Oh Capri – the island of staggering rock formations, giant luscious lemons, and fresh Caprese salad. The water surrounding Capri is impossibly blue. And the people walking the streets of Capri have a reputation for being impossibly beautiful (not to mention, impossibly rich). We visited Capri as part of a 7-day trip along the Amalfi Coast, and I personally think it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. The island gets a bad rep for being a playground for the rich and famous, but even so, is worth visiting, whatever your budget. Check out these 15 photos that will inspire you to visit Capri, Italy!
Related Post: The Ultimate Amalfi Coast Travel Guide
TIP: It’s easy to visit Capri from a base in Naples or Positano (if you’re visiting as part of a larger Amalfi Coast trip). We stayed in Positano, and the ferry ride to Capri was less than an hour! Tickets are available for purchase at the main dock in Positano.
The Blue Grotto
One could argue that Capri is best appreciated from the sea, so it’s best to kick-off a trip to Capri with a boat ride around the island. The jagged coastline and turquoise blue waters surrounding the island are truly breathtaking!
There are several boat tour companies to choose from in the Marina Grande. Classic Capri boat tour covers several key attractions including: the statue of the Scugnizzo, the Grotta del Corallo, the Grotta Bianca, the Natural Arch, the Grotta Verde, the Bay of Marina Piccolo, the Faraglioni sea stacks, and finally, the Blue Grotto. Boat rides typically last ~2 hours (unless you want to visit the Blue Grotto, which during peak season, usually adds an hour or two of waiting time, for an additional cost).
TIP: If you’re interested in visiting the Blue Grotto, you will need to transfer to a small boat (coordinated by the boat tour company), which takes you through the narrow cave opening. Those who are claustrophobic, be warned! You will have to lie on the floor of the boat to get through the opening.
Via Vittorio Emmanuele
Visit the famed streets of Via Vittorio Emmanuele and Via Camerelle (just off of the main Piazzetto Umberto I) to shop in (or in my case, window-shop) glamorous boutique shops and well-known couture brands (Gucci, Prada, etc).
Along Via Vittoria Emmanuele is a bakery called Buonocore Gelateria. You MUST stop here for amazing desserts and espresso (get the flaky sfogliatelle or limoncello cookies). You might have to battle for a seat (the bakery only offers 6 bar stools!), but it’s worth the effort.
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Garden of Augustus
Check out the Garden of Augustus, a lovely botanical garden that features a leafy terrace, for picture-perfect views of the Faraglioni sea stacks from above.
Via Krupp
On the opposite side of the gardens, you can look down onto the narrow, hairpin, zig-zagging roads of Via Krupp leading down to the Marina Piccola.
Punta Tragara
From the Garden of Augustus, turn right on Via Tragara to get to Punta Tragara, the best viewpoint overlooking the Natural Arch. The path to the Natural Arch takes abut 30-minutes to complete. It takes you through a quiet residential area (for us, this was a refreshing break from the swarms of tourist in the main town), where the elegant villas drip with blooms of fragrant bougainvillea and wisteria.
The views of the Natural Arch from the Punta Tragara viewpoint are gorgeous, and were definitely the highlight of our visit to Capri.
Even though we were only in Capri for a day, the island definitely has a special place in my heart. In hindsight, I would’ve chosen to stay on the island for at least one night, to give us more time to check out other attractions (such as the Villa San Michele and the cable car views from Mount Solaro). I guess this just means we’ll have to go back…..!
Have questions or need help planning a trip to Capri? Leave me a comment below!
Related Post: The Ultimate Amalfi Coast Travel Guide
Related Post: A Foodie’s Weekend Guide to Emilia-Romagna
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Ciao Jessie, since I’m not using Instagram at the moment, I thought I’d stop in on your blog and say hello! The Amalfi Coast is absolutely stunning and your pictures are gorgeous! You are absolutely right that the best views are from the sea. We were planning on doing a kayak tour there, but the sea ended up getting too choppy and it was canceled. Something to look forward to next time though! 🙂
Kelly
italianatheart.com
Hi Kelly! So good to hear from you. Thank you so much for your comment! A kayaking tour sounds so fun, and definitely a good excuse to go back to Capri! You’ll have to let me know how it goes when you do go back.
Jessie