This Capri guide will help you navigate one of the best-loved destinations from Italy’s Amalfi Coast, situated just 20 minutes from Sorrento by ferry.
The more I go back to Capri in Italy, the more I love this incredible island. But it’s also very crowded and can be hard to navigate in the summer. If visiting in low season isn’t an option, here are a few tips for keeping your cool!
Capri guide: how to get to Capri
To reach Capri from the Italian mainland, the closest port is Sorrento. Alilauro ferries run regularly on this route which takes just 20 minutes. You can also reach Capri from Positano or Amalfi, a 45 minute or 50 minute journey.
Capri guide: where to stay in Capri
Hotel Syrene Capri – Offering views of the sea, this relaxed hotel is a 15-minute walk from the Faraglioni coastal rock formations and 8 km from the Blue Grotto sea cave. More details here.
Hotel Villa Blu Capri – With Mediterranean architecture and modern interiors, this upscale, adults-only hotel with views of the Gulf of Naples is a 7-minute walk from the art at Villa San Michele. More info here.
Villa Olga Luxury Capri – A good location for a relaxing holiday in Capri, Villa Olga Luxury Capri is a guest house surrounded by views of the sea. The property features a garden, bar and private parking among other facilities. More here.
Capri port to Capri town – transport
The challenge starts when you arrive in Capri’s port, Marina Grande, which is always chaotic. If you were planning to just jump in a taxi and head up to Capri town here are some things you should know.
There are three ways of exiting the port, not counting walking. The first is by taxi, but the queues are long. Pre booking is a good option. Second, you can get a bus to Capri or Anacapri. Expect queues to buy tickets and queues to wait for the bus. Your luggage needs a second ticket.
A more pleasant option is the funicular, if its working. This costs 2 euros so is comparable with the bus.
Once you’ve reached Capri town, views from the piazzetta are a reward in their own right. Pause for a drink in one of its classic haunts such as bar Tiberio. Capri dazzles with its designer stores and people watching. I like staying in Hotel Syrene, just off the designer avenue, with its incredible pool and peaceful views. Buca di Bacco is a locals’ favourite eatery off the Piazzetta. For cocktails with an exclusive view of Capri’s signature rocks, I faraglioni, try Capri Rooftop.
Think of Capri as an infinity sign, with its twin towns of Capri and Anacapri at each end, and its slimmest point where you can glimpse both the gulf of Naples and the gulf of Salerno. In part two, we’ll head to Anacapri to explore its amazing cultural heritage!
Capri guide: secrets of Anacapri
This Capri guide continues in Anacapri, a must-see town when visiting Capri island. This is the place that made me fall in love with Capri and realise that its not just an island of designer stores and expensive hotels.
Anacapri is the soul of Capri. It’s a town inhabited 12 months a year by a small community of locals. Staying here you’ll connect with the real Capri and its cultural and artistic heritage. Visit the quirky Red House museum and gallery or the ornate church of San Michele with its extraordinary maiolica floor depicting the creation.
Perhaps my favourite site is Villa San Michele, built by Axel Munthe, a Swedish doctor, author and animal lover who transformed Roman ruins here into his summer house over a century ago. His autobiography – which I highly recommend – is an eccentric journey into the history of the villa and how he saved the wildlife of Capri. Hearing the birdsong at San Michele and looking over the shoulder of a 3,200 year old sphinx connects me with this island. The villa guards Capri’s loveliest views.
What else can you do in Anacapri? Take a hilltop cable car or a bus to the famous Blue Grotto, where you can join row boats to enter the sea cave. To take a dip, head to the lighthouse beach club to splurge on a sunbed and umbrella. Try cocktails at sunset or dinner at Hotel Caesar Augustus, another lovely viewpoint. Alternatively, take a hotel with a pool at Anacapri – such as Hotel Villa Blu Capri – and relax. Its suites have private rooftop jacuzzis!
