What can I say about Capri? ... except I always refer to it as The Isle of Capri; a habit I started when someone asked me sometime in the 1980's "Where did you get that fabulous bag?... I replied... "Oh this?... on the Isle of Capri!"... I wish I still had that bag but it was not designed to be around forever because it was a woven straw bag that I carried around the world until it fell apart. I wrote briefly about Capri here in La Dolce Vita It would be impossible for me to say I have a favorite or least favorite place in Italy as it would be like saying I have a favorite or least favorite chocolate dessert... I find them all like places in Italy equally delicious... but Chocolate Angel Pie and Capri both hold a special place in my heart...
Sometimes when I have trouble sleeping or I'm stressed I close my eyes and visualize the views coming to Capri by boat or from the island to the water and everything in between. I said previously that I have no real first hand hotel experience because I have been lucky enough to stay in a private home for one reason or another... but I have had dinner at Grand Hotel Quisisana near the central Piazza Umberto I (the social center of the island)... it was an expensive meal but worth every lire (when I was there) what I remember best was the company and the conversation and an evening laced with candle light and fragranced with bougainvillaea, oleander and jasmine.
Capri is about six kilometers long and about two kilometers wide and has two towns Capri and high above Anacapri... on first visit I highly recommend taking the day tour and after that you will have an understanding to explore the island again and again on hopefully your many visits.
The south coast gets the most sun and is protected by sea winds from the high cliffs... so it's ideal for sun bathing often even in the winter... the little harbor area is Marina Piccola.
I have very few actual phobias but caves are close to the top of the list and even more extremely anxiety inducing are underwater caves but I made the exception to see the Blue Grotto... it's a massive flooded cave and the sunlight reflection makes the cave appear to be lit from the inside with a beautiful blue glow...
There are small boat tours that take you in an opening that is barely a meter high and if the water is particularly rough it's impossible to enter safely... on the other side of the island is the Green Grotto which is smaller but easier to navigate and less crowded.
You should also visit Giardini di Agusto (Gardens of Augustus)...Villa San Michele... there are few homes and gardens in the world this splendid... and Monte Solaro, from the Piazza Vittoria in Anacapri there is a 12 minute chair lift ride (or a one hour walk) that leads to the highest point on the island where you can see bay of Naples the Amalfi peninsula, the mountains of Calabria. In addition to taking a tour of the island I highly recommend taking a boat tour around the island... you won' be sorry the scenery from the water is the highlight to any visit to Capri.
Known as simply the Piazzetta is the town square in Capri that seems like a stage in a film under the clock tower ...
From here you find the cafes and shops that feature designers on Via Camrelle...
Elsewhere you will find shops selling souvenirs, flowers, locally made perfume, pottery, clothing and of course Capri's custom made sandals (made in a little over an hour)... and no matter what make sure you sample the Limoncello Di Capri (liquor made from Capri lemons) and savor a Neapolitan Pizza made with fresh locally made mozzarella cheese.
If you are staying in a hotel near the square make sure your room is not adjacent as it's rather loud and boisterous until late into the night and early morning... also most hotels on Capri are not child friendly so if you are planning on visiting as a family make sure you book your hotel reservations carefully.
Getting to Capri is easiest from Naples as there are regular ferries from Calata di Massa and nearby high speed boats from Molo Beverello (this is also where the cruise ships dock) There is also ferry service from Amalfi, Sorrento and Positano... getting to Capri is easy... the most difficult part of the journey for me has always been leaving... but taking with me my memories and experiences have always made me want to return again and again.
Join me again in two weeks!
