By Corinne and Stephanie
The Bagni di Regina Giovanna, or the Baths of Regina Giovanna is a beautiful inlet in Sorrento on the Italian Peninsula. The baths are a perfect place to spend a morning, afternoon, or evening, and the history behind it is quite interesting as well. Queen Giovanna d'Angio of Naples loved to vacation to the baths during 1371-1435, and bring her many young lovers here. She loved the exclusivity and privacy of this sacred inlet. She also loved to visit Capo di Sorrento, the beach connected to this inlet. These baths were not only favored by Queen Giovanna, but also by Pollio Felice, a Roman Noble, who built a lavish villa atop the baths. This villa, unfortunately, is in ruins currently, but you can still visit this archealogical site.
You can start your hike from Sant'anna Institute by taking Via del Mar to Via Capo and following this road all the way to the baths, or, you could take Via del Mar to Via Capo and take the scenic route up hill; through private villas, olive and lemon orchards, and cobblestones streets. I took the scenic route and conveniently tracked the route on my Apple Watch, finding that the route was 2.4 miles long and took us about 1 1/2 hour (I ran this path independently in about 25 minutes).
Image of trek to Baths of Regina Giovanna
Along our walk we saw olive trees, fig trees, a quaint quarry, lemon trees, flowers and colorful villas.
Image of Bouganvillea flowers Image of figs Image of Scenic View
Once we arrived at the baths, I walked to the archeological site. This site, as stated before, was built by Pollio Felice in 1 AD, and was a very prestigious and sought after resort for the wealthy traveling to campagnia. The area was heavily vandalised unfortunately, but still beautiful and thought-provoking to see. You can still see the remains of the foundation of the lavish resort. The view of Capo di Sorrento and the Baths is stunning from this perspective. Due to the destruction of this ancient Villa, I have included some photos what this site looked like in 1AD, when the Villa was a safe haven for intellectuals and artists.
Image of artists' rendering of Villa Pollio Felice in 1AD
Image of aerial view of current archeological site
Image of view from Villa Image of infographic Image of Corinne and Julia at site
My first stop was Capo di Sorrento, as it was less busy than the Baths. The cape had rough waters that were chilly and salty, allowing anyone to float easily here. Many tourists were lounging along the rocks, snorkeling, swimming, smoking, or tanning. I would recommend swimming shoes as the ground is rocky and the terrain can be rough when trying to get to the water. Make sure to bring goggles so you don't miss seeing any sea critters!
Image of Capo di Sorrento waters
Our next stop was what we came here for: The Baths of Regina Giovannas. You climb up the rocks of the Capo di Sorrento to get to the Baths, and the view is spectacular. A small inlet with a cove that flows into the ocean, multiple rocks to climb and jump (safely) from, and a nice, cool temperature. The inlet allows a nice bit of sunlight in but also provides a wonderful amount of shade from the walls of the rocks. Stay here for as long as you would like as there are rocks to sit and eat lunch on.
Image of Stephanie at the Baths of Regina
Image of the Baths of Regina
Once you have decided you are done with your trip, you can either take the same walk back to Sant'Anna or take the bus from the Baths to Sorrento. You could also take the bus to the Baths from Sorrento but I highly recommend the walk! If you are leaving around sunset, make sure to stop by the local panini restaurant for a sandwich and enjoy your hike back by sunset!
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