After Rome we made our way down past Naples because we knew we wanted to see Pompeii and Capri. When most people think of this part of Italy they think of Positano, which is a gorgeous little town nestled in the hills along the famous Almafi Coast (so I have heard).  It is also very expensive and we were on a bit of a budget. So we zero’ed in instead on the area of Santa Fortuna, Sorrento which is just north of Positano.

I really loved Sorrento, it was a smaller town but larger than expected, that completely came alive at night. We spent most of our first day wandering around all the small side streets and shops. I very much wanted the hand made leather sandals being sold in so many of the shops there, but again that darned budget. We ate a small restaurant with outdoor dining and got a lot of funny looks from the locals because we ate early and evidently not enough. This is an experience I have repeated every time I have gone to Europe. Regardless of the funny looks we had a wonderful meal.
But the real kicker is we wound up not staying in Sorrento proper but just outside town in a campground called Santa Fortuna.
We got around the entire area via a little rickety cable car that stopped in both Sorrento and Pompeii and the rest of the time we just got around by foot. I realize this might be roughing it a bit too much for some people and that’s okay. But we had a really great time. The campground is not only open for the typical bring your own tent type of camping, but there were also canvas tents and beds set up year round for those looking for slighting more modern comforts. Or little trailers for rent for those of us who like running water and doors that lock, which is what we did. 
The cabin at Santa Fortuna was impeccably clean, the beds were comfortable, there was a bathroom and a kitchen that we made full use of. We loved every second we stayed here, it was especially nice given the heat to be sleeping outside of the city and having all the fresh air to cool you down at night. If not staying in the cabins there were facilities for everyone up near the main offices as well as a lovely private water front area for swimming or laying out on the rocks to get some sun. It was also within walking distance of a couple restaurants and the trolley stop that we used while we were staying there.

While we were here we met two girls who were traveling around Europe for a bit as well.  We spent our next two days in Pompeii and Capri with them. Santa Fortuna and Sorrento was a really wonderful experience all around.