Sorrento stands on high cliffs of tuff, which were formed from water erosion, giving them their present aspect.
The arrangement of the modern streets preserves that of the ancient town, and the disposition of the walled paths which divide the plain to the east seems to date in like manner from Roman times.
The town overlooks the bay of Naples, as the key place of the Sorrentine Peninsula, and many viewpoints in the city allow sight of Naples itself (visible across the bay), Vesuvius and the island of Capri.
The Roman name for Sorrento was Surrentum.
Sorrento is famous for the production of limoncello, an alcoholic digestive made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar.