Gillian Knows Best Capri Mini-Guide

A guide to Capri beyond the Piazzetta and Insta-famous beach clubs

It’s that time of year. My inbox and direct messages and Instagram feed are all about Capri. I am inordinately lucky that this glamorous glittering island full of sybaritic pursuits is only a few hours from my front door. I have made you a guide to my favorite places in Capri. I would love to hear yours too, tell me in the comments.

My biggest piece of advice about Capri is to stay in Capri. Make the island your base and do your day trips to the Amalfi Coast towns instead of the other way around. It is easier to get to Capri from Naples than it is to get to Positano. You only have to take one taxi ride from the airport or train station and then a ferry, no curvy roads, no crowded trains, and buses.

How to get to Capri

There is year-round ferry service between Naples and Sorrento to Capri. From March to October, there is service from Amalfi Coast towns and Salerno. I use the Capri Schedule App. In the spring and fall, weather can affect crossings and cause cancellations, be prepared for that. It is always a good idea to buy your ticket online ahead.

There are three ferry departure points in Naples, Beverello, Calata Porta di Massa, and Mergellina with these four companies Alicost Alilauro Caremar Gescab. Most guides tell you the last boat from Capri is around 6pm. In summer there is a boat at 11pm. There is a set fare for a taxi from Napoli Centrale train station and Naples airport.

Other departure points: Lucibello has service from Positano to Capri and Private Boat Excursions. Travel Mar has service between Salerno, Maiori, Minori, Amalfi & Positano.

You arrive in Marina Grande. From there you can take a taxi, the funicular or a bus to Capri town. Be prepared for a line and a little bit of chaos.

Where to eat and drink in Capri

My advice for the Piazzetta is the same as my advice for Piazza San Marco in Venice. Just do it. Get dressed up, order an expensive cocktail, and take your time. I like Al Piccolo Bar. One of the best things to drink on a hot afternoon is a freshly squeezed orange juice with a scoop of lemon granita. There are two kiosks I like. One is at the beginning of via Matteotti before the Augustus Gardens and the other is along the via Tragara and comes with a song sung just for you. Capri Rooftop is one of the only places on the island for a cocktail with a view of the famous Faraglioni and Marina Piccola, perfect for superyacht spotting. I am at still a little bit of a loss since Ristorante Michel’Angelo closed its restaurant doors. Don’t worry! They are still cooking and feeding people, I will tell you more about that in a minute. When I am not eating my personal supply of ravioli Caprese for lunch and dinner in Holly and Gianluca’s garden these are the places I go.

Bar Pasticceria da Alberto has the best pastries on the island. Get in line for a midnight gelato in a still-warm waffle cone at Gelateria Buonocore. You have to hike to Lo Sfizio, but the pizza and carrots scapece are worth it. At Le Grottelle the figs on your dessert plate come from the tree below your table. In Anacapri Giorgio al Cucciolo serves locally caught seafood with a view of Vesuvius. Ask about the Pezzogna and the razor clams. Book the window table at Buca di Baco and have an early pizza dinner with a sunset view.

Ristorante Michel’Angelo Holly and Gianluca are always trying something new and their newest project is a doozy. They have planted an enormous vegetable garden on a pretty property in Anacapri. There are two outdoor kitchens for cooking classes and breezy gazebos for private dining. The focus is on preserving island culture and sustainability. When you book a Michel’Angelo experience, Gianluca will pick you up in Capri in their brand new electric van and whisk you safely over to the other side of the island. Beyond food, Capri Sostenibile is a curated range of made-in-Italy eco products. You can have kits of sunscreen and soap and household cleaning supplies delivered to your rented villa.

Shopping in Capri

I don’t wear heels. Emanuela Caruso is where I buy special event sparkly sandals. For simple everyday summer sandals, I go to Canfora. So did Jaqueline Onassis. Antica Sartoria sells inexpensive, bright, and colorful dresses and beach cover-ups. Laboratorio Capri creates ready-to-wear and made-to-measure dresses, shirts, pants, and skirts. My whisper-weight cashmere scarf printed with a vintage postcard image of the Piazzetta goes everywhere with me. Wonderland is a lively shop with outgoing owners who collect big-name designers and vintage treasures. You are sure to find a one-of-a-kind dress, bag, or bauble here.

Gianluca Federico's shop Prorae is filled with treasures like silvery ceramic anchovies, candles shaped like sfogliatelle and hand-blown glass jellyfish. You will smell Carthusia before you find it. They make perfume, candles, and soap. Everything here is beautifully packaged and available in a variety of sizes - from tiny carry-on friendly to extravagant gift sized. Eco Capri is a preppy girl’s dream. La Conchiglia prints and sells English language editions of Capri history books.

Watch your new dinner service being painted at Ceramiche Tavassi. They will ship it to you when it is finished. I buy bags of taralli to take home and slices of pizza for a snack at the bakery Panificio Fornaretto

Capri beach clubs

I find the beaches in Capri frustratingly hard to reach. You have to climb stairs, take buses and boats. When you do get there expect slabs of concrete on boulders with ladders to get in and out of the sea or small patches of pebbles. The deep sapphire or transparent emerald water makes up for any lack of soft sand.

Look for the pier to the left of the ferry ticket offices and take the boat over to Bagni Tiberio. La Canzone del Mare is old-fashioned Capri glamour and has two saltwater swimming pools.

Walk down the via Mulo (via Krupp is STILL closed and walking is faster than waiting for the bus) to Marina Piccola There are two small free beaches here where you will find local children jumping off rocks and nonni chatting in the shade. When I am in Anacapri I go to La Gradola and eat parmigiana paninis and watch teenagers dive off the cliff next to the much fancier I Ricci.

Spend a few hours on the water with Vittorio from Capri Excursions who will captain your private boat tour. In the high season, this is the only way to escape the crowds at the beach clubs. You can swim in a private cove, avoid the mayhem that is the Blue Grotto and learn about the history, geography, and botanical diversity of the island.

Where to stay on Capri and Anacapri

We have been staying at the well-priced and perfectly located Hotel La Tosca for years. Hotel Canasta and Hotel Mammela both have pools. The Hotel 4 Stagioni is one of the only hotels open year-round. In Anacapri Il Tramonto B&B is the perfect escape from Capri summer chaos and Il Carrubo has a pool. Michel’Angelo can cater your meals if you book this villa

What to do in Capri

The floor of the altar in the Chiesa di Santo Stefano is made from Imperial marble floors that came from one of the Tiberius villas.

Giardini di Augustus There are a few levels of terraces overlooking the sea and over the twisty (and still closed to the public) via Krup. Go early in the morning or just before it closes.

Villa Jovis When the emperor Tiberius left Rome for Capri he had twelve villas built on the island. Villa Jovis is a first-century BC construction on a strategic cliff and it is the best-preserved of the three structures that still remain. It is about a 30-minute walk from the Piazzetta. Climb to the second-highest peak on the island and keep your eyes open for the very cute resident goats.

Villa Lysis This villa is often used for private events. Double-check before you set off. The Neoclassical/Art Nouveau home was built by the complicated and sorrowful French steel heir, Jacques d’Adelsward Fersen. It is a monument to love, excess, and heartbreak. The words AMORI ET DOLORI SACRVM, "a shrine to love and sorrow" are carved into the facade and there is a downstairs space marked Opium Room. The bare rooms are now used for exhibition space and the views out over the Marina Grande are some of the island’s very best. Fersen revered Tiberius and there is a path that connects Villa Jovis to Villa Lysis. Part of it is a lovely wooded stroll and part of it is very steep and rocky. It is well marked and takes about 35-45 minutes. You may have to share with a goat or two. You can also take the much more sedate paved road. Look for a sign to Villa Fersen.

Museo Ignazio Cerio is a natural history and archeology museum housed in the medieval-era building on the edge of Piazzetta.

Walk the shop-lined via Capodimonte all the way to the very end to reach Villa San Michele - Axel Munthe Museum. The former home of the Swedish physician and author Axel Munthe, this 20th-century mansion is now a museum with magnificent gardens and Roman-era artifacts. Make sure you make a wish with your left hand touching the ancient Egyptian sphinx statue during your visit. There is a cafe at the top of the gardens where you can have an excellent slice of torta Caprese. Occasionally on summer evenings, there are musical performances.

Casa Rossa This quirky house in Anacapri was built by a Confederate officer in the late 1800s. Embedded in the Byzantine-style mosaic and written in greek above the front entrance is the bewitching motto, "Hail Citizens of the Land of Leisure.” Though there is another translation that makes the meaning Greetings, citizens of the land of idleness, either one ac- accurately sums up a break on this quiet side of the island. The rooms have early 20th-century oil paintings of Capri and Naples. The big surprise here is the three statues hidden away in a corner room on an upper floor that were fished out of the Blue Grotto decades ago. The statues are thought to have been placed in the Blue Grotto by Tiberius.

The hand-painted Majorca floor inside the Baroque Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo is absolutely worth the admission ticket. It was created in 1761 by Leonardo Chiaiese an important Abruzzese artisan who worked in Naples

Taverna Anema e Core Loud crowded nightclubs are not my thing. If they are your thing, you will love Taverna. The action starts after 1am and includes live Neapolitan music, tambourines, and dancing on the tables.

Hikes

Make sure you have a pair of sturdy walking shoes in your luggage. Capri has some incredible hiking trails.

The Pizzolungo is a trail that winds along the ridge in-between the Arco Naturale and the Tragara overlook. In the middle of this walk, you will find the ancient Grotta di Matermania which is thought by scholars and archeologists to be a place once used for pagan rituals relating to the Mithraic mysteries or to Cibele, goddess of fertility. Another highlight of this path is the Casa Malaparte. This masterpiece of modern architecture was designed by architect Adalberto Libera and sits on Punta Massullo high above the sea. You will also catch views of the famous Faraglioni rocks from an angle that most tourists miss.

The Il Passetiello hike is a challenging climb to the top of Monte Solaro. You can also just take the chair lift.

La Scala Fenicia are 921 stone steps that were constructed by the Greek settlers between the 7th and 6th century B.C. Until the road was completed in 1874 this was the only link between Capri and Anacapri.

The Sentiero dei Fortini is a coastal trail between Punta Carena and the Grotta Azzurra. It is named for three stone forts that British forces built in the 1800s. This hike has almost NO shade so plan on an early morning if you are visiting in high summer.

It is an almost stair-free 30-minute stroll from the center of Anacapri to the Parco Filosofico. Wander through the wild Mediterranean garden and read each ceramic plaque with quotes from the great philosophers. Watch the sunset from the dramatic scenic overlook that has a view of the Faraglioni.