HI All
I will be in Sorrento for 4 nights 5/28-6/1 and have a free day to visit Capri on our own. I want to be able to explore without be mobbed with crowds. Can we get a boat tour around the island once we get to the island. I am assuming we will take the ferry over from Sorrento. Can you plan my day for 2 adults and 2 adult children?
tY
I've been to Capri 4 or 5 times. We always purchase an out and back ticket from Sorrento and land at Marina Grande. From there, you should plan to take the funicular up to the town. You'll see a big tunnel for the funicular in front of the docks, but you purchase tickets from a covered area next to a building off the right.
There are restaurants and shops at the end of the funicular. Some are very, very expensive. But it's nice to look.
There are also the Gardens of Agusto which are very beautiful. On the way there is a granita stand. We just passed by it for years before trying some. I don't know what sort of magic they put in that stuff (or if it's just the effects of the heat and sun) but that is the most refreshing thing I have ever had. Last time I got two - one orange and one lemon.
That is usually enough activity for us. But, there are also ruins of a Roman villa (Villa Jovis) and the Blue Grotto, weather permitting. I know that you can book a trip to the Blue Grotto, but it's not for the faint of heart. We had to step from the boat that took us to the grotto opening to a row boat in the middle of the ocean. You just jump/step and hope for the best. Then you have to lie down completely flat to get under the entrance. It's pretty exciting, then beautiful inside.
The way you beat the crowds in Capri is to literally beat them there! Get the earliest ferry you can to Capri. You should be able to get on one of the 1-hour boat tours around Capri pretty quickly, buy tickets there. Whether you want or able to see Blue Grotto is a question, sometimes it’s not open. I did not see it and did not mind a bit. I thought the boat tour was very enjoyable and a decent value. When you return, skip past Capri Town. It’s a mobbed tourist trap. Get up to Anacapri instead. You could wander around for some time, eventually take the chairlift to Monte Solaro. I can’t overstate how amazing the views are from there. The tourist crush doesn’t really make it to Anacapri until the afternoon, and it’s lovely until then. Anacapri in the mornings is what everyone imagines Capri to be.
My general advice for the area is to get an early start no matter what. Even places like Pompeii don’t fill up until midday, and if you’re smart that’s the time you’re on the way home. Enjoy!
Take the funicular up to Capritown and ride the bus or taxi up to Anacapri to take the cable car up to view the I Fariglioni Rocks - you can hike back down
Back in Capritown, walk with your back to the ocean and the TI on your left and the busy Rodeo Drive
like street on your right and continue straight....you leave the crowds...
Walk the path to Via Krupp Augustus Gardens
Walk Punta Dell’arcera to Arco Naturale
Walk Arco Naturale back to Capri Town
Hike to Villa Jovis
instead of riding the funicular back down (it can have a long line), just walk the path down to the marina
giannisboat.com - tour of Capri island
We, too, hope to get to Capri for one day at the end of May. This info is really helpful!
Are the ferry tickets for specific ferries, or can you just hop on one when you're ready to leave? Also, I wondered about taking the Hyrdofoil (seems to take half as long), and had the same question. I'm assuming that we can buy our round trip tickets from Sorrento on the day of, but please advise if it's necessary to buy and/or book in advance. And if anyone recommends a place for a bite for lunch, I'd appreciate that recommendation. Thanks so much for the help!
Are the ferry tickets for specific ferries, or can you just hop on one
when you're ready to leave?
Tickets are for specific ferries at specific times so no, you't can't just hop them indiscriminately.
The best way to beat the mobs is of course to spend the night there and not do a day trip like everybody else.
That said, the next best thing is to take a ferry close to 6am and get there early. To some extent, you have to resign yourself to not enjoying Capri optimally and being part of the crowds.
But it really is a pity not to enjoy Capri in the evening when all the day trippers/cruisers left.
check capri.net for ferry schedule and ideas.
The Blue Grotto is worth it!
The ferry dock in Sorrento has a number of different companies with different options and routes. It looks like absolute chaos, but take a breath, look at the boards and you can find an imminent departure. The whole process took only a few minutes. As I recall, I was running behind my schedule and got a ferry around 8:30. I was still miles ahead of most people. This was in late May.
Boats are pretty frequent on the island to grab a trip around the island. Super fun and beautiful.
thank you all so much for your replies. This helped a lot!!
