Secret Costiera Amalfitana: All the boats meeting this year in the Gulf of Naples

All the boats meeting this year in the Gulf of Naples

2012-10-20

Sorrento is really an excellent "Belvedere" if you want to watch the changing colors of the sea, and, the "boat traffic" in the Gulf of Naples. In the high season, I witnessed quite a few "traffic jams". Just across Sorrento, which is located high above the sea on steep tuff stone slopes coming down to the sea, the Gulf of Naples opens up in an almost 360 degrees view. To one's left, one can take in Ischia, far is a glimpse of Pozzuoli, just across is Naples and Vesuvius towering above all, to the right. You could even see until Pompei and Torre Annunziata on a very clear day. To the right, however, the view is hampered a bit due to a promontory that only allows a view not farther than Piano di Sorrento, but you cannot see Castellmare which is hidden behind. So, my belvedere in Sorrento is the terrace just above Marina Piccola, as I described last week in my post La Terrazza delle Sirene. To me, it is also interesting to watch how the colors of sea, sky and clouds change in each season.

Morning traffic at the end of June: private boats anchoring off the shore, Caremar, the ferry boat (fast ferry, as they call it) is leaving for Capri, passenger boats finding their way amongst all the sailing boats moored here for the night

And it is quite funny to watch all the comings and goings of boats, cruise ships, and all kinds of vessels, huge and small, bringing people and merchandise safely (hopefully) across the waters of the Gulf of Naples. I started to watch out for boats at the start of la bella stagione, sometime at the end of March / beginning of April. Here is what I have seen so far this year.