Capri for a day

I would pick the boat ride. You can book them right in Sorrento and they are not a bad value. The Grotto's are nice but a bit of a rip off. The Island is beautiful but it will be packed at that time of year. And I mean packed. take the chair lift up to the top of the mountain, it provides great views.

We did the Blue Grotto and enjoyed it. It's interesting and quite the show getting you inside. It's one of those things I'm glad I did once. The trip around the island looks to be a great option also. As the previous poster mentioned the chairlift was for us the highlight of the trip to Capri. Hope you enjoy.

Another vote for the chairlift that takes you to the top of Anacapri. Breathtaking views from the top, lovely local vegetable gardens and panoramic views of the island,the sea, etc. (great photo ops). Truly a highlight. Also, Villa San Michele is an absolutely lovely place to visit, especially if you like beautiful gardens. If you Google it has a web site and you can see a few photos, but much more beautiful in person. Photo ops great. Down in Capri, there is another little garden called the Augustus Garden, off Krupp Avenue (I think I recall correctly) that is worth a stroll, if you have time. While lower on the island, the views are also nice. You would find the street to the right of the Quissiana Hotel, then veer off to the right. If you continue on past the garden, there is a zig-zap type well-constructed paved pathway that leads down close to the sea. Didn't try to do the Blue Grotto bit. For lunch we found the most charming little table at Isidoro Ristorante, down on the main street in Capri. While seating on the main level was apparent, my husband wandered up to the second level and found the cutest little tables each on private little wrought iron balconies overlooking the street. The view, privacy, and people-watching from there was lovely. Two full very nice meals with bottled water, including servizio was just under 41E for two people.

Thanks for all the good ideas. Is it hard to get a spot on the boat ride back to Sorrento during this crowded season?

A vote for the chairlift. Even though I missed out on the views (the summit was all fogged in), the trip up and back is interesting. Just after leaving Anacapri, the lift takes you right over various backyard gardens. Also, keep an eye out for the backyard that's filled with rather unusal "sculptures"!

Has anyone gone on any hikes near Anacapri?

Jeffrey, one thing I forgot to mention that was great fun on Capri was a ride in a convertible taxi. There is one that is an antique car (can't recall brand without digging thru photos), but it was really cute and made great photos with us waving from the back seat. Views are great, and you will be glad someone else is driving. Locals pass each other (especially when passing trucks) with literally an inch to spare between vehicles and the rocks.......amazing. We were on a Tauck Tour, so I can't advise how to find the convertible taxis or the ease of securing tickets for boats back and forth (we did a high-speed boat from Naples and then left on a high-speed to Sorrento that was all pre-arranged). But for the convertible taxis, I'd guess you could Google to make reservations or possibly just find one while you are there, if you are flexible re: timing. But, if it works out for you, it can be great fun. We were there in early May, and while there were good crowds that appeared to be from cruise ships during the day, our boats back and forth were not the least bit crowded, but might be in the middle of summer.....other posters could probably better advise re: that.

Thanks for the suggestion. Did you take the convertible taxi from one destination to the other or on an excursion around the island?

Jeffrey, since we were on a Tauck Tour, the convertibles were our method of transportation for the two days on the island. We were greeted by them when we arrived by high-speed boat, then taken for a partial little tour on the way to the hotel, stopping for great views along the way. Then the next day, they took us to Anacapri for the Villa San Michele (then we had free time in Anacapri....which basically offers a little bit of shopping and the chairlift, in addition to the garden), then we had the wonderful opportunity to visit a professor at her private home overlooking the sea for a lecture on contemporary Italian society, with wine/nibbles on one of her terrace's afterward. So long way of saying, yes we did an island tour, but in various segments. I would guess that the taxis would take you pretty much anywhere you would want to go. Capri is not huge, though, so if you wanted to just ride and see, I would guess you could do that in an hour max. But, I would suggest having a taxi take you up to Anacapri, have time up there to do what you want, then have either the same or a different taxi take you back down maybe two-three hours later. There was also a restaurant up on Anacapri that looked decent, but we have no personal experience with it. During the day, the shopping areas of Capri are quite crowded. Depending on your budget, you might consider staying one night on the island. Our tour had us at the Quisiana, which is probably quite expensive. As we walked around on our free time, we discovered the fabulous location of the Hotel Luna. It looked incredibly lovely from the outside, and the hotel staff invited us in to see the common areas, which were lovely. You can check it out on TripAdvisor, where some reviewers said some rooms looked a bit dated. But, oh the views!!! If nothing else, walk down to check it out.