Capri Town yes or no and scheduling question about Anacapri

I visited Capri in 2016. The chairlift ride to Monte Solaro and the views at the summit were incredible. One of the highlights of my trip to Italy. I am returning to Italy in July and can't wait to do it again and hopefully the Blue Grotto also. Forget the shopping part. There are some restaurants that overlook the harbor below as well as a small snack bar with alcohol at the top of Monte Solaro. I had a few cocktails and just admired the incredible views. There is also a path that you can hike down.

Capri can easily fill an entire day depending on what you want to do. We stayed 2 nights, 1.5 days, could cheerfully have spent a 3rd, and didn't do any high-end shopping or the grotto. IMHO, best not to put a time frame to your visit as much will depend on queues for the lift, how long you feel like staying on the mount once you get up there, queues for the buses (yes, they will be busy), and interesting things you run into on your walkabouts.

Capri town? Sure. There are some nice walks and overlooks from there. Pick up an island map when you arrive.

Even fairly early in the day, Capri Town was a tourist-ridden mess. Get up to Anacapri and enjoy. The chairlift and views from Monte Solaro are the quintessential Capri experience. Anacapri itself is quite charming, and feels pretty chill. Getting a very early start is key, however. By the afternoon, the crowds have made their way up there. The boat ride around Capri is very enjoyable. And again, early in the day will not be as crowded or hot.

I just have a day in Capri and I was wondering bc after reading the section in RS it seemed like Capri Town did not hold as much appeal for our needs as much as spending more time elsewhere on the island but don't want to skip it if is a must do or if there was something there other than shopping that made it special.

Even fairly early in the day, Capri Town was a tourist-ridden mess

Yes, it's very busy but Capri (the island) is much more than its towns. IMHO, the best experiences are further away from the tourist hubs, if one is willing to put in the footwork. We tried to avoid the village centers during peak hours, and grabbed a late afternoon seat at a bar somewhere and chilled with the view.

Anacapri was lovely in the early morning but as awrzesinski said, filled by midday: we were happy to escape to less crowded spots by then.

Capri including a boat ride to see the Blue Grotto can be accomplished well within 90 minutes. The shops are mostly touristy. Take a bus up to Anacapri and there you will find more touristy shops and restaurants but the chair lift is definitely worth it and this can be accomplished also within around a 90 minute time frame.

Capri including a boat ride to see the Blue Grotto can be accomplished
well within 90 minutes. the chair lift is definitely worth it and this
can be accomplished also within around a 90 minute time frame.

Hmmm. I'd say that's overly optimistic during high season. I'm seeing many complaints from people saying they had waits of an hour to 2 hours or more just for their turn at the rowboats into the thing. If you take a tour boat, you have to transfer into one of these to access the cave. Dunno, maybe wait times are shorter if there at the opening hour.

Access to the grotto also depends on tidal action - the boats can't get in if tides are at their highest - and general weather conditions.

If you're still researching...

We went in June from the Sorrento port on the 8:05 ferry. We returned eight hours later, three of which were spent in lines.
First the ferry was delayed. Then the boat-around-Capri-with-grotto was held up as they awaited more passengers. The boat ride had nice with views of cliffs, famous houses, caves and grottos; it was fun going through the faraglioni rock!

When we got to the blue grotto around 10:20, we saw a bunch of boats of different sizes plus people waiting on land. We were there for about an hour. You can take around-the-island boats that do NOT stop at the blue grotto.I wouldn’t do it again but it was an intriguing experience.

If you aren't interested at all in the grotto, the boat is still very nice. But the best experience is the chairlift up Mount Solaro at Anacapri.

However, we had to wait nearly an hour to get on the bus to Anacapri at around noon. The bus zigzags up the crazy road around the mountain; there were very few tourists at Anacapri and no line to go up the delightful chairlift. When we arrived, it was hazy but it quickly cleared for fabulous views of Capri, the island, the sea and the faraglioni seastacks.

Enjoy!

If you go to Anacapri, be sure to visit the church of San Michele. The floor is completely covered by an 18th (?) century ceramic tile depiction of the Garden of Eden. You cannot walk onto it, but there is a loft for viewing.

THanks everyone. We booked a private tour with Mondo - especially after the tip about having to stand in line so much. We are going to rent a scooter on Capri for the time that we have actually on the island hopefully avoiding the bus issue and adding adventure to our trip. We shall see...... Thanks again for all your input . These forums shape our trips each time and make them so much more wonderful.

callen, don't mistakenly think scooters can go everywhere. Capri is highly pedestrianized. I also think scooters are too dangerous for those who don't ride them regularly, but that's a losing battle on a travel web board. Capri has a LOT of walking.

Right. You cannot take that scooter into the narrow pedestrian routes so be very careful to understand where your wheels are and are not allowed. Honestly, if you've never driven a Vespa before, I wouldn't choose Italy as the place to learn.

Capri is the most pedestrianized place I have visited. Walk don’t rent a scooter ! See Punta Tragara and Giardini de Agusto. Great views!

It was by understanding that you had to take a bus or taxi or scooter to get to Anacapri. There we would park and do the chairlift and walk around etc. I didn't think you could walk everywhere and from what I have read there is trouble with overcrowded busses. .?

The church is a must visit - most beautiful floor I've ever seen!

It was by understanding that you had to take a bus or taxi or scooter
to get to Anacapri. There we would park and do the chairlift and walk
around etc. I didn't think you could walk everywhere and from what I
have read there is trouble with overcrowded busses. .?

Well, you CAN "walk" from Capri to Anacapri but only if you're a capable hiker and up to tackling 921 stone steps.

https://www.capri.net/en/e/the-phoenician-steps

Otherwise, it's bus, taxi or scooter. But again, I do not recommend a scooter if you've never driven one. Posters who are experienced drivers constantly warn that there's a learning curve to them. I'm as up for a certain amount of adventure as the next guy and you might be fine. Still, I draw the line risking a prematurely aborted trip to Italy due to a spill/accident on one of these, comprehensive travel medical insurance or not. Up to you. Otherwise, I’d take the bus (yes, they could be very busy) from Marina Grande or Capri town (see ATC bus schedules):

https://www.capri.net/en/bus-schedule

Thx!!! And thx for the link. It’s people like all of y’all that take the time to help that makes such a difference to my trip and makes this forum so valuable