Things to do in Capri, Italy

The Mediterranean island of Capri off the Amalfi coast exudes glamour and natural beauty. Capri often earns the nickname ‘Blue Island’ or ‘Isola Azzura’ because of the water color that surrounds it. Here are things to do in Capri during our day trip from Sorrento. See why this island has captivated visitors for centuries.

Getting There

It was an easy boat ride from our base of Sorrento. We could have done a DIY trip but decided to take a tour from one of the agencies we found in town.

The tour bus picked us up at our hotel, one of the reasons we booked this excursion.They picked us up and dropped us off which was very convenient.

We picked up other passengers at their lodging locations. This gave us an opportunity to look at other properties around Sorrento.

The bus took us to the town of Massalubrense to get on the boat. It was a short 25-minute ride to the island but this excursion included going around the island’s coast to see some sights before docking.

The Boat Ride

Unfortunately, we were here in late March with not having the best weather or the smoothest waves. It was a very rocky boat ride as we neared the island.

The water was so choppy. I’m glad we were on a decent-sized boat that accommodated about 30 people.

We saw this other boat that was a lot smaller and knew we would have been really seasick. An older man and a couple of kids didn’t do too well during our cruise and got really sick.

Many of us felt seasick at one time or another due to the rough seas. Unfortunately, we forgot to take some medication.

Glimpses of Capri

Capri is renowned for its jagged, white, sandstone cliffs and large boulders. We spotted some elegant homes precariously perched on some of these cliffs.

The word Capri comes from the Latin word capraeae meaning for goats. It used to be part of mainland Italy.

It was part of Greece at one time and then became part of Italy. Caesar Augustus built the first villa here in 29 BC.

Capri was a favorite place to visit and live by various Roman emperors. After the fall of the Roman Empire, various groups, including the Spaniards, raided and occupied the island.

Capri’s mild climate, natural beauty and relaxed lifestyle has been a magnet for artists, writers and celebrities, tourists for years.

The ocean, wind, and time carved these three rock formations or sea stacks known as the Faraglioni. They have almost become the symbol of Capri.

They were known as Stella (star), Faraglione di Mezzo (in between) and Scopolo. Stella was the one still connected to the mainland.

They were quite remarkable to see up close. We loved going into the arch hole to see the rock formation up close.

If you’re here on calmer ocean days, try to visit Scopolo (the furthest from the mainland). This has unique blue lizards only found here.

It was a surprise to see the Punta Carena lighthouse jutting out from the coastal rocks. This was one of Italy’s oldest lighthouse and has been around since 1867.

I’m a fan of lighthouses and loved that this one looks different from many we have in America. I’m sure the views and sunsets from this area were incredible.

The Sea Caves

Capri is home to several sea caves underneath its coastal cliffs. But, the most famous one is the Blue Grotto (Grotto Azzurra). As part of our excursion, we were supposed to stop here and go on a small rowboat through the narrow 3 ft (1 m) high opening partially submerged in the water. You can see it on the below photos.

The Blue Grotto is famous for the blue light that surrounds the caverns once you’re inside. Unfortunately, it was high tide and the rowboats couldn’t get into the cave.

We’ve heard this happens quite often. So, it’s all about luck and tide cycle timing.

It is also best between noon and 2 PM to get the full blue effect. We spoke to fellow tourists who were able to go inside a couple days before our trip. They described it as “magical”. I guess it’s another reason for us to go back here.

Marina Grande

Our boat landed in the Marina Grande area. There were several docked ferries, private boats, yachts and fishermen boats on the jetty.

Rows of houses lined the area facing the sea. Souvenir shops and restaurants, including some with outdoor dining spaces, now occupy these buildings.

Piazzale Vittoria was the small area for the funicular station. The island has two main areas/towns to visit. Capri is the chic, busy and more populated area while Anacapri was smaller, more laidback and at the quieter side of the island.

Exploring Capri

The island is about 3.7 mile s(6 km) long and 1.7 miles (2.8 km) at its widest. It’s about 10 square km where 4 km is Capri and the rest belongs to Anacapri.

These two towns were located at the top of the cliff. There were three options to get up to the top: taxi, bus or the funicular. The bus and funicular stations and parked taxis were located by Marina Grande.

Despite the appeal of the pastel colored convertible taxis, we chose to ride the buses instead to save some money. There were two lines with clearly marked signs for Capri or Anacapri. The funicular which was the fastest way to get up to Capri wasn’t operating during our visit.

We were on the island for about six hours. We decided to go to Capri first and see if we had enough time to explore Anacapri later. But, Capri kept us busy and we ended up staying there the whole time.

The buses were quite small with only about 10 seats. Though, they packed in the passengers. The ride to Capri was about 15 minutes including a couple of stops along the way.

Hang out at the Squares

The epicenter of Capri is La Piazzetta or Piazza Umberto 1. Stores and cafes surrounded this small square.

This was the former site of the island’s food market. It seemed like there was barely any walking space with all the cafe tables around it.

The most iconic structure here was the famous clock tower or the Torre del Orologio. The bright colors certainly fit in with Capri’s other buildings. The square was the hub of the island’s social life.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an Italian square without a church. The 17th century Cathedral of Santo Stefano was just a few steps away from the square. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take a peek inside because the church was closed.

We really liked that everything was within walking distance to the square including the bus and funicular stops. There was a terrace here with white columns that looked out into the Gulf of Naples and the hillside. This area got very crowded as the day progressed especially with tour groups assembling here.

From La Piazzetta, we easily wandered around and got lost in Capri’s narrow streets. We followed the road behind the cathedral and found ourselves by the posh Grand Hotel Quisisana. It was hard to miss with its facade decorated with many flags.

It was a few steps to Capri’s most popular shopping street, Via Camerelle. This wasn’t a very large area. But, many famous fashion brands occupied its many store fronts.

It felt like walking down a more scenic Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. There were several charming boutiques souvenir shops too.

Get lost in Capri’s Streets

We didn’t have a map of the island or the town. We intended to explore the town and get lost.

It was a fantastic way to explore Capri. They had some signs showing tourist attractions and walking distances/time from your current location.

The 14^th century Charterhouse of San Giacomo or Carthusian Monastery is Capri’s oldest historic building. Count Giacommo Arcucci, who was a local nobleman, founded it. Three buildings, that included a pharmacy, women’s church, convent and workshops, made up the Charterhouse.

They retired it from many of these functions in 1808. It is currently used as a cultural center and high school site.

Visit Carthusia Perfumery

It’s always wonderful to come by unique attractions. We loved Carthusia: Perfumes of Capri. How did this store of perfumes emerge on a small island?

The father prior of the nearby Carthusian Monastery found perfume formulas from many years earlier. The monks discovered and mixed Capri’s flowers and herbs and wrote these formulas.

The prior gave the formulas to an Italian chemist who used the monks’ works to create a variety of exclusive fragrances with limited production. Hence, the Carthusia (or Charterhouse) perfumes and scents were born. They still do production by hand in their laboratories as it was many years ago.

I wanted to buy so many fragrances in this store. But, the drawbacks of traveling with only carry-ons meant I couldn’t buy anything larger than 3.4 0z (1000 ml). Everything smelled so good.

My daughter and I enjoyed smelling all the scents here. These made for great souvenirs. I love my Mediterraneo parfum and lotion. Every time I use them, it takes me back to that wonderful day in Capri. They hand wrapped wrap the boxes beautifully and even spray the bag with one of their signature scents.

Explore Augustus Gardens

We followed the scenic path from the monastery, passing by Carthusia perfumes to where everyone seemed to be going – the Augustus Gardens. The gardens have been around since the 1930s and was filled with floral terraces and sculptures. It was about a 15-minute walk from the piazza.

But, the reason most people go here was for the views of the Faraglioni that looked like they were floating at sea. This area also gave a closer look at some of the towering sandstone cliffs. The terraces had remarkable panoramic views of the azure sea.

The other side of the gardens looked out into the bay of Marina Piccola. We saw the the most twisty road ever looking down from one of the terraces.

Known as Via Krupp, this was the brainchild of a German industrialist, A.F. Krupp. He owned the estate where some parts of the gardens were located.

This road was built in 1902 that started at Augustus Gardens and ended at Marina Piccola. Mr. Krupp had the scenic road built so it would be easier for him to access his docked yacht at the marina from his hotel.

It was almost dizzying looking at this winding road. Unfortunately, the road has been closed to the public since 2016 due to danger of falling rocks. Can you imagine walking up and down this road?

We also explored the area on the way to the Natural Arch. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and didn’t make it all the way to the lookout.

But, we found several seating areas that had this view of Capri. The white houses reminded us of Santorini Island in Greece.

Capri may be a small island but it was packed with natural beauty and attractions. We were day trippers and didn’t have the ideal weather so there were many things we missed including dipping into the azure waters and visiting the Blue Grotto or Anacapri.

We would love to return and spend a few days here during the summer. While we enjoyed the spring weather and manageable crowds, there are several reasons Capri is a popular summer destination choice. If you’re in Italy’s Amalfi Coast, we recommend spending at least a day in this beautiful island.

Tips for Visiting Capri in a day

• Getting There: Capri can be reached by jetfoils. catamarans or ferries from Sorrento, Naples or Positano/Amalfi Coast. There are frequent ferries running during the summer (May-September) but more limited during the other months. The ferries leave from Marina Piccola in Sorrento. Prices vary depending on season and type of vessel.
• There were also several tour companies from Sorrento that offered day trips to Capri. These tours included pick-up/drop-off from hotels and a tour around the island with a stop at the Blue Grotto (weather permitting). Some tours were on smaller boats. We recommend opting for a larger vessel to minimize seasickness especially when traveling here during rough seas.
• Take seasickness medicine like non-drowsy Dramamine before the cruise. We regretted not doing this. It’s especially important to take it if you’re on a boat tour that goes around the island.
• Go into the tourism office at Marina Grande. It was hard to miss since mostly everyone passes it after getting off the ferries. The staff were friendly and they provided brochures. maps and other helpful information.
• Tours to the Blue Grotto were located on the dock area in Marina Grande.
• There are three ways to get to the town of Capri: The funicular, taxi or bus. From the tourism office, make a right to buy bus tickets at the booth. Get in the appropriate line to either go to Capri or Anacapri. Bus/Funicular tickets: 2 euros one-way. The funicular wasn’t working during our visit.
• There were long lines at the bus stops in Marina Grande and the Piazzetta in Capri during our March visit. I can only imagine the lines here during the summer months. Pack some patience or take a taxi (at that time, we were quoted 30 euros one way) if you encounter really long lines. There are some trails if you decide to walk up or down from the marina to the towns. See walking times and routes here.
• Public restrooms (50 cent fee) were located between the gardens and the Carthusia perfume store.
• The Augustus Gardens are usually only open from Easter week to November. Entrance fee was €1 per person and kids 12 and under were free.
• Where to Eat: We had a full breakfast and weren’t really as hungry when we got to Capri close to lunchtime. We found R. Buonocore Pasticceria and Gelateria near the piazza. There weren’t many seats in there but they had delicious food with a variety of pizza, pasta, sandwiches and desserts including of course, gelato with handmade cones.

*Have you visited or spent a day in Capri?

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