Visit Capri

Cliffs dropping into turquoise water, terraced gardens above the Faraglioni, footpaths where you meet more lizards than visitors: Capri shows its best side early in the morning and late in the day, once the excursion boats have headed back to the mainland.

Why visit Capri?

Capri is an island in Campania at the southern entrance to the Bay of Naples, reachable only by boat from Naples, Sorrento or the Amalfi Coast. Within about ten square kilometres it packs sea caves, Roman villas built by Emperor Tiberius and coastal trails. One day covers the essentials, while a night on the island lets you see it without the crowds.

Capri's must-sees

Caves, gardens and Roman ruins, best planned around the boat timetables.

Blue Grotto

A sea cave where light filtering under the water turns the sea an intense blue. Entered by rowing boat through a low opening, closed in rough seas.

Monte Solaro

The island's highest point, reached by chairlift from Anacapri. The summit looks over the Bay of Naples, Vesuvius and the Sorrento peninsula.

Gardens of Augustus

Flower-filled terraced gardens above the Faraglioni and the hairpin bends of Via Krupp. One of the best viewpoints over the south coast from town.

Villa Jovis

Ruins of the largest of the villas Emperor Tiberius built on the island, on a clifftop at the eastern tip. Reachable on foot only.

Faraglioni

Three rock stacks rising off the south coast, the island's emblem. The middle one is pierced by an arch that boats sail through.

Villa San Michele

The Anacapri home of Swedish doctor Axel Munthe, with a garden, a collection of antiquities and a terrace overlooking Marina Grande.

What to discover in Capri, from the Piazzetta to Anacapri?

Capri town and the Piazzetta

The funicular links Marina Grande to the Piazzetta, Piazza Umberto I, in a few minutes. Around it, a web of white lanes and vaulted passages leads to the boutiques of Via Camerelle and to panoramic terraces. It is the busiest part of the island between 11 am and 4 pm, when day trippers arrive in numbers. To enjoy it quietly, come in the first hour of the morning or early evening. From town, the walk to the Arco Naturale or to Villa Jovis takes 30 to 45 minutes along stepped, paved paths.

Anacapri, the island's other town

Set higher up to the west, Anacapri is a separate municipality, calmer and more residential. Buses from Marina Grande or Capri town climb there in about fifteen minutes along a winding road. People come for the Monte Solaro chairlift, up to the island's highest point at 589 metres, for the church of San Michele and its majolica floor, and for the Fortini trail along the west coast. The road to the Blue Grotto also starts here. Allow at least half a day.

Marina Grande and Marina Piccola

Marina Grande, on the north side, is where ferries and hydrofoils dock: ticket offices, boat tour departures and a small pebble beach. Marina Piccola, on the south coast, is the most popular swimming spot, with paid beach clubs and a view of the Faraglioni. Buses run down from Capri town in about ten minutes. Both harbours are at their best in May, June and September, when the sea is already warm without the July and August crowds.

Around the island by sea

A boat trip around Capri takes about an hour and a half to two hours and is the best way to grasp the island's shape: the White and Green grottoes, the arch of the Faraglioni, sheer cliffs dropping into the sea. Tours leave from Marina Grande and may include a stop at the Blue Grotto, entered by rowing boat and only when the sea is calm. Go in the morning, before the wind picks up. Capri remains one of the most iconic destinations in southern Italy.

Frequently asked questions about Capri

Should I leave from Naples or Sorrento to reach Capri?
Sorrento offers the shortest crossing, about twenty minutes by hydrofoil. From Naples, allow around 50 minutes by hydrofoil and longer by ferry. If you are staying on the Amalfi Coast, boats also leave from Positano and Amalfi between April and October.
Is the Blue Grotto worth the wait?
The visit itself lasts a few minutes in a rowing boat, after a wait that can exceed an hour in summer. The light effect is genuine, especially from late morning to early afternoon. If the queue is long, a boat trip around the island shows other caves with no wait.
Is one day enough to see Capri and Anacapri?
Yes, if you choose: Anacapri and Monte Solaro in the morning, the Piazzetta and the Gardens of Augustus in the afternoon. Staying one night changes the experience, though, as the island empties once the last boats leave in the late afternoon.
Can you swim on Capri without paying for a beach club?
Yes, there are free access points, notably at Marina Grande and on some rocks at Marina Piccola, but beaches are small and rocky. The Punta Carena lighthouse area on the west side attracts those who want a swim at sunset.
How do you get from Marina Grande up to the Piazzetta?
The funicular is fastest, a few minutes' ride, but the queue can be long when boats arrive. Buses and taxis also go up, and a stairway lets you walk it in about twenty minutes.
Is the Fortini trail difficult?
It follows Anacapri's west coast between the Blue Grotto and the Punta Carena lighthouse, with regular ups and downs. Allow about three hours for the full route, good shoes, water and an early start, as there is little shade.

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