capri blue grotto

It's considerably more expensive than that. However it was one of the highlights of our trip, and on hindsight worth it. We went in June 2009. Two round trip tickets from Sorrento's Marina Piccola to Capri cost us 54 euro. Then once off the boat at the harbor in Capri you pay for another ticket for a boat to the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzura). That is 10 euro per person. Then when you arrive at the Blue Grotto, you again pay 11 euro per person to get into a rowboat that will take you inside (cash only). So to add it all up you're looking at 95 euro total for 2 people! Plus if you get one of the 'singing' boat guides inside the cave, they hint quite plainly they would appreciate a tip for the song. I will say the man could sing! And to hear his voice echoing off the walls inside this magical place, it was quite something! However I didn't tip him, and I got a mild comment back from him. I video taped inside the grotto. It was great. I'm a bit of a cheapskate, but this was well worth it. Fun, if you can stand the hit to your wallet.
By the way, it is VERY important that you depart from the marina EARLY, otherwise the backup at the grotto gets long. I think the first boat leaves for Capri at 8am. We caught the 9:15am boat from Sorrento. It took us about 20 minutes to arrive at Capri harbor, then waited about 20 minutes to catch the boat to the grotto. Once there it was a short wait to get in a rowboat and go inside. If you arrive later in the day, you will wait much longer. Have fun!

I know this is not for everyone but in July some years back my wife and I swam into the Blue Grotto after the tour boats were done for the day. Our masks/snorkels made it easier. About twelve other people also in there. You can relax at the Bagni di Nettuno up above then go down when the time is right. Pool, locker, eats, etc. I checked with an employee at the Bagni and she said "Why not?". At the entrance to the grotto was a very fit Caprese old timer they called "Il Leggenda". He seemed to be keeping an eye on things. Everything was cool with the locals.

We will be in Capri in June. Initially I was thinking of doing the swim after the boats are gone, but then I read that the light is best from 11 - 13 (1 PM) which makes sense; sadly, that would be a horrible time as far as the wait goes. Obviously, you can't swim in then either. If I'm going to do the standard 5 minutes, it seems like going out on the first run makes the most sense, but again you have less than ideal light. Was it still impressive in the early evening?

Kevin, we were impressed. We swam into it about 6PM on a sunny, cloudless day in late July.

What a racket! We just got home from a few days on the Amalfi Coast, and found the Blue Grotto to be a very well engineered way to extort money from tourists (but the hilarity/absurdity of it all was worth it!). We took the 7:45a ferry from Sorrento, then milled around at the harbor until the 9a boat to the grotto (bring snacks from the Standa grocery in Sorrento to save money and have a picnic breakfast on the harbor instead of overpaying for pastries like we did). The boat to the grotto was 15 euro. When we arrived at the grotto, we were herded onto the rowboat (the first boats of the day tow the rowers out to the grotto, our rower was chatting on his phone and waving for pictures), instructed to lay down, and pulled into the grotto for a quick spin around and a photo op. Our boatman sung "o sole mio" (really, those are the only words, he sung, it was that quick) and zipped us back outside to another waiting boat, where they charged another 11,50 euro for grotto admission and the rowboat. Our boatman also strongly encouraged a tip "for my good service". Bring cash. We enjoyed the trip, and the views of the rocky coast were beautiful, but pretty pricey. If I return, I would swim in after hours to have more time to enjoy the grotto. Also, if you're planning to do the Amalfi Coast, there is a green grotto between Positano and Amalfi. We didn't get a chance to visit, but heard it costs around 6 euro. The SITA bus stops there, and apparently there is an elevator down to the grotto. Happy travels!

I went to the Blue Grotto back in 1998. The boat ride made me nauseous (diesel fumes I think) and then I really wasn't all that impressed - sorry to say. I pretty much thought - what's all the fuss about, did I miss something. I'm returning again this summer with my husband and two young children. I don't think it will be worth the price for the four of us to visit the Blue Grotto; maybe we will check out the Green Grotto. It does sound wonderful to swim in and spare the expense to boot!

We visited the Green Grotto on a small tour boat from Positano. For us, the best part was the boat ride to and from it. The grotto tour itself is kind of kitschy but charming. You get a bit of a feel for the local culture. The whole experience was a lot of fun.