Vegan on the Amalfi Coast – Sorrento, Positano, Capri

Traveling as a vegan on the Amalfi coast is actual heaven. Italian food is quite vegan friendly by nature and lots of places have adapted to more and more plant-based visitors coming in so you have loads of options to choose from where you don’t have to explain to the waiter what you can and can’t eat.

Our vegan Amalfi coast trip has been a dream of ours for quite a while that we had to postpone due to covid. Now that both my husband Compassionate Bob and I are fully vaccinated and cases were pretty low, we could finally go.

And it was gorgeous! Keep scrolling to see all the beautiful places, hotels, sights, boutiques, and delicious vegan food waiting for you!

Sorrento

If you plan on seeing several different places on your vegan Amalfi coast trip, Sorrento is a perfect home base. Pretty much all the wonderful coastal towns and even the islands of Capri and Ischia are easily accessed via public transport through Sorrento.

Plus, it’s a quaint little town with lots of vegan options in and of itself!

How To Get To Sorrento

We spent a few days in Rome beforehand so we took a high-speed train to Naples and took the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento from there.

HOWEVER, I would highly recommend taking the Campania Express instead. The Circumvesuviana is cheap but loud and hot (no AC!) and often pretty crowded.

Where To Stay in Sorrento

We stayed at Hotel Capri. It’s not exactly vegan-friendly and the manager seemed to be a bit overwhelmed with our inquiry about vegan breakfast options (her e-mail reply literally said “please help me” lol) but with continental breakfast buffets, there are usually a few options. They bought some vegan margarine and plant-based milk was already available at the buffet. On our first morning, we were shown which bread was vegan and there were some other options including fresh fruit and veggies, jam, and cereal.

When you’ve been a vegan for this long, you get used to bringing your own options so we bought some vegan deli slices and croissants at the nearby supermarket. (Supermercato Polio – amazing vegan selection!)

The pool area is nice and quiet and overall the hotel is beautifully furnished.

Hotel Capri
Corso Italia, 212
80067 Sorrento

Where (And What!) To Eat As A Vegan in Sorrento

A’Marenna

A’Marenna was our first meal in Sorrento and let me tell you: it was incredible. It’s a tiny shop selling Panini and it’s incredibly popular. We had to wait for a good 30 minutes to be able to order and get a seat. So either prepare to wait or order to go! But it was all worth it. We had one Panino with vegan cheese and truffle and one with vegan cheese and ham.

10/10 highly recommend!

Via Torquato Tasso, 23
80067 Sorrento

L’Antica Trattoria

We chose L’Antica Trattoria to celebrate Compassionate Bob’s birthday. This incredibly stereotypical Italian restaurant full of pastel and whimsy almost feels like a time capsule from the 1960s. The terrace is absolutely magical and the dinner service is accompanied by a live mandolin player.

They offer a full vegan tasting menu and upon being seated we were asked if we had any allergies or dietary restrictions so they could offer us a suitable amouse bouche along with a glass of prosecco.

The food was solid, classic Italian dishes that are vegan by default but not necessarily anything to write home about. However, the atmosphere and service were so lovely, that I would come back any time.

Via Padre Reginaldo Giuliani, 33
80067 Sorrento

Frankies

Frankies is a pub that offers pizza and a few other vegan dishes. The pizza was delicious however the menu is a bit confusing but the friendly owner can help you find something you’ll enjoy.

Via Torquato Tasso, 4
80067 Sorrento

N’Hambù

If at any point you get tired of Italian food (how dare you) N’Hambù offers a decent vegan burger. Even though it says on the menu that the burger comes with “Yoghurt Sauce” we were assured they use plant-based yogurt. But if you have trust issues (like most vegans), maybe double-check.

Piazza Angelina Lauro, 38
80067 Sorrento

Antica Gelateria

Their Granita Profumo di Sorrento with different types of citrus fruits is heavenly. They also offer a few other vegan granite (careful, 2 contain milk: coconut and dolce di Sorrento) and gelati.

Via Fuoro, 19
80067 Sorrento

Gelateria Bougainvilea

First of all: Don’t trust Happy Cow about the location, it’s somewhere else. Second of all, there’s another Gelateria with the same name that doesn’t have the same selection of vegan gelato.

Now if you managed to find it: get the sugar-free vegan hazelnut gelato. It was delicious!

Corso Italia, 16
80067 Sorrento

Where To & What To Shop in Sorrento

• Balleri
  Corso Italia, 187, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy
  Shoes are sadly not vegan, but the adorable swimwear, beach cover-ups and some of the bags are. Everything is lemon-themed and made in the region.
• Giovanna
  Corso Italia, 217, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy
  Trendy boutique, lots of Italian labels.
• AOX
  Via Padre Reginaldo Giuliani, 44, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy
  Bespoke eyewear made right before your eyes!
• CG Sorrento
  via L. De Maio, 23 – 80067 Sorrento (Na)
  Italian designs for all genders.
• Autori Capresi
  Via Padre Reginaldo Giuliani, 21, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy
  Exclusive linen designs for adults and children.
• La Occassoni Acanfora
  Corso Italia, 151, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy
  Assorted labels, including some sustainable ones (ACBC Sneakers made from recycled materials)

Souvenirs

Sorrento is famous for its wood inlay work, there are many traditional workshops all throughout the city. A classic souvenir would be an intricate jewelry box for instance. Just make sure it’s only made from wood as some can contain mother of pearl, which wouldn’t be vegan.

We bought lots of vegan pistachio pesto, fresh Lemons, and, of course, Limoncello for our folks at home. The classic brand for Limoncello is Villa Massa and is vegan according to Barnivore.

Arte & Collezionismo La Feluca
Via Padre Reginaldo Giuliani, 60, 80067 Sorrento NA, Italy

Here you can find antiques as well as beautiful vintage prints (originals as well as reprints). I took home an original colorized etching of a landscape and we bought all of our postcards to send home to friends and family here.

Tip:

If you choose to send home postcards, plan enough time to go to the post office and stand in line. There’s no other way to get stamps!

What To See And Do In Sorrento

To be completely honest, we did not spend a lot of time in Sorrento, as we mainly used it as our home base to make our trips from. So all we did here was walk the busy streets, eat, sleep and spend time at the hotel pool.

But Sorrento is quite easy to explore as it’s rather small. One thing you have to see is Vallone Dei Mulini!

Il Vallone dei Mulino is a deep mountain cleft that dates from a volcanic eruption 35,000 years ago. Sorrento was once bounded by three gorges, but today this is the only one that remains. The valley is named after the ancient wheat mills that were once located here. The weed-covered ruins of one are still clearly visible.

You can also access the beach by foot or via an elevator bringing you down to sea level, however, if you plan on visiting other coastal towns, I wouldn’t bother. There are much nicer beaches on the Amalfi Coast than the ones in Sorrento.

Positano

“Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” – John Steinbeck

Positano is one of those places everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. Ideally not during high season as we did, but even while packed with tourists, sweating your way up and down the steep hills, exhaustion isn’t the only thing taking your breath away. Around every corner lies a view so instagrammable, so paintable even, you won’t be able to forget about it for many years.

Where To Eat As A Vegan In Positano

Da Gabrisa

While every single vegan meal on our trip to the Amalfi coast was absolutely wonderful, this is the one we still talk about the most. Again, upon being seated we were asked about our dietary restrictions and shortly after were served a wonderful amouse bouche of fried pizza dough with tomato.

We then shared the stuffed fried zucchini flowers as our first course and they were heavenly! The filling is made from tofu and resembles the classic non-vegan ricotta filling. Then I had the zucchini pasta (amazing) and Compassionate Bob had the grilled veggies & tofu (ok, but a bit boring). We ended the meal with a bang: deconstructed vegan cheesecake & sorbet.

As we only stayed in Positano for half a day, lunch was sadly our only meal there. Here are some we would have loved to try if we had more time:

• Il Tridente, Via Pasitea, 140 (at Hotel Poseidon Positano), Positano, Italy, 84017
  (would have been my first choice, the mid-century terrace looks dreamy, sadly we didn’t book a table in advance and they were full! Learn from our mistake!)
• Caffè Positano, Viale Pasitea 168, Positano, Italy, 84017
• Mamma Luisa, Via Cercola 29 – Nocelle (at Via Cercola), Positano, Italy, 84017
• Elisir di Positano, Viale Pasitea, 90, Positano, Italy, 84017
• Da Vincenzo, Viale Pasitea, 172, Positano, Italy, 84017
• Casa e Bottega Positano, Via Pasitea, 100, Positano, Italy, 84017
• Collina, Vegan Gelato, Via Cristoforo Colombo, 1, Positano, Italy, 84017
• Zass, Via Laurito, 2, Positano, Italy

Where & What To Shop As A Vegan In Positano

Emporio Sirenuse
Via Cristoforo Colombo, 103/105, 84017 Positano SA, Italy

I had this label on my radar for a few years, so way before I even visited Positano. It’s owned by the same family as the famous Le Sirenuse Hotel right across the street and is just as visually impressive.

Their focus is on elevated resort wear that’s inspired by Positano without the kitsch you see in other Positano-inspired fashion. There are two separate shops for feminine and masculine styles right next to each other.

Obviously, this is not a vegan boutique so check for silk, leather, and mother of pearl buttons.

Maria Lampo
12 – 14 – 16, Viale Pasitea, 84017 Positano SA, Italy

This little shop has been around since 1946 and is mostly known for its vintage-inspired patchwork garments made from bandanas. Apparently back in the day you would get your measurements taken, choose the fabric, go to the beach, and by the time you were ready to go home, Maria would have your new piece ready to go and tailored to uniquely to you!

Sadly it’s not what it used to be. 90% of what’s sold in the shop is the same as every other touristy boutique and only a few of the original pieces remained, most of which were for children.

Maria Lampo and her shop lined with press snippets, photos of her with celebrities, and 1970s mannequin hangers is still worth a visit!

Profumi di Positano
Via Cristoforo Colombo, 175, 84017 Positano SA, Italy

Small perfume shop selling locally made, cruelty-free scents. Some perfumes may not be 100% vegan, so ask to be sure it doesn’t contain musk or anything other animal-derived.

Check out my Guide to Vegan Perfumes to learn what to look out for when choosing a scent!

What To See And Do In Positano

Just take it all in. We spent a few hours at the beach just realxing, napping, looking at the beautiful piece of earth we were surrounded by. Our vegan amalfi coast trip was, all in all, quite exhausting due to all the walking and the heat, so if you are restless like us, remember to take a break every now and then. Positano is the perfect place for just that as it doesn’t have many museums or other sights to offer.

The spiaggia grande is free, however if you want shade (and you should!) you’ll have to rent a parasol and sunbed, which isn’t cheap. But unless you want to drag along your own parasol, it’s worth it in my opinion. Some beach clubs even offer drinks and snack you can order via a webshop accessed on your phone, delivered right to your sunbed.

Capri

We only spent half a day on our vegan Amalfi coast vacation in Capri but I’m so glad we made the trip! I’ve actually been to Capri once before when I was around 4 or 5 years old and all I can remember is that my older sister was a huge Kelly Family fan and had heard, that they were shooting a music video on the island, so we spent most of our time hunting for our long-haired 90s hippie idols!

Where To Eat As A Vegan In Capri

Capri is the one place on our vegan Amalfi coast trip that seems to still be lacking in vegan-friendly places. At least compared to the others we visited. However, it IS full of luxury hotels and therefore it’s more than possible to get great service and vegan food, as long as your budget allows it.
If you are traveling on a budget, I would actually advise bringing your own snacks, Capri is pretty expensive. (A Pizza Marinara costs between 10 and 18€, compared to 3-4€ in Naples).

One thing we would have LOVED to try but didn’t have the time to was a Limoncello Spritz served in a whole lemon. You can get them almost everywhere and they look beautiful!

We had actually planned on eating at Villa Excelsior, but unfortunately due to covid, they didn’t allow external guests at the restaurant. So we just asked at the luxury hotel next door and were pleasantly surprised!

Ziqù Restaurant at Hotel Villa Marina
Via Marina Grande, 191, 80073 Capri NA, Italy

We stumbled into Ziqù by accident but there are two safe bets you can get in ANY restaurant in Italy: Pizza without cheese and Pasta Pomodoro. Compassionate Bob asked for a pizza without cheese and any vegan topping they had and was served beautifully grilled vegetables AND a plate of plain tofu on the side because they weren’t sure if he would want it on the pizza. We were so happy to see some plant-based protein and made a little salad out of it using the balsamico and olive oil on the table.

Other places with vegan options:

• Bar Il Gabbiano
   76 Via Cristoforo Colombo, Capri, Italy
• Café Caso
  Piazza Umberto I, 4, Capri, Italy
• Da Paolino
   Via Palazzo a Mare, Capri, Italy
• La Campannina
   Via le Botteghe, 14, Capri, Italy
• La Terrazza di Venere
   Via Federico Serena, 3, Capri, Italy
• Le Grottelle
   Via Arco Naturale, 3, Capri, Italy
  

Where To Shop In Capri

Carthusia

We didn’t go shopping in Capri but if we had, Carthusia would have been my first stop. This traditional caprese perfume house has roots dating back to 1380 and all of their fragrances are vegan and cruelty-free (also see my Vegan Perfume Guide). They have several outlets throughout the island and also in Sorrento, Positano, Naples and Rome.

What To Do And See In Capri

Villa San Michele

Honestly, i think this was my absolute favorite place to visit on our vegan Amalfi coast trip. It had everything I loved: A historic Villa that serves as a time capsule, a lush garden, beathtaking views and to top it all off: It used to belong to early animal rights advocate Axel Munthe. Villa San Michele would only have been more perfect if the Café attached to it was fully vegan. I think Axel would have loved that.

You can reach it by climbing thousands of steps (we only walked them down, it was adventurous!), by bus, or by convertible taxi as we did. Just be warned, all of them are quite adventurous. Upon asking our taxi driver where the seatbelts were, he only replied “Oh, don’t worry. This is Italy.” and continued to speed up the winding roads. But it’s so, so worth it!

Some other things to do and see:

• Villa Jovis
  A roman villa with a beautiful view
• Blue Grotto
  A unique natural phenomenon, THE sight in Capri
• Giardini di Augusto
  A gorgeous botanical garden
• The beach

I hope you enjoyed my little Vegan Amalfi Coast Guide! If you did, please subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Instagram as I have a Vegan Naples and Rome Guide coming out soon.

If you like vegan travel guides like this, click here for my previous travel posts.

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