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Capri, Italy (Italia)

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B&B, Hotels and Hostels in Capri, Italy

 

  
 

 

  

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Capri, known in Greek mythology as the isle of the sirens, was already a favoured resort of the Roman emperors. Most notoriously, the emperor Tiberius had his villa on the island, the location (supposedly) of debauched orgies. Those who displeased the emperor were flung to their deaths from the cliffs. The island is reached in about 40 minutes by hydrofoil from the port of Ischia or Forio, docking at Marina Grande. There are also boats from Naples and from Sorrento that sail to the Marina Grande on Capri.

The Blue Grotto is a beautiful cave at the water's edge. The entrance is small and depending on the tide there's room enough for only a small rowboat to get through. Though marked by "No Swimming" signs, we were encouraged by our Capri bus driver who brought us to the site to swim into the grotto. We did and it was spectacular. Dark at the entrance, one has to enter 20-30 yards and then turn around to view the beautiful sight of the light from the entrance flowing through the blue water. Hence the sight of the "Blue Grotto". We laughed at the sight of so many tourists loaded on large boats to see the Blue Grotto. They couldn't see anything but the cave's entrance from 50 yards away

Villa Jovis, the splendid residence of the Emperor Tiberius, start from Piazzetta Umberto I and turn into Via delle Botteghe, continuing straight on through Via Fuorlovado, Via Croce and, finally, Via Tiberio. After visiting the villa, you could dedicate some time to other attractions in the vicinity, such as the Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, the Cave of Tiberius and the Lighthouse Tower.

 		  
     
   

Take one of the public footpaths which let you reach for instance the "Arco Naturale" and other beautiful sights which the large majority of tourists will only see from their boat trips around the island. Some of these paths are very steep and you need to walk up and down long stairs sometimes. If you have a picnic prepared, you can find a nice peaceful spot for lunch avoiding the crowds of tourists. The map you can buy for a small fee at the main tourist office in the harbour shows most of the footpaths. However, it is difficult to get lost on such a small island.

Also it is highly advised to try to rent a small motorized scooter to tour the island. Gets you around much quicker than on foot, but still allows you to easily manoeuvre the winding roads. Take the chairlift ride up Monte Salaro, the views from the summit are incredible, and there's some really pretty gardens and orchards underfoot on the way up the mountain.