Capri

The honest version of Capri is two islands in one. The one that exists during daytime in July – crowded, expensive, full of daytrippers who’ve paid 25 euros each way from Naples just to stand in line for limoncello – is real but not the whole story. The one that exists after the last ferry leaves in the evening, when the Piazzetta clears and the light goes gold over the Faraglioni rocks, is also real. The trick is to be there for the second one, which means staying at least one night.

Getting There

Ferries run from Naples (Porto Beverello or Mergellina) and Sorrento. From Naples, high-season services run over 20 times daily; crossing takes about 50 minutes by ferry or 40 by hydrofoil, fares starting from around 19-25 euros one way. From Sorrento it’s 25-35 minutes, around 21.50 euros. Book in advance for summer weekends and August – the boats fill up. From the marina at Capri, funicular or taxi will take you up to Capri Town.

The Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) is a sea cave on the northwest coast where an underwater opening lets refracted light through, turning the interior water an electric blue. It is genuinely extraordinary when conditions are right – the colour is unlike anything achieved by paint or electricity. The entrance fee is 18 euros per person and visits last about five minutes. Getting there requires a boat from Capri’s marina or from Anacapri by land via Via Grotta Azzurra, then a transfer to a small rowboat. Total cost including transport runs considerably more than the 18 euro entry. Waiting times can exceed an hour in peak season.

The Blue Grotto closes on rough sea days – skippers evaluate conditions at 9am – and is frequently closed in winter. The best light is between noon and 2pm when sun hits the underwater opening at the right angle. Go early in the morning to queue before the crowd builds; going by land from Anacapri avoids the longest queues. If it’s closed on your first attempt, the April-October window gives a reasonable chance of a second try.

Anacapri

Anacapri sits on the island’s higher plateau and feels measurably less frantic than Capri Town. Villa San Michele, the former home of Swedish physician Axel Munthe, has Roman statues, Mediterranean gardens, and sweeping bay views. Munthe built it beginning in the 1880s and filled it with his Roman antiquities collection in a way that is more eccentric than institutional.

The Seggiovia del Monte Solaro chairlift from the centre of Anacapri takes you to the island’s highest point at 589 metres. The ride is open-sided with panoramic views on clear days over the Bay of Naples, Vesuvius, and on exceptional days the Amalfi Coast. It is the most efficient view on the island and underpriced relative to the experience.

Capri Town and the Faraglioni

Capri Town’s Piazzetta is the social centre – cafes, boutiques, and people watching – and in July it is extremely crowded with daytrippers from 10am to early evening. The shops are expensive and the same brands appear in the same windows everywhere. That said, the Piazzetta in late evening with a Campari and a reasonable grasp of Italian is one of the better places in Italy to sit for an hour.

The Faraglioni – three limestone sea stacks rising dramatically offshore – are Capri’s defining image. Boat tours circumnavigate them and pass through an arch in the second stack. The view from various coastal paths above also works. In August one of the arches contains a blue lizard, Lacerta caerulea, found naturally only on the Faraglioni – a species small enough that most visitors walk straight past without noticing it.

Where to Eat

Da Paolino, just outside Capri Town in a lemon grove, serves traditional Caprese cuisine in the best possible setting. Expensive, but the setting earns some of the price. La Fontelina on the rocky coastline south of the Faraglioni is a beach restaurant with good seafood and the kind of location that photographs better than it sounds. For something more straightforward, the trattorias on the back streets of Capri Town away from the Piazzetta are consistently better value than the ones on it.

Where to Stay

JK Place Capri is the stylish boutique option with an infinity pool and rooftop views – well-regarded and honestly good. Hotel Caesar Augustus in Anacapri sits on a cliff with views over the Faraglioni and is the kind of place that justifies its prices through sheer location. For a quieter stay at lower cost, Anacapri offers small hotels that are a 10-minute bus ride from the main tourist circuit and significantly calmer.

Practical Notes

Daytrippers arrive on the first morning ferries and leave on evening ones. If you’re staying overnight, the Piazzetta after 8pm is a different experience. Explore the coastal path to Villa Malaparte or the path to the Arco Naturale before the crowds build in the morning. Hiking boots are unnecessary; good walking shoes are sufficient for most trails. The Seggiovia del Monte Solaro is cash-friendly but card machines are common now across the island.