Capri island
By Jaimy de Vries
A famous island for many reasons
On a sunny day in Italy we took an early ferry from city Napoli to Island Capri. It was 7 am and dark, so we took a nice cup of coffee to wake up. After a journey of less than an hour we arrived at Marina Granda. We walked out of the ferry and were surprised by a beautiful view over the harbor that lays before the big Mount Solaro that looked like a canvas on the background. In the harbor you’ll see colorful old houses, many fishing boats and a lot of people moving towards the funicular or boat trips. A first glimpse of how beautiful Capri is….
We started with a boat tour around the island. This was a nice start; the tour guide gave us more information about the island and the best spots to visit. Based on this we were able to draw up a plan for the rest of the day. We didn’t had a plan yet so this was very handy (Side note: having no plan is not Jaimy-like, I like to plan everything and be well informed before hand to make the most of a day trip). There was a nice fresh breeze, that made us alert and awake. No more coffee needed! Capri is a very beautiful island with steep high cliffs that explodes out of the water. It is special how a tree can still grow on such a steep rock. We literally sailed around the island, over the azure blue sea and through the famous rocks of Faroglioni with the warm morning sun on our face.
After the boat trip we bought a day ticket for the bus. This way we could go from one end of the island to the other end in a short time. Ideal for a day trip!. We took the bus to the town of Anacapri. To get there you had to take the “Mama Mia road”. That the road got this name is not without reason. The road is super narrow and has a very low (safety) railing. Your heart pumps out of your body, while looking outside the window: you’ll see a very deep valley! A good example of letting go; your life in the hands of the driver. Well… I can still write this story, so we survived.
We took a chairlift in Anacapri to the top of mount Solaro. It was a trip of about 10 minutes alone in a chairlift. A moment of peace; swinging my legs through the air, a breeze in my face and a beautifully changing landscape. The top of the island (mount Solaro) has a panoramic view. A view that you see on postcards, but never in real life. Well this time it was real, wow!
When we arrived back in Anacapri, we looked for a terrace. We ate a delicious local delicacy: panino caprese. Then we started strolling through the town Anacapri. We discovered that Capri is an island for cat-lovers! Capri is full of sweet friendly stray kitties that are more than happy to get some pets. I don’t know about you, but I just cannot resist petting a cat when I see one!
After our stroll we took the bus to Faro. We sat next to the light house and toasted with our spritz on a lovely day in Capri with a beautiful view over the sea. It’s a good spot among locals to take a dip in the sea. Later the afternoon we went to the town Capri and were strolling for a nice ice cream; and we got one! After that we hiked to the Arc Naturale. We hurried back and took the bus down to the Marina. We still had some time left before the ferry left, so we sat on a nice spot on the coast and watched the sun going down. It was a great day!
My tips for a fun & complete day trip
For an ultimate day trip in Capri I made a schedule based on my experience of the island and how you can plan this even more efficiently. Below my advice:
# 1 – Leave early
Leave early for a day trip to island Capri. Then you’ll have the whole day to enjoy the island – There’s a lot to see and do so you will definitely need this extra time! Or book a hotel to extend you stay in Capri.
# 2 – Wander around harber Marina Grande
Take a stroll along the marina Grande and enjoy the ambiance of the harbor, the fresh sea air and all the movement: fisherman preparing their trip – all the tourist arriving from ferry’s and cruises. And not forget the screeching of the seagulls.
# 3 – Start with a boat tour
Start with a boat trip around the island. This can be a large tour boat, but more fun is a private boat tour (but this costs a lot more money). Beginning your day trip with a boat tour gives you a first good glimpse of the island and helps you make a plan for the rest of the day.
# 4 – Take the furnicular to Capri
Take the funicular to Capri. From here you’re in the center of the island Capri. Capri is a good place for a walk or shopping. If you took my advice to take this steps chronology then it’s time for a break. You can take an Italian ice cream or coffee. Ice cream!? You can wake me up any time of the day for an ice cream, so I, with no doubt (even in the morning), took a coffee-mocha ice cream!
# 5 – Hike to Via Krupp and Arcu Naturale
Via Krupp and Arcu Naturale are beautiful and unique spots to visit. Arcu Naturale is a beautiful natural rock formation. Via Krupp is a spectacular street that zigzags down a steep rock towards the sea. It is a wonderful 1,300 meters walk facing the Faraglioni, and branches out to various paths leading to sea caves that would otherwise be impossible to reach, such as the Grotta del Castiglione and the Grotta dell’Arsenale.
# 6 – Blue grotto
A visit to Blue Grotto is one of the essential things to do in Capri. Unfortunately we couldn’t do it due to strong winds and sea currents.
The Blue Grotto has been bewitching visitors since the time of the Roman empire. The extraordinary optical effects are created by the sunlight bouncing on the cave walls which produces water that is an electric blue that seems to glow. Be ready to transfer into a smaller rowboat at the entrance and to lie flat on the boat to fit into the cave.
# 7 – Stroll in Ana-capri
Take the bus / taxi from Capri to the second town of the island: Anacapri. We took our lunch here and I chose an Italian delicacy: Panini Caprese. After our break we had a nice walk through the town. It’s less crowded here.
# 8 – Chair lift
From Anacapri you can take the chair lift to the top of mount Solaro. On the top you can enjoy a panoramic and scenic view that you normally see on postcards. There’s a restaurant on the top if you’ll like eat or drink here. There is no better view on the island! On the top you can decide if you want to take the chairlift to go down (you need to know this when buying the ticket down in Anacapri) or go hiking. There are some amazing hiking trails going down the mount Solaro. I didn’t had the time to do this. You can take this hike on a day trip, but then it must be the highlight of the trip so no other activities like a boat trip or visit to the blue cave. If you stay several days in Capri hiking would be on my list!
# 9 – Get a 360-degree view from Monte Solaro
When going up with the chairlift you get a spectacular 360-degree views from Monte Solaro. At 589 metres above sea level, Monte Solaro is the highest and most panoramic point on the island.
This was one of my favorite things to do in Capri.
# 10 – lighthouse in Faro
Go towards Faro. Here you have a lighthouse with a beautiful view over the sea. Bring a drink with you and toast on a lovely day while the sun set (it depends on the season; in the summer it’s to late to wait for the sunset – you’re boat is already gone by then). Be on time to return, otherwise the bus is already full and you could miss your boat
# 10 – Hiking trails
Enjoy nature walks at Capri’s hiking trails The Pizzolungo which is a series of steps, wooded trail and a paved path will take you through an ancient forest grotto, past the modern architectural marvel of the Casa Malaparte to a breathtaking view of the sea and the Faraglioni.
Map to success
The map of island Capri
Underneath a short video of our road trip in Italy
This Post Has 2 Comments
Superb blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?
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a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting
with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid
option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
Any recommendations? Thanks a lot!
Hello! Thank you for your comment! I would recommend to start with a free platform (I did that too). I used elementor which helped me a lot with the design (there are lots of tutorials on youtube). Later you can expand with paid options later. There are a lot of free options…