day trip to capri

Marina Grande

(Capri, Italy).  In ancient times, Capri was a retreat for emperors and intellectuals because of its spectacular views, serenity and beauty.   Today, it is a popular tourist destination and commonly considered a playground for the rich.    We decided to just spend a day there since it was very easy to get there from Sorrento and we were curious as to what the island had to offer.

How to get to Capri from Sorrento.  From our hotel (Antiche Mura), we walked through the town square, down some steep stairways to the Marina Piccola.  The walk took about 15 minutes.  From there you can take the Ferry (14,70 euro each way; 30 minutes) or Hydrofoil (18,30 euro each way; 20 minutes) to Capri.  The Hydrofoil has many more departures and is a bit faster.

We chose to take the Hydrofoil and bought our return tickets at the same time.  The ride was smooth and comfortable - there are refreshment stands on the boat so you can have coffee and snacks during the trip.

When we landed, we were bombarded by the crowds exiting the boat as well as a hoard of vendors and tour guides trying to get us to sign onto tours and/or buy stuff.  Capri is incredibly touristy and quite expensive.  When we inquired about a water taxi ride to a particular beach club, they were quoting us $100 per person to take us around the island and to drop us off.  It seemed rather steep so we declined.

Instead we took a taxi into Capri (the main town where the shopping and restaurants are located) to look around and decided to walk to the beach club from there.

What is there to do?

• Shopping - When I was researching Capri, there didn't seem to be that much to do other than shopping and eating.  There were lots of high-end jewelry, fashion and accessories stores.  There is one particular sandal shop called Canforo on Via Camarelli that is famous for making sandals for Jackie O, but I had already gotten a pair made in Sorrento (for cheaper) so I didn't feel the need to go to Canforo too.   (Note - the shopping in the town of Capri basically reminded me of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills so it wasn't that interesting to me since I live in Los Angeles.)
• Bus Tour of the Island - The prices for tours range drastically so I would recommend asking your hotel concierge for good recommendations.  The tours seemed to take you around the island (to the town of Capri and Anacapri), the San Michele church, the Gardens of Augustus, and/or various viewpoints to enjoy the views around the island.
• Boat Tour around the Island - The prices for boat tours also differ drastically especially if you want a private tour.  However, they all seemed to go to some or all of the following:
• Blue Grotto (Grotto Azzurra) - this is considered one of the most popular sites in Capri but is often closed if the waters are too rough or the weather is temperamental.  Tip - For any tour here, you pay for the tour to get you there AND THEN you have to pay a separate fee to go into the grotto (for about 5 minutes).    Here's a good video on youtube that shows the entire experience.
• White Grotto (Grotto Bianca)
• Natural Arch (Arco Naturale) - natural arch formation
• Faraglioni  - pretty rock formation
• Green Grotto (Grotto Verde)
• Villa Jovis
• Hiking - away from the hectic and touristy town centers and squares, there are lovely hiking trails with majestic views.

What did we actually do? 

Several people suggested that we should just spend our time at one of the beach clubs on the island, especially since we weren't interested in shopping or following the hoards of tourists around the island.  After more than 2 weeks sightseeing, the thought of simply lounging by the ocean was especially enticing.  

After a lot of research, we settled on La Fontelina Beach Club.   At first we thought we could just grab a water taxi from the marina, but everyone we spoke to tried to get us to take an entire tour with them.  We then decided to take a taxi into town to at least see it and then walk from the town center - and I'm so glad we did that.   The walk to the beach club was amazingly beautiful and took us out of the busy tourist areas.  The entire walk takes about 20 minutes and can get a bit steep but it's well worth it.  The club is right near the Faraglioni so you can see the rock formations close up.

(Alternatively, you can take a taxi to Marina Piccola and if you have lunch reservations at the beach club, they will send a little boat to pick you up.)  Tip - The beach club has capacity limitations, so it's recommended to make reservations for the club.  You can just reserve for the beach club and/or for lunch/dinner.  We didn't realize this so we showed up with no reservations.  Fortunately there was room so we were able to enter.

When you arrive you are assigned a cabana boy and you can rent towels, chairs, umbrellas, etc.  It seems if you rent something, they waive the entrance fee.  Otherwise, just to enter costs about 20 euros.  Our chair and umbrella rentals came to about 55 euros.  Yes, that does seem pricey, but I can honestly say this was one of our best experiences during the entire trip so for us, it was well worth it.

It is quite a tiny area and there is no real beach.  The waters can be a bit rough but it's wonderfully refreshing.  But since there didn't seem to be lifeguards around, it's important to be careful.  I was very wimpy and only went into the waters for a little while before I got out after swallowing a mouthful of salt water.  (blech!)

The rest of the time, we sat in the shade enjoying the sound of the waves hitting against the rocks while we sipped on rose.  Then when our stomachs started grumbling from our "exertion", we ate lunch at the beach club restaurant and it was DELICIOUS!  Probably the best octupus salad I've ever had in my life. The steamed shellfish was also delectable - super fresh and briny. 

After our amazing meal, we went back to tanning and relaxing.

It was difficult to get our butts out of our chairs and walk back to town (uphill climb)!  But it was probably good that we burned off some calories.  We took a taxi from the town of Capri to Marina Grande and luckily caught a Hydrofoil boarding.

Even though we didn't spend that much time on Capri or saw lots of the expected tourist sites, we will cherish the time we spent at La Fontelina.  In fact, we can't wait to go back someday!