HI, we will be spending 3 days in Sorrento end of May and was looking for recommendations for a boat tour to the island of Capri and the Blue Grotto as well as whether swimming is doable this time of year? We are traveling with 4 older kids (21,20,20 & 15).
Would love any suggestions on must-see places while we are there!
Thanks!
Mondo Guides
www.sharedtours.com
Skip the Blue Grotto - it's a huge tourist trap/time suck.
Do the boat trip around the island instead- really fun
Swimming possible, but don't expect the beaches to be beach-y- they are pebbly.
The Blue Grotto is overrated, one and done for me. You spend about 2 minutes? inside the Grotto itself. Capri itself has more to offer. Pompeii is a nice day trip. If you are going to Amalfi Coast, the buses made me nauseous (lots of twists and turns for +hour journey) so maybe spend extra for the ferry? I didn't see anyone swim but I was there the last week of April. It was pant and light jacket weather still. Maybe 65?
In late May 2022, I did a half day boat tour from Sorrento to Capri. We circled the island, saw several grottos (blue, green and white), docked for a few hours to see the island and swam in the waters off the island. We went inside the blue grotto after transferring to private row boats (extra cost). I really enjoyed the grotto experience, which came with captain serenades. I didn't appreciate the pressure for a minimum tip from the captain. Several of us shared a cab to Anacapri for window shopping & gelato, then took the chair lift to the hilltop for the amazing views. Your kids may opt for a rental scooter instead? We swam in the cold waters off the island. Too cold to enjoy for a length of time. The ride was not rough and the weather was warm. We were served limoncello liquer, snacks and beverages. The crew was fun and professional. I paid 109 euros and we had 10 passengers. www.lubrenseboats.com I recommend them.
I'll vote for skipping the Blue Grotto too. If there's one tourist trap in Capri, that's the one. There are so many complaints about the time it takes to get into the thing (if the sea even cooperates enough to be able to do it) for the very short time you're in there. Complaints as well about rude boatmen, hassling people for tips, etc. We skipped it and have never been sorry; there are better things to do on the island. Take a look at some of the reviews; for every positive one, there are many more negative.
The chairlift to the top of Mt Solaro is fun, and we enjoyed just trekking around to various scenic or archeological spots during our 2 nights/1.5 days on the island. Didn't take any tours. Personally, I wouldn't suggest anyone rent scooters unless they're already experienced riders.
https://www.capri.com/en/e/the-villas-of-tiberius
https://www.capri.com/en/e/pizzolungo-2
https://www.capri.com/en/e/monte-solaro-high-drama
