Capri Travel Guide: Blue Grotto, Boat Trips & Getting Around the Island

Capri covers just 10.4 square kilometres of limestone in the Bay of Naples. The Roman emperor Tiberius spent the last decade of his reign here, from 26 to 37 AD, and built twelve villas across the island. That telling detail — an emperor choosing this island over Rome — still describes why people come: the combination of dramatic cliffs, transparent sea, and a small town with an international reputation that has somehow stayed walkable.

Getting to Capri

There is no bridge or tunnel to Capri. Every visitor arrives by ferry or hydrofoil.

From Naples: Hydrofoils (aliscafi) run from Molo Beverello and take approximately 50 minutes. Ferries (traghetti) run from Calata di Massa and take approximately 80 minutes. Hydrofoil tickets cost approximately €20–24 one way as of 2026; ferry tickets approximately €14–18. Multiple operators run services — Caremar, SNAV, Alilauro, and NLG. Services run year-round, though frequency drops in winter. In summer, the first hydrofoil from Naples leaves around 6:30am.

From Sorrento: Hydrofoil from the Marina Piccola takes approximately 20 minutes and costs approximately €18–22 one way as of 2026. This is the most convenient crossing if you are basing yourself on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Departures run roughly every 30–60 minutes in season.

From Positano: Seasonal ferry service (April–October) takes approximately 50 minutes and costs approximately €20–26 one way as of 2026. A day return from Positano to Capri is a long day — factor in both crossings plus time on the island.

Getting around Capri: The island has two ports — Marina Grande (main arrival point) and Marina Piccola (smaller, on the south coast). From Marina Grande, a funicular climbs to Capri Town in approximately 5 minutes, costing approximately €2.20 as of 2026. Buses run from Capri Town to Anacapri approximately every 15–20 minutes (approximately €2 as of 2026). Taxis are available but expensive — approximately €15–25 for short island journeys as of 2026. Walking between Capri Town and Anacapri takes around 1 hour on foot via the Scala Fenicia steps or longer via the road.

The Blue Grotto

The Grotta Azzurra is a sea cave on the northwest coast of the island, approximately 54 metres long and 30 metres wide. Sunlight enters through an underwater opening approximately 1 metre high, refracting off the white sandy floor and producing the blue light the cave is known for. The effect is strongest between 11am and 1pm on sunny days.

How to visit: Boats from Marina Grande run to the grotto entrance (approximately €15 for the boat trip each way as of 2026), where small rowboats take visitors in (approximately €14 per person for the rowing boat entry, plus the mandatory state entrance ticket of approximately €5 as of 2026). Total cost is approximately €34 per person for the full experience. Time inside is approximately 5 minutes — the rowboat fits four or five people and the boatman sings.

Opening hours: Generally 9am to 1 hour before sunset, though the grotto closes when sea conditions are rough, when the entrance is flooded by high tide, or when visibility is poor. Closures are common and not always announced in advance.

When to skip it: If the weather has been unsettled, if it is after noon when the light is less intense, or if the queue at the entrance looks long (the bottleneck is the rowboat transfer, not the main boat). Many visitors report the experience itself — five minutes, cramped, expensive — doesn’t match the anticipation. You can see the grotto by swimming to the entrance in the early morning before tour boats arrive, though it requires fitting through a narrow gap at low tide and is not recommended for inexperienced swimmers.

Capri Town and Anacapri

Capri Town sits on a saddle between Monte Tiberio and Monte Solaro, centred on the Piazzetta (officially Piazza Umberto I). This small square with its four cafés is the social hub of the island — and the most expensive place on it for a coffee (approximately €6–10 for an espresso at the terrace tables as of 2026). The shopping streets around Via Camerelle carry international luxury brands. The Church of Santo Stefano, the Certosa di San Giacomo (14th-century charterhouse, free entry), and the Giardini di Augusto (Gardens of Augustus, approximately €1 entry as of 2026) with their view over the Faraglioni rocks are all within walking distance of the Piazzetta.

Anacapri is the higher, quieter town on the western side of the island. The bus from Capri Town takes approximately 15 minutes (approximately €2 as of 2026). The main draw is the Seggiovia Monte Solaro chairlift — a single-seat chairlift that climbs to the summit of Monte Solaro (589 metres) in approximately 13 minutes, costing approximately €12 one way or €16 return as of 2026. The summit view takes in the entire Bay of Naples, Vesuvius, the Sorrentine Peninsula, and on clear days the Amalfi Coast. Anacapri also has fewer souvenir shops, lower café prices, and the Villa San Michele (Via Axel Munthe 34), the early 20th-century house built by Swedish physician Axel Munthe, with a terrace and collection of Roman antiquities. Entry is approximately €8 as of 2026; it opens daily from 9am.

Villa Jovis

Villa Jovis (Via Tiberio) is the largest and best-preserved of the twelve villas Tiberius built on Capri. It sits on the northeast tip of the island, a 45-minute walk from Capri Town. The ruins cover an extensive area and include the emperor’s private apartments, a bath complex, a lighthouse base, and the cliff edge from which, according to ancient sources, disfavoured courtiers were thrown into the sea. Entry costs approximately €6 as of 2026. Opening hours are typically 10am to 6pm (reduced hours outside peak season — check current schedules before visiting). The walk from Capri Town involves some uphill sections but nothing technically demanding. Views from the terrace across to the Sorrentine Peninsula are among the best on the island.

Boat Tours

A circumnavigation of the island by boat is the single best way to see the cliffs, sea caves, and rock formations that are inaccessible on foot. The Faraglioni — three sea stacks rising from the water off the south coast — are the most photographed, and boats pass through the arch of the middle stack. Other highlights include the Grotta Verde (Green Grotto), the Grotta Bianca, and the natural arch at Arco Naturale.

Shared group tours depart from Marina Grande, typically lasting 2 to 2.5 hours. Prices run approximately €20–30 per person as of 2026 for a shared motorboat. Private boat hire costs approximately €200–400 for a half-day as of 2026 depending on the boat size and whether a skipper is included. Several operators at Marina Grande sell tickets — compare prices, as they vary. Book a Capri boat tour in advance in peak season when the best morning slots sell out quickly. Departures are weather-dependent and the morning slot (around 9–11am) typically has calmer sea conditions.

Where to Eat

Da Gemma (Via Madre Serafina 6, Capri Town) has been open since 1882 and remains one of the more honest restaurants on the island for the price. Pasta dishes cost approximately €16–22, fish mains approximately €24–34 as of 2026. The ravioli alla caprese — stuffed with local caciotta cheese and marjoram — is the dish to order.

Il Solitario (Via G. Orlandi 96, Anacapri) serves traditional Campanian cooking at lower prices than anything in Capri Town. A full meal with wine costs approximately €30–45 per person as of 2026. The garden setting makes it one of the more pleasant places to sit for an unhurried lunch.

Pulalli Wine Bar (Piazza Umberto I 4, Capri Town) sits above the Piazzetta clock tower. The terrace view is excellent and the wine list is serious. Bar snacks and a glass of local Falanghina runs approximately €18–25 per person as of 2026. Not a full dinner — but a good choice for an early evening drink with a view before finding somewhere cheaper for food.

Lo Sfizio di Anacapri (Via G. Orlandi 215, Anacapri) is a straightforward pizza restaurant with tables on the street. Pizza from approximately €10–16 as of 2026, making it one of the few places on the island where dinner for two stays comfortably under €50.

Where to Stay

Budget (approximately €90–150 per night as of 2026): Capri has almost no genuinely budget accommodation. Hotel La Tosca (Via Birago 5, Capri Town) is the closest thing — small rooms, no pool, but clean, well-run, and 10 minutes from the Piazzetta. Book well in advance for July and August.

Mid-range (approximately €200–350 per night as of 2026): Hotel Villa Krupp (Viale Matteotti 12, Capri Town) overlooks the Gardens of Augustus and the Faraglioni. The building dates from the early 20th century — the Russian writer Maxim Gorky lived here from 1906 to 1913. Rooms are comfortable rather than luxurious, and the terrace breakfast makes the rate reasonable for the position. Hotel Caesar Augustus (Via G. Orlandi 4, Anacapri) has one of the most dramatic terraces on the island, a pool, and lower rates than equivalent hotels in Capri Town.

Top-end (approximately €450–900+ per night as of 2026): Grand Hotel Quisisana (Via Camerelle 2, Capri Town) is the island’s best-known luxury hotel, with a large pool, two restaurants, and a position in the centre of town. Capri Palace Jumeirah (Via Capodimonte 14, Anacapri) is the more design-led option, with an art collection, a thalassotherapy centre, and terraced gardens above the sea.

Day Trip Reality Check

Capri works as a day trip from Naples or Sorrento if you are organised about timing. The key constraint is that day-trippers from Naples typically arrive between 9am and 11am, and the island — particularly the Piazzetta and the Blue Grotto queue — is most crowded between 10am and 3pm. Take the earliest hydrofoil possible (departing Naples around 6:30–7am in season) and the last one back. That gives you roughly 8 to 9 hours, enough to cover the Blue Grotto, Anacapri via bus, Monte Solaro, and a lunch.

An overnight stay changes the experience materially. After 6pm, once the last day-tripper ferries leave, the island quiets significantly. The Piazzetta at 8pm in June is a different place from the Piazzetta at 1pm. If your budget allows, one night is worth it.

FAQs

Is Capri worth the cost? Yes, if the combination of dramatic scenery, Roman history, and boat access appeals. The island is expensive by Italian standards — budget approximately €150–200 per day per person for ferry, food, and attractions on a day trip — but it is genuinely spectacular. If the price is the issue, Sorrento gives you sea views and Amalfi Coast access for less.

Is the Blue Grotto worth the price? Borderline. The light effect is real and striking, but the experience inside the cave lasts 5 minutes and the total cost is approximately €34 per person. If the sea is calm and it is a sunny morning, we think it is worth doing once. If conditions are marginal or the queue is long, skip it and use a boat tour to see the cave entrance from outside instead.

Day trip from Naples vs Sorrento — which is better? Sorrento is significantly easier. The crossing takes 20 minutes compared to 50 minutes from Naples, meaning you spend more time on the island and less time on water. The ferry from Sorrento also allows a later last departure. Naples works if you are already there for the day.

Capri vs Ischia — which should you choose? They are different islands. Capri is smaller, more dramatic, more expensive, and better for a concentrated day of sightseeing. Ischia is larger, has natural thermal spas, more beaches, and suits a longer stay at lower cost. For a single day trip from the Bay of Naples, Capri is more rewarding. For a 3–5 night island stay, Ischia offers more variety and better value.

Capri is most often visited from Naples or Sorrento. The Amalfi Coast is accessible by seasonal ferry from Positano and makes a natural extension. For Neapolitan food before or after the crossing — pizza, sfogliatella, and the street-food circuit — our Neapolitan food guide covers what to order and where.

For hotels across the island from budget to luxury: Capri hotels. For boat tours, Blue Grotto logistics, and Villa Jovis: things to do in Capri. For Capri-style food — ravioli alla caprese, limoncello, and where to eat beyond tourist traps: Capri food guide.