The small Italian island of Capri is situated 5 km from the mainland in the Bay of Naples, a celebrated beauty spot and coastal resort since the days of the Roman Republic until now. It is also part of Campania.
Capri, known in Greek mythology as the isle of the sirens, was a favored resort of the Roman emperors. Most notoriously, the emperor Tiberius had his villa on the island, the location (supposedly) of debauched orgies. Those who displeased the emperor were flung to their deaths from the cliffs. The island is world famous and is very touristy, especially when swamped with tourists in July & August, but other times of year it is calmer and more relaxing.
Get in
By boat
Capri is reached in about 40 minutes by hydrofoil from the port of Ischia or Forio, docking at Marina Grande on the north side of the island. There are also daily ferries from Naples (20/day, €16, 40 minutes), Amalfi, Positano and from Sorrento (15/day, €14, 20 minutes). Boats are operated by Caremar and SNAV. [2]. Capri Online offers information on schedule and prices for all ferry / hydrofoil to Capri.
For arriving in style, Capritime Boats specialises in water taxi direct transfers from Naples, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Ischia to Capri. They also provide luxury full-day and half-day boat tours to the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Coast from Capri, tailor itineraries for cruise ship passengers docked in Sorrento, Capri, Naples and Amalfi and also offer special Capri and Ischia island boat excursions.
From Marina Grande, a funicular goes up to Capri Town, and boats leave for the Blue Grotto. The fourth store to the right of the funicular provides baggage storage for €2.50/day per bag, from 8:30-6:00. Tickets for buses, funicular, and return boats are for sale at kiosks, along with public toilets. The Tourist Information office offers €1 maps, open daily April to October 8:30-8:30PM, November to March Monday to Sunday 9:00-1:00 & 3:30-6:30. The Bar Augusto has internet access from 6:00AM-8:00PM
Get around
By foot: from the main harbour to the town up the hill leads a range of stairs. Stairs and walkways, mostly signposted, crisscross the island.
By funicolare: this mountain tram (same stuff as in Naples, Heidelberg, Barcelona and San Francisco) connects the harbour with the town up the hill. Read also about the unified public transport ticket Campania Unico.
By taxi: The open top taxis are expensive but, if there are a group of you worth considering. Haggle to get a price to ferry you around the island for the day (it won’t be cheap – but very little on Capri is!).
By bus: Island buses are readily available to take you to the various areas of the island. They run on a schedule and cost 1,30 € per ride, €2,80 for 60 minutes unlimited use, or €6,70 plus €1 deposit for unlimited day use (deposit is refunded to you at end of day). Buses run from: Marina Grande to Capri town (4/hour) and then take bus to Anacapri (4/hour) but the Capri to Anacapri bus gets crowded, so you could take a bus direct from Marina to Anacapri (2/hour)
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