. Like me, Antonio is a passionate, experienced sailor – and since he knows the area so well, there was no way I could say no.

Armed with a bottle of white wine (Antonio had prepared a big bowl of spaghetti with shellfish!), we slipped mooring early in the morning so we could get a good sail in before lunchtime. Admittedly, the harbor at Castellammare isn’t among the most beautiful I’ve seen, but it’s worth considering for its strategic position: there are tons of beautiful inlets nearby, perfect places to anchor overnight, and this part of the Gulf is well protected, thanks to Mount Faito.

We dropped anchor at one of these inlets, Cala della Tartaruga (Turtle’s Inlet): we were the only boat there and the sun was particularly warm for a late November afternoon. Antonio and I ate pasta, drank wine, and talked sailing: what more can a Sail Hunter ask from a Saturday?

On Sunday, I made the drive from Castellammare to Sorrento, which was so beautiful it almost leaves me without words. And believe me, I’ve seen my share of beauties in my time: I’m Italian, I’m a skipper, I’ve had the good fortune to travel the world. But the area surrounding Sorrento is truly something special, and making this drive on a sunny Sunday in November was just spectacular: the summer months in this area generally mean very slow driving, with lots of traffic. If you want to avoid the crowds and traffic, I’d suggest coming here – schedule permitting – in late spring or early fall. And because the Sorrentine peninsula is so full of steep, rocky cliffs with just a single road winding through it, there’s no better way to experience this area than from a sailboat."