Visit Sant’Agata sui due golfi: what to do and what to see

The beautiful Sant’Agata dei due Golfi town, between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense, owes its name to the fact that it overlooks both the Gulf of Salerno and the Gulf of Napoli, that you can clearly admire from the top of the famous hill known as “il deserto” (the desert) where the Monastero di San Paolo (Saint Paul Cloister) is.

In the small piazza of the hamlet of Sant’Agata there is the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie, a church with a covered in gemstones marble pulpit.

According to legend, this church was built as a vow by a local rich man that wanted to find his daughter who was kidnapped by a wolf.

The showpiece of Sant’Agata is the so-called Monastero del deserto (Desert Cloister). From the centre of the hamlet walk uphill for about 1 km and you will get to the Sant’Agata hill also known as “il deserto” (the desert), where the cloister of the same name is. It was built in 1679 by the discalced Carmelite fathers and it is dedicated to San Paolo (Saint Paul).

From the Monastero del deserto you can enjoy an amazing view of Ischia, the Gulf of Napoli and the Vesuvius on one side, and of the Gulf of Salerno and its Amalfi Coast on the other side… a place where the soul can find some peace.

Sant’Agata sui due Golfi is a strategic destination for staying near Sorrento because it has the lowest prices and from here you can easily reach the other points of interest on the Sorrento Peninsula.

Agriturismo Fattoria Terranova is a working farm located in the hills, above sea level, just 15 minutes’ walk from the center and boasts rooms, a swimming pool, a play area, a bar and an award-winning restaurant.

The accommodations of the hotel O sole mio are all very colourful, and there is also an indoor swimming pool here.

If instead you are looking for small apartments, the Maison Cipriani this is the one for you!

BY CAR

If you leave Napoli by car, take the exit signposted “Castellammare di Stabia” e proceed towards Sorrento; then take the exit signposted “Meta di Sorrento” and proceed towards Positano. Finally, take the exit signposted “Sant’Agata”.

BY TRAIN

If you travel by train, take the Circumvesuviana train at the Napoli train station and get off at the Sorrento train station, where you can take one of the SITA buses heading to Sant’Agata.