10 Experiences in Capri

The Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) has captivated visitors since its modern rediscovery in 1826, though Roman emperors knew it centuries earlier: archaeological divers have recovered statues from its submerged ledges that date to the reign of Tiberius in the 1st century AD. The cave's signature blue glow occurs when sunlight enters through a submerged opening roughly 1.5 metres wide, refracting through the seawater and illuminating the limestone cavity from below.

Access requires transferring into a small wooden rowboat at the cave entrance, where boatmen time their approach with the swell to pass through the 1.3-metre-high opening. Inside, the grotto extends about 60 metres long and 25 metres wide, with a ceiling height of roughly 14 metres. The effect is most intense between 12:00 and 14:00 on clear days, when direct sunlight strikes the underwater aperture at the optimal angle. During summer, boats queue from early morning, so arriving by 9:00 AM significantly reduces waiting time. Sea conditions must be calm for entry; rough water or high tides close the grotto without notice. The boatmen traditionally sing Neapolitan songs inside the cave, their voices amplified by the limestone dome, a custom that dates back to the first tourist visits in the 1830s.

The Gardens of Augustus occupy a series of terraces on the southern ridge of Capri town, originally laid out in the early 1900s by German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp. Krupp, who wintered on Capri between 1898 and 1902, also financed the construction of the dramatic switchback road below the gardens, now called Via Krupp, which descends 100 metres in a series of tight hairpin bends cut into the cliff face.

The gardens themselves are compact but richly planted with Mediterranean and subtropical species: Aleppo pines, agaves, dahlias, and bougainvillea arranged along gravel paths with iron railings at the overlooks. The main viewing platform faces south toward the Faraglioni, three limestone sea stacks rising 81 to 109 metres from the water, with a natural arch through the middle stack (Faraglione di Mezzo) large enough for small boats to pass through. On clear days, the view extends east to the Amalfi Coast and west across the Bay of Naples to Ischia. The gardens are small enough to visit in 20-30 minutes but worth lingering in for the light, which shifts dramatically through the afternoon. In 1944, the gardens were renamed from Giardini Krupp to Giardini di Augusto, referencing the first Roman emperor to establish a presence on Capri in 29 BC, when Augustus traded Ischia to Naples in exchange for this island.

Monte Solaro stands 589 metres above sea level, the highest point on Capri and the best vantage for understanding the island's geography. From the summit, you can see the entire Bay of Naples in a single sweep: Vesuvius to the northeast, the Sorrentine Peninsula directly east, and the island of Ischia to the northwest. On exceptionally clear days, the Pontine Islands appear on the northern horizon, over 80 km away.

A single-seat chairlift built in 1952 departs from Piazza Vittoria in Anacapri and covers the 589-metre ascent in about 12 minutes, gliding over terraced vineyards and holm oak forest. The alternative is a hiking trail from Anacapri that takes roughly 50-60 minutes through dense Mediterranean maquis: rosemary, lentisk, and tree heather. At the top, the remains of a small 14th-century fortification and a simple bar occupy the summit plateau. The descent on foot via the Cetrella hermitage path passes a 15th-century chapel with frescoes dedicated to Santa Maria di Cetrella and offers a quieter route back to Anacapri through woodland. The hermitage was built by Franciscan monks who chose this isolated spot for its solitude, and the interior retains a 16th-century marble altarpiece depicting the Madonna and Child.

Villa Jovis was the largest and most important of the twelve villas Emperor Tiberius built on Capri after permanently relocating from Rome in 27 AD. He governed the Roman Empire from this clifftop complex for the final decade of his life, relying on a signal fire system to communicate with the mainland. The ruins occupy approximately 7,000 square metres on the northeastern summit of Monte Tiberio, 334 metres above the sea.

The archaeological layout reveals a sophisticated Roman engineering project: a central system of four interconnected cisterns with a capacity of roughly 8,000 cubic metres collected rainwater for the entire complex. Surrounding these are the imperial apartments, a bathhouse with underfloor heating (hypocaustum), servants' quarters, a loggia with a panoramic terrace, and a corridor leading to the Salto di Tiberio, a sheer 297-metre cliff from which, according to Suetonius, the emperor reportedly had enemies thrown. The walk from Capri town takes about 45 minutes along Via Tiberio, a paved path that climbs steadily through residential gardens past luxury villas and lemon terraces. Pack water, as there is no shade or refreshment at the archaeological site itself. Near the entrance, the 17th-century Chapel of Santa Maria del Soccorso stands on the cliff edge, added centuries after Tiberius' death but offering the same vertiginous views that the emperor commanded daily.

Via Camerelle takes its name from the camerelle (small rooms), the barrel-vaulted storage chambers built into the hillside during the Roman period, which served as cisterns and warehouses for the nearby Villa of Augustus. These ancient structures were gradually converted into artisan workshops over the centuries, and by the 1950s, the street had become the island's premier shopping address.

Today the 200-metre pedestrian lane runs east from the Piazzetta toward the Tragara belvedere, lined with Italian and international fashion houses. But its character extends beyond luxury retail. Several shops maintain craft traditions specific to Capri: the handmade sandal workshops, where cobblers trace your foot on leather and assemble custom sandali capresi while you wait, have operated here since Capri became a post-war destination for artists and writers. The local perfumeries distill fragrances from island-grown lemons and Mediterranean herbs. Between the boutiques, small bars serve granita di limone made from Capri's IGP-certified lemons, which have thicker, more aromatic skins than mainland varieties. The street is busiest between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM during summer, when the evening passeggiata fills the narrow lane.

The Certosa di San Giacomo is the oldest surviving building on Capri, founded in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci, secretary to Queen Joanna I of Naples. The monastery complex follows the strict Carthusian layout: two cloisters (a smaller one for the prior and a larger one for the monks), a church, refectory, and individual cells, each with a walled garden where monks lived in solitary contemplation.

The monastery endured a turbulent history. During the 1656 plague that devastated Naples, the monks barricaded themselves inside and refused entry to Capri's townspeople seeking refuge, a decision that provoked lasting resentment on the island. The French suppressed the order in 1808, and the buildings served variously as a military barracks, prison, and hospital. Restoration began in the 1920s, and today the charterhouse houses the Museo Diefenbach, dedicated to German Symbolist painter Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach, who lived on Capri from 1900 until his death in 1913. His monumental canvases, some over 6 metres wide, fill several rooms with dreamlike landscapes and mythological scenes. The 14th-century church retains fragments of its original fresco cycle, and the larger cloister, with its porticoed arcade of white limestone arches, hosts summer classical concerts under the stars. The smaller cloister, reserved for the prior, preserves a well and a garden layout that reflects the original Carthusian design of silent, self-sufficient enclosure.

A full circumnavigation of Capri covers roughly 17 km of coastline and typically takes 2-3 hours, depending on swimming stops. The route passes geological formations that are invisible from land: the Grotta Bianca and Grotta Verde on the southern coast, the natural arch called Arco Naturale seen from sea level, and the dramatic cliff face below Villa Jovis where the limestone drops vertically into 50-metre-deep water.

Boats depart from Marina Grande, and the standard tour circles counterclockwise. The first major stop is typically the Faraglioni, where the boat passes through the natural arch of the middle stack (Faraglione di Mezzo), a tradition said to bring good luck to couples who kiss during the passage. Further south, the Grotta Verde (Green Grotto) offers a different light phenomenon than the Blue Grotto: emerald reflections caused by algae on the submerged rocks. Most tours include 1-2 swimming stops in sheltered coves where the water is transparent to a depth of 10-15 metres. Private boat rentals (gozzo or rubber dinghy) allow you to set your own pace and anchor wherever conditions permit. The most popular operator size is a 7-metre gozzo, which accommodates 4-6 passengers comfortably.

Limoncello production on Capri dates to the early 1900s, when island families began macerating the zest of locally grown limone di Capri (a variety of sfusato amalfitano) in grain alcohol, then blending the infusion with sugar syrup. The thick, oil-rich skins of Capri lemons, which benefit from the island's volcanic soil and sea-moderated temperatures, produce a more intensely aromatic peel than mainland citrus.

Several family-run producers on the island offer guided visits to their lemon terraces and production facilities. The process is straightforward but timing-dependent: lemons are hand-picked between February and October, zested immediately (only the yellow outer layer, never the bitter white pith), and steeped in alcohol for 30-80 days depending on the producer's recipe. The result is filtered, mixed with simple syrup, and bottled without pasteurisation. Tasting sessions typically include the classic limoncello alongside variations: crema di limoncello (blended with cream), limoncello al basilico, and occasionally a fiery limoncello al peperoncino. The best producers also serve their lemons as insalata di limone, sliced thin with oil, salt, and mint, demonstrating the fruit's culinary versatility beyond the liqueur.

Capri's dining tradition centres on the island's position between sea and terraced hillside. The local catch, primarily totani (flying squid), alici (anchovies), and various species of bream, arrives at Marina Grande each morning and reaches restaurant kitchens within hours. The island's signature pasta dish, ravioli capresi, fills handmade parcels with caciotta cheese and fresh marjoram, dressed simply with tomato and basil.

For a sunset dinner, the restaurants along Via Tragara and the terraces above Marina Piccola face west and southwest, catching the full descent of the sun behind Ischia. Book for 7:30 PM in summer to be seated before the light turns golden around 8:00 PM. Wine lists typically feature Campanian labels: Falanghina dei Campi Flegrei, Greco di Tufo, and the rare Capri DOC white, produced from Falanghina and Greco grapes grown on the island's terraces, with fewer than 20,000 bottles made annually. End with a torta caprese, the flourless almond and dark chocolate cake invented in the 1920s on Capri, reportedly by a baker who forgot to add flour to his cake batter. For a lighter option, ask for delizia al limone, a sponge cake soaked in lemon syrup and filled with lemon cream, which showcases the island's citrus at its purest. Reservations made 2-3 days in advance are essential for terrace seating during peak season.

The Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Anacapri contains one of the most remarkable decorative floors in southern Italy: a complete Garden of Eden scene rendered in hand-painted majolica tiles, commissioned in 1761 and designed by Solimena school painter Leonardo Chianese. The 40-square-metre floor depicts Adam and Eve surrounded by real and fantastical animals, tropical plants, and a unicorn, all arranged in a circular composition radiating from a central Tree of Knowledge.

The tiles were fired at the Chianese workshop in Naples and transported to Anacapri by mule along the Scala Fenicia, since no road connected the two towns at that time. The church itself, built between 1698 and 1719 on an octagonal plan, was designed by architect Antonio Vaccaro in a restrained Baroque style. Visitors view the floor from a raised wooden walkway around the perimeter and from a small balcony above the entrance, which provides the best vantage for photographing the complete composition. The tiles have been restored twice, in 1952 and 2005, and the vivid blues, greens, and yellows remain remarkably well preserved after more than 260 years. The church's octagonal plan, unusual for Campanian religious architecture, creates an intimate space where the floor becomes the primary visual focus rather than the altar. A small organ gallery above the entrance offers the most complete overhead perspective of the composition.