Capri is one of the most famous and prestigious international tourist destinations appreciated by thousands of tourists coming from all over the world. Capri enchants and marvels everybody being one of the most beautiful city of the Mediterranean territory.

 

Many Roman emperors like Augustus and Tiberius loved this island and during the IX century many European artists, intellectuals, nobles and industrialists chose Capri as their habitual residence contributing to increase its international fame. This island’s importance is, consequentially, also connected to its history that has always been very closed to the global culture: this city welcomed the most important members of the national and international artistic, literary and political world like Pablo Neruda, Lenin, Graham Greene and several Hollywood stars. 

The island of Capri is a protraction of the Sorrento peninsula: an imposing chalky rock block dominated by the Solaro Hill. Its 17 km long coast is characterized by rocky cliffs, several caves, wonderful creeks, little beaches, impressive sea stacks and inaccessible promontories. This really is an unique place that you can completely admire making a tour by boat having a rest in a lonely beach where you can take a bath. Once arrived in Capri, at the Marina Grande Port, you will be surrounded by a lush green, sunny Mediterranean atmosphere.

Capri is placed in the Southern part of the Naples Gulf and it is administratively divided into two municipalities that are which one of Capri and which one of Anacapri with their charming white houses, their striking narrow streets, their small squares.

 

Here you can do some elegant shopping or take a bath in this wonderful sea or go for a nature trail o for a cultural walk.

 

Here there are, in fact, some archaeological ruins like the Augustus Villa  or famous social life meeting points like the so-called “Piazzetta” (that is to say the Umberto I square) placed in Capri where many VIP spend their free time. Spending some time staying in some of the “Piazzetta” open-air cafés is, in fact, something that everybody should do once in Capri.

 

But this is also the historical centre with its Watch Tower (Torre dell’Orologio), the Archbishops Palace (the Palazzo Arcivescovile) and the elegant XVII century church of Santo Stefano characterized by a fancy oriental baroque style. In front of this church you can also admire the Cerio Palace. Around the square there is the striking medieval districts with their most ancient Northern part that dates back to the XI century.

From the historical centre you can go for a walk visiting charming places starting from Villa Jovis that was the opulent Tiberius residence. This is the most important one among the 12 villas built on this island by the emperor Tiberius. It is placed on the top of the Tiberio Hill and from this point you can admire a beautiful landscape of all the Naples Gulf. This Villa  extends on 7000 square metres distributed on different levels. Here you can see the big cisterns, placed at the centre of this construction, that were used to provide with rainwater all the house.

 

You can also visit the beautiful Certosa di San Giacomo that is a striking Carthusian monks ex- monastery built during the XIV century. This is a splendid example of Capri architecture that during the XVII century was enlarged and restored adding baroque elements. In the Certosa there are two beautiful cloisters. Today this majestic architectonical construction, ornamented with XIV and XVIII century frescos, is the seat of the Museum dedicated to the German painter Diefenbach, of a library and of a school.

 

You should also visit the Augustus Park (the Parco Augusto) made up by terraces on the sea and characterized by a wonderful landscape on the Faraglioni, on the Marina Piccola Bay, on the Solaro Hill and on other natural marvels of Capri. These gardens are a perfect example of Capri botany.

 

Other monuments that deserve your attention are:

- The Church of San Lorenzo: this Byzantine nice little church was built during the year 1000 and it is dedicated to the Capri Patron Saint, Costanzo. This white church is placed near the Marina Grande port in a very striking location.

- The Barbarossa Castle: this Byzantine castle became famous during the XVI century for the Saracen pirate called Barbarossa who carried out a violent sack.

- The Phoenician Staircase (The Scala Fenicia): until the 1874 this staircase was the unique connection between Capri and Anacapri. This step starts from Marina Grande in Capri and arrives to the Rupe di Capodimonte in Anacapri.

Placed at the bottom of the Solaro Hill, Anacapri has kept throughout time its subtle beauty thanks to its monuments like the Red House very near to the Museum of the Tower, the Church of San Michele characterized by a beautiful majolica floor and the Church of Santa Sofia near to the most ancient part of the city.  Axel Munthe Street is one of the most characteristic zone of Anacapri: it is full of craftsman’s laboratories and luxury villas and it will lead you to the villa of the Swedish Doctor Axel Munthe. This construction ornamented with statues and artistic works has also a wonderful garden.

From the natural point of view you can admire the rocky Natural Arch (Arco Naturale): this is one of the most striking place of this island. This natural monument, shaped as an arch, was originally a cave whose initial structure underwent throughout time many transformations due to telluric movement and to the wind and rain erosion.

Other beautiful things to see are the Cave of Matromania and Punta Tregara. From this point you can admire the Faraglioni: the three big ochre rocks that emerge from the sea. They are the very symbols of Capri having an overage height of 100 metres. The three tops have three different names that are Stella, Faraglione di Mezzo and Faraglione di Fuori or “Scopolo” being the dwelling of an unique type specimen of Blue Lizard.

In the island of Capri there are 840 species of Mediterranean flora and in the sea there are 65 caves: the most important one among them is the famous Blue Cave (the Grotta Azzurra) that is the most striking and beautiful cave in this island. It is a spectacular marine cave where water has a unique blue colour thanks to particular reflections and plays of light created by the sunlight that enters through the cave’s opening.

Other natural places that deserve your attention are:

- The Fortini placed in a path where it is possible to admire many bays and a crystalline sea being an important testimony of the Saracen dominations on the island.

- The Punta Carena Lighthouse: this place is situated in the most Western part of the island and it is characterized by the presence of a lighthouse that is the second most important one in Italy after which one of Genoa. The ragged rocks on the sea, the luxuriant Mediterranean vegetation and the lighthouse itself make Punta Carena one the most striking point of the island.

The Capri gastronomy

The Capri cuisine is characterized by a wide variety of delightful, healthy and fragrant dishes. Its sea it extremely fishy allowing the creation of several recipes based on seafood like char-grilled scampi seasoned with aromatic herbs. Another famous recipe is which one of the stuffed squids, this is a delicious local dish that, despite its humble origins, is now appreciated in the most luxury restaurants in Capri.

As first course it is possible to quote the Capri ravioli (ravioli alla caprese) dressed with tomato sauce and fresh basil. This herb and tomatoes are also at the basis of another famous traditional recipe of this island: the Capri salad (insalata caprese).

As second course you can taste wild quails seasoned with a sauce made up by wine, bacon and peas lightly fried in the white wine.

As a dessert you should taste the traditional Capri cake (torta caprese) made up by chocolate and almonds.

Finally you should also drink the wines produced in this island: the most famous one among them is the White Capri made up by grapes of Falanghina, Greco and of Biancolella and ideal to accompany shellfish.

Traditions in Capri

Staying in Capri you can also take a part in the following traditional celebrations:

- Procession of San Costanzo

- Procession of S. Antonio

- Santa Maria del Soccorso

- Santa Maria Della Libera

Events in Capri

Starting from April until the end of summer many artistic and cultural events are organized in this island: more or less every night there are concerts, sculpture and painting exhibitions, theatrical and ballets performances that take place in the square or in the beautiful Tiberius villas. The following ones are a series of events you shouldn’t miss once in Capri:

- Sant’Antonio Feast – on the 13th of June: Every year on this date Anacapri celebrates its Patron Saint organizing a big feast in the urban streets.

- San Costanzo Feast – on the 14th of May: Every year on this date Capri celebrates its Patron Saint.

- The International Folklore Festival (Festival Internazionale del Folklore) – August: in Anacapri for one week there is the organization of open-air shows made up by music bands and by folkloristic ballet companies.

- Settembrata Anacaprese – September : this is a big town festival organized to celebrate the grape harvest. This feast lasts 10 days dedicated to the typical local products with shows, competitions and games. 

- Capri, Hollywood – December: Every December from 1991, Capri becomes the seat of an international Cinema festival. This event attracts on this island many Italian artists, Hollywood stars and independent film makers who want to introduce their works in this exclusive place.

How to arrive in Capri:

You can reach Capri through different public transport. By plain you can arrive to the Naples airport and then from here you should go on towards the Naples ports where you can go on board to reach the island of Capri. From the airport you can reach these ports through taxis, buses and rented cars. By train you can arrive to the different railway stations of Naples and also from these stations you can proceed towards the ports of Naples. You should know that on the island of Capri people who are not inhabitants are not allowed to move by car during the high season (more ore less from the Easter week to the first week-end of November). For this reason it is better to leave you car in a secure parking near the various ports: for example in Naples at the Beverello pier there is the open-air secure port’s parking  or not so far from here there is the Interscambio-Autosilo Brin secure parking that is the biggest one being moreover covered and chip. Also near the Mergellina pier there are other secure parking just like in Sorrento and in Salerno.

By Plain

The International Airport of Naples (called “Capodichino”) is 7 km far from the city. To reach the centre of Naples through public transport you can use the “servizio navetta alibus” (Alibus Shuttle Service) that connects this airport to the Railway Station in Piazza Garibaldi (Garibaldi Square) and to the Stazione Marittima in Piazza Municipio (Municipio Square). The ticket can be bought on board, it costs 3 Euro and lasts 90 minutes during which you can also use the other metropolitan transportation services. The shuttle leaves every 30 minutes from 6.30 a.m. to 23.30 p.m. Another public transport is the S3 Line of the ANM that leaves every 10 minutes towards Piazza Garibaldi (Garibaldi Square). A comfortable alternative is represented by the CLP (private buses) that leaves every 30 minutes from the terminal 1 towards Piazza Municipio (Municipio Square). You can directly buy the ticket on board and the trip lasts 40 minutes. You should know that Piazza Municipio (Municipio Square) is 3 minutes far from the Beverello pier.

Once arrived in the airport you can also get a taxi. The trip for Piazza Municipio (Municipio Square) railway station lasts more or less 15 minutes, 20 minutes for the Beverello pier and 25 minutes for the Mergellina pier. Alternatively, you can also rent a car contacting one of the international companies directly from the airport.

The Naples airport is even connected to Capri by helicopters that are just available for tourist services.

By Train

The Italian company Trenitalia connects Naples to all the main Italian cities and the available railway stations are three:

1. The Napoli Centrale one placed in Piazza Garibaldi (Garibaldi Square) provided with taxis, bus, and subway service together with the railway line called Circumvesuviana that connects Naples with all the cities around the Vesuvio arriving until Sorrento.

2.  The Margellina one that is 300 metres far from the namesake pier provided with taxi, bus and subway service.

3. The Campi Flegrei one placed in the Fuorigrotta zone, provided with taxi, bus and subway service.

By Car

Coming from the Northern part of Italy, you can reach Naples by car going through the A1 highway until Caserta, then you should go on through the A2 highway until Naples. At this point you should go on through the ring road until the Fuorigrotta exit to reach the Mergellina pier, or until the Centro-Porto exit to reach the Beverello pier.

Coming from the Southern part of Italy you should go through the A14 and A16 highway until Pomigliano, at this point you should go through the A2 highway until the Napoli Nord exit that will lead you to the ring road.

Arriving from Reggio Calabria you should go through the A3 highway towards North until the A2 highway and the Napoli Nord exit connected to the entrance of the ring road. The Salerno – Reggio route is free.

Reaching Capri from the Coast

From Naples you can go on board towards Capri from the Calata Porta di Massa port, or from the Beverello and the Mergellina pier. The trip lasts 40 minutes by hydrofoil, 50 minutes by the fast boat and 1 hour and 20 minutes by ferry. If you have bulky baggage you should buy a ticket for each one of you luggage and show it going on board. The Beverello pier is very closed to Piazza Municipio (Municipio Square), from this dock you can catch the hydrofoils belonging to different companies. There is also a shuttle service to connect this pier to the port of Calata Porta di Massa where you can catch only ferries that transport also cars towards Capri. In this port there is also a shuttle service that connects it to the Beverello pier. The Mergellina pier is 300 metres far from the namesake railway station. From here the hydrofoils leave every hour but just during the high season.

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