The isle of Capri

A visit to the famous island of Capri. Multiple people visit the island while visiting nearby Sorrento, to experience this famous sophisticated island, although the reality of this is somewhat different at Marina Grande, where ferries dock from Sorrento and Naples. The dock can be very manic-like, with the heaving mass of humanity.

We decided we would stay a couple of nights on the island, to get a true taste of what Capri has to offer away from the maddening crowds. It is not a cheap place to stay, however with a bit of research, there are some affordable places to stay in Anacapri which are not quite as expensive as the main town of Capri.

With frequent ferries from Sorrento Capri is very accessible and the bus service and funicular railway linking Marina Grande with Capri Town, or like myself you can walk, which I wouldn’t advise with luggage and 30-degree heat which takes about 20 minutes. We then caught another bus to Anacapri at the central bus station, taxis are available but can work out expensive.

Anacapri

Unknown to me, Capri is divided into two municipalities Capri and Anacapri. We were staying in Anacapri which has a more relaxed vibe than Capri. As a budget traveller, it gave me the option of more affordable accommodation and dining.

Anacapri has a higher elevation than Capri, separated by mountains with only one road connecting the two towns. Anacapri is more picturesque and rural compared to Capri.

Accommodation on Capri

Our accommodation was in the heart of Anacapri Old Town. Staying in Anacapri isn’t going to be as glamorous or glitzy as staying in Capri Town. Still, it was certainly more tranquil and less touristy.

You will certainly save a lot of money by staying here, compared to the expensive prices of Capri Town. With more mid-range and even some budget accommodation available as well as getting a more authentic feel for the island.

Our accommodation was situated in its private garden and had been tastefully decorated. Just a short walk through the atmospheric old town to the main square Piazza Vittoria. After the day-trippers have departed, Anacapri resembled a sleepy village, very peaceful and residential in total contrast to Capri Town.

Villa San Michele

This is a museum with a difference, home to Swedish Physician Axel Munthe who first came to Capri in 1885. One of the island’s most visited attractions.

The villa was built on the ruins of an ancient chapel dedicated to San Michele. The villa is now a museum containing the Swedish physician’s collection of ancient artefacts.

Although in all honesty, the museum is not the main attraction at this location. The garden at San Michele has been called the most beautiful in Italy. Which begins in the shade of the pergola.

It culminates bathed in sunlight on the Sphinx terrace overlooking the island with fantastic views of the town of Capri and it’s harbour, the Sorrentine Peninsula and Mount Vesuvius.

We were lucky enough to visit towards the end of the day as we were staying nearby. The famous attraction was practically deserted, most day visitors having left to catch the ferries back to the Italian mainland, giving us time to admire and contemplate this beautiful location in peace and tranquillity.

The gardens are adorned with many relics and works of art dating from ancient Egypt and other periods of classical antiquity. The serenity of San Michele is a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of Capri Town down below us.

Axel Menthe, the Swedish physician, appears to survey his garden even now. The island was a great love of the physician who lived on Capri for 56 years.

Mount Solaro

If you want a perfect view of Capri’s most beautiful panorama look no further than the summit of Mount Solaro which soars 589 meters above sea level.

Don’t fancy the walk up to the summit, then fear not they have come up with a unique form of transportation to get you up to the summit a chair lift, more associated with the Italian Dolomites rather than a Mediterranean island.

It is the easiest option to get to the summit of Monte Solaro, the journey takes 12 minutes. Take the chairlift from Piazza Vittoria in the centre of Anacapri, believe me, you can’t miss it the entrance is only a few meters away from the main bus stop. Walking will take considerably longer about 90 minutes to reach the summit.

Once we reached the summit there are a few things to do, taking in the fantastic views, and exploring the island’s history. Next to the chairlift you will find the remains of Fortino de Bruto a military fort built by the British in the 1800s. It is also an excellent location to discover a wide range of flower and plant species.

One of the best sights to see from Monte Solaro are the Faraglioni Rocks. These sea stacks jut from the water and tower over the nearby bays, each rock has a name.

There is a terrace at the summit with some stunning views to be had while we enjoyed our alfresco drink. A statue of Emperor Augustus overseeing the island below. It was certainly a rather majestic location and well worth a visit.

After our visit just the simple process of getting back down via the chairlift. You will get some fabulous views on this rather unusual transport. It costs €12 but in all honesty, it’s worth that just for the views you get from the ride alone. Another tip is it can be very busy in the day if you can, late afternoon is a good time to visit where crowds will be considerably quieter, this is when we visited and we had a very relaxed visit.

Anacapri Old Town

Staying in Anacapri allowed us to explore this ancient town, which is very compact and we were able to view everything by walking around its ancient streets.

Not far from where we were staying we found a rather charming square Piazza Boffe. Where we found the Chiesa di Santa Sofia the church is nothing spectacular but does seem to have a special character where you will find locals sitting watching the world go by.

By the church, we found some rather colourful benches adorned with flowers situated there. These were very pretty and too good a picture opportunity to pass up. There are a few reasonably priced cafes at this location as well.

Near to the Church of Sant Sofia we found ourselves in the district of Boffe, one of the oldest districts on the island dating back to the 16th century. Where you will find the famous barrel vaulted homes. There is a labyrinth of little lanes within this historic district.

Even in the daytime, this part of Anacapri is very quiet and you will be able to experience the real character of the island. It is a world away from what we experienced in Capri Town and Marina Grande where many visitors never venture from.

There are plenty of places to eat in Anacapri. On our first night, we were rather indulgent and had pre-booked this delightful restaurant where we were able to dine alfresco amongst the lemon groves. Not the cheapest meal I have ever had but certainly a very memorable location to enjoy my evening’s dining.

Day 2

Breakfast in the main square

We start the day at one of the cafes in Piazza Vittoria, which is the main square in Anacapri. We were one of the first customers of the day and ordered cappuccino and pastries, a traditional Italian breakfast to fuel us for our trek down to Capri. No bus for us today we were going to walk down the ancient Phoenician Steps.

The Phoenician Steps

A long step stairway that connects Anacapri with Capri.

The steps are believed to date back to when Ancient Greek colonists occupied the island, rather than the Phoenicians who they have been named after. For centuries before the completion of the road, this was the only means of reaching Anacapri from Capri.

The Phoenician steps are well conserved (completely restored in 1998) The steps start at the Chapel of San Michele this section was unfortunately closed during our stay, we walked on the road for a short distance and joined the steps lower down. The steps then finish at Marina Grande.

How long you take to complete them depends on your fitness and which way you are going. Down is “easier” than up, but you will have some stress on your knees if you are not used to walking. It took us about 30 minutes with a few stops to take in the magnificent vistas.

We could have taken a bus or taxi down to Marina Grande, however, we would have missed out on a fantastic experience of walking these ancient steps and being able to take in those fantastic views at our leisure. It gives you a real feel for the island, a cardio workout and it’s a free activity what’s not to like?

Capri Town

A pretty little bay just a short ride away from the centre of town. Where you can spend a day on the beach. A slightly more relaxed location than Maina Grande and Capri Town.

As is the norm in Italy a day at the beach comes at a price as lots of beaches are private. Marina Piccolo is no different with three private beach clubs for you to choose from with some fabulous views of the Faraglioni.

However, there are two sections of “free” beach in Marina Piccolo. The pebble beach is very popular with Italians and is very crowned. With a few beachside cafes located there, it is a perfect location to people watch.

We were down at Marina Piccolo till lunchtime and with fantastic views of the Faraglioni what a fantastic location to lunch. Private beach clubs all have restaurants overlooking the Faraglioni which are open to the public to dine out. This was certainly a lunchtime spot with a view.

Augustus Gardens

The gardens are situated close to the town centre. It comprises a series of panoramic flower-decked terraces,

It gives some fantastic vistas of the lower part of the island, including the Marina Piccolo, Via Krupp and the Faraglioni

Due to its central location and fantastic views, the gardens are a very busy location. If possible the best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon when the gardens tend to be a bit quieter.

Via Krupp

This is a famous historic hairpin-turned path, which connects the gardens with Marina Piccolo. The path was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century by German industrialist Frederick Krupp. The path covers an elevation of 100 meters. The path has been closed for several years as it is now deemed unsafe due to falling rocks.

Capri Town

The town that lends its name to probably Italy’s most famous island. We had decided two spend our second night in and around the main square.

Capri is just not the name of the most popular island in the Bay of Naples, but one of the names of one of the two towns on the island. The other town is the previous mentioned Anacapri.

Renowned as a place for the rich and famous, no trip to the island is complete without a visit to the town of Capri very much the epicentre of this illustrious island.

The centre of town is full of expensive hotels and designer shops, with all the top brands having a presence here. Capri is also renowned for its perfumes with many perfumeries located in the town.

The town itself is a maze of narrow streets winding between traditional whitewashed buildings. A way from the centre of town you will come across a much calmer pace of life.

One of the few historic sights in Capri is the monastery, the Certosa di San Giacomo which dates back to the 14th century.

Piazzetta Umberto

The most famous square in Capri is located in the centre of the old town. Since Roman times the centre of the island and a meeting place for locals and others alike.

The main architectural focal point of the square is the clock tower. It is one of the most familiar buildings associated with the island of Capri. The clock tower is named Torre’ dell Orologio originally the bell tower of St Stephen’s Cathedral.

Today the square is renowned for its staggering views surrounded by elements of historic, classical and modern architecture. This historic square was known as the world’s living room

This enchanting square is brimming with life and is the beating heart of the island. With sights and sounds to be seen all around the square.

The square is still the focal point of the island where everyone comes to relax and socialize and watch the world pass by. From a humble fish market to fashionable meeting places. All roads now seem to lead to the square.

So what better place to sit down and enjoy an aperitivo, that very splendid and very Italian tradition of enjoying a pre-dinner drink with some delightful nibbles. The cafes surrounding the square are not cheap by any standards but this is very much a must-do in Capri, once you have got your table there is no rush to leave, so just sit down and relax and take all the sights and sounds that this square offers up to its visitors, who knows you may even spot a celebrity passing by.

Day 3

Capri by water

No trip to Capri is complete without a boat trip around the island, a fantastic way to view is from the water. Numerous boat trips take you around the island most depart from Marina Grande. It’s very busy here so always allow plenty of time to get here. We had decided to do this on our final day before getting the late afternoon ferry back to Sorrento.

Punta Carena Lighthouse

The lighthouse of Punta Carena dominates the southwestern coast of the island. This impressive lighthouse was built-in 1866 and is the second tallest in Italy.

Scugnizzo Gennarino statue

My eyes were not deceiving me I thought I saw someone waving at me. It’s the statue of Scugnizzo Gennarino which greets visitors to the island with a friendly wave. Scugnizzo is a Neapolitan word for street urchin.

Natural Arch

The island of Capri is certainly not short of unique rock formations. This is less famous than the Faraglioni and Blue Grotto but no less impressive. The Natural Arch is a limestone arch that forms a bridge between two pillars of rock. It spans 18 metres in height and 12 meters in width and is certainly an impressive sight from the water.

Faraglioni

This natural geological phenomenon is a trio of natural rock formations and is one of Capri’s most recognizable natural landmarks.

Our boat sailed through the stone passageway of the di Mezzo and as legend dictates good luck will be bestowed on lovers who kiss while passing under its arch.

Blue Grotto

The highlight of the boat tour of the island is a stop at the famous Blue Grotto.

This is what I was led to believe before our arrival. Although the location is very beautiful it was one of the most poorly organised tourist traps I have had the misfortune to visit. Waiting on a hot open-air boat for an hour, for reluctant oarsmen to transport you into the Blue Grotto, when paid oarsmen did arrive they were practically demanding tips, it wasn’t the idyllic experience I had envisaged.

We finally managed to get an oarsman to take us into the Blue Grotto, only just managing not to get my head decapitated on the way in, as the instructions to lower my head were only communicated by the oarsman at the very last second of entry.

Finally, we were inside the famous Blue Grotto. The colours are truly beautiful and despite it being very busy I did have a feeling of serenity or was that just the feeling of relief of still having my head intact from my traumatic entrance into the Blue Grotto.

One of the most popular locations on the island of Capri. Although very beautiful like a lot of must-see locations the reality of my visit doesn’t quite live up to my expectations. Not so much a place of outstanding beauty but rather a place to simply be financially exploited.

Transport on the island

The funicular railway is the main transport link between the port Marina Grande where all the ferries dock taking you on the short journey to the centre of Capri Town.

It is the quickest and easiest link to the town, tickets cost €1.80 single journey from the ticket office situated close to the ferry terminal. The railway runs every 15 minutes but can be very congested in the mid-morning and late afternoon when ferries arrive and depart frequently.

Another popular choice and the main mode of public transportation are the buses. Tickets must be pre-purchased before your journey. The main routes are Marina Grande, Anacapri and Marina Piccola from Capri central bus station, although I use the term bus station loosely as there are only four bus bays.

The buses used on the island are fit for purpose as roads are very narrow with many tight bends. Probably more akin to a minibus. They run about every 15 minutes on major routes if you can get on one at peak times as they only hold about 15 people, so allow plenty of time if you need to be somewhere important.

Taxis are very unique all open top and some able to seat seven people. A fun way of seeing the island, it can be expensive for two people but if you have a group of four or more they became a more reasonable proposition to hire.

For us, it was more of a necessity as we needed to get down to Marina Grande and buses going past were constantly full. €30 from Anacapri was certainly not cheap for the two of us, however, it was a fun journey with fantastic views of the island below as the taxi driver drove the vehicle quickly down the twisty road. I hadn’t planned a taxi ride but it was an enjoyable experience nonetheless and got us to the port on time.

All good things must come to an end, a fabulous three days in Capri. One last lunch before we catch the ferry back to Sorrento this time on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Faraglioni. Having enjoyed my time on this fabulous Island and with a bit of planning a short stay here needn’t blow the budget 💰😁