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Capri – 10 Highlights

Is there anywhere more beautiful than the Island of Capri? Judge for yourself when you explore the island using this walk. Visit the two towns of Capri: Capri town and Anacapri. Enjoy the scenic views, beach, shops in all price ranges, restaurants, and historical churches. Consider taking a boat tour around the island to see the famous Faraglioni Rocks up close. Take a rest on a chair lift up to Mount Solaro after climbing the 921 steps of Scala Fenecia (Phoenician Steps) to Anacapri. Or, skip the steps and take a bus to Anacapri to have more time and energy to explore this quieter, more residential part of the island where you can smell the lemons from the many groves in Anacapri.

1 (A) Boat Tour

You will arrive on the Island of Capri via boat or ferry. Soon you will see signs offering tours around the island. Before you start this walk, you may want to take a circle boat tour of the island if you have the time. Many people will explore Capri town (at the top of the funicular above you) in the morning and then take the island tour in the afternoon, so you can usually beat the crowds if you begin with a circle tour around the island in the morning. Most tours are about 15 Euro and go through the large, famous Faraglioni Rocks (pictured). Note: Some tours will drop you off at the Blue Grotto where you will board another, very small, rowboat that will take you inside the grotto. You will need to bend over in the boat to get into the low entrance of the grotto. Sometimes there is a long wait to get into the grotto and to get out of the grotto, depending on the crowds and the tides. There is an extra charge to visit the grotto. You may not have time to visit the other sights on this walk if you choose to visit the grotto.

2 (B) Marina Grande Beach

Facing the island, walk to your right toward the large public beach and walk along the shore. You may want to stop here and relax later this afternoon after a busy day! The shops and restaurants on this level of Capri are more casual than in Capri Town at the top of the funicular.

3 (C) Funicular Bottom Station

Walk back toward the boat dock and look for the funicular station on your right.

Either save your energy and take the funicular up to Capri Town or walk up the steps to the Funicular Top Station.

The funicular runs every 15 minutes all day and takes 15 minutes to reach the top. The cost is 2 Euros.

To walk to Capri Town, walk on Via Cristoforo Colombo toward Via Truglio and take the stairs from Via Don Giobbe Ruocco to the top as indicated on this map. It is about 20 minutes of walking, mostly up stairs, to reach Capri Town, the main shopping and restaurant area of Capri.

4 (D) Funicular Top Station

When you reach the top of the funicular, take a look around the columned area. There is a telescope to get a close up view of some of the amazing scenery surrounding you.

5 (E) Capri Town

The main tourist area of the Island of Capri is called Capri town. There are a number of hotels in this area. The most expensive shops in Capri are located here, including designer shops, but there are souvenir shops in various price ranges, as well. There are a number of restaurants and bars in all price ranges and categories. You may want to order a Caprese salad, “the salad of Capri,” made with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, salt, and olive oil. Piazza Umberto, with its beautiful clock tower, is in Capri town.

After exploring Capri town, walk or take a bus from the Bus Terminal on Via Roma (map highlight E) to Anacapri on the next level.

Note about walking from Capri town to Anacapri: The walk is a strenuous 50-minute climb uphill via the ancient stone steps of the Scala Fenecia. Locals say it is easier to walk uphill than downhill, because the steps near the top are so steep that it is very hard on your knees to come down the steps. So, if you are considering walking either up or down, you may want to walk uphill.

Note about taking the bus from Capri town to Anacapri: Buses run every 15 minutes and take about 15 minutes to reach Anacapri. The bus is 2 Euros. (If you take the bus, skip Map steps F and G and walk to the Mount Solaro Chair Lift station at the intersection of Salita Caposcuro and Via Capodimonte when you arrive in Anacapri.)

6 (F) View over Marina Grande

If you have the energy to walk to Anacapri, you will have longer to observe the many beautiful views than if you are looking out of a bus window. To begin, walk back toward the Top Station of the funicular on Via Acquaviva toward Via Marina Grande and take a sharp right onto Via Marina Grande. Turn left to stay on Via Marina Grande. Take the stairs and turn left onto Via Marucella/Scala Fenicia.

7 (G) Scala Fenecia (Phoenecian Steps)

If you are walking to Anacapri, continue to follow Scala Fenicia (Phoenician Steps) until you reach Anacapri. These famous steps (see part of the stone-lined walkway in the bottom right-hand corner of this picture) were originally thought to be built by the Phoenicians, but now it is known the steps were built by the ancient Greeks. The 921 steps get steeper and more difficult to climb as you get closer to Anacapri. The road to Anacapri was built in 1874, so for many years this was the only way to get from Capri town to Anacapri.

8 (H) Mount Solaro Chairlift

You may want to take a break from walking, and take the 12-minute chair lift from Anacapri to the top of Mount Solaro for a beautiful view of the entire island from the top. All the seats are for a single passenger, suspended in mid-air with only a small safety bar, so it would be easy for a child to slide out. (Note: It is possible to walk up and/or down instead of taking the chair lift. The walk is well-marked and takes about an hour. It is not as steep as the Scala Fenecia, so (unlike the Scala Fenecia) locals say it is easier to walk down Mount Solaro.)

Mount Solaro Chair lift Hours

From March to October: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm

From November to February: 10:30 am – 3:30 pm

From March to April: 9:30 am – 4 pm

Prices: €11 roundtrip, €8 one way.

9 (I) Anacapri

Anacapri is the only other town on the Island of Capri, besides Capri town. It is quieter and more residential than Capri town. The hotels, shops, and restaurants are generally less expensive than those in Capri town. The night life here is quieter, too. As you walk around, you may smell the lemons from groves planted around Anacapri.

10 (J) Chiesa di San Michele

This church in Anacapri, built in the 1700s, is a highlight of visiting Capri, mostly because of its floor mosaic depicting the Garden of Eden. Walk up the spiral staircase to see the mosaic from above for the best view.

The church is open daily from 9 am until 7 pm.

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I hope this tour of Capri has been helpful for you. You can see the maps above in an interactive format at Walkli.com. Just search on “Capri”. Also, you can subscribe to these podcasts on iTunes at “One Perfect Day in Travel” podcast.

I would love to hear from you about these podcasts/blogs at cindy@oneperfectdayin.org.

Thank you so much!

Cindy

P.S. If you would like me to send you a pdf of this tour, just send me an email at the email address above.

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