| The Isle of Capri is famed as a classy
and beautiful holiday destination. It's an island of myths, ranging
through Sirens charming seafarers, ancient Roman orgies, dreamy
seaviews, 1950s celebrities in big sunglasses, and lazy summer
evenings spent browsing in exclusive boutiques alongside the world's
elite. Capri is an island of many contrasts. For rushed daytrippers, it is a crowded maze of expensive boutiques. For celebrities and the ultra-rich, a point of rendezvous. For historians, it is the palace-island of the Emperor Tiberius, dotted with neglected Roman remains. Walkers can step out along scenic short walks. For leisurely holidaymakers, it can present all this and more, along with staggering views and blue, blue sea. It is a dream honeymoon destination. |
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| Capri is a rocky island off the shores of the southern Italian region of Campania. It lies at the southern edge of the Bay of Naples, beyond the Sorrentine peninsula (where you'll find mainland Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast). English people generally mispronounce the name of the island - it's not C'pree as in Ford, but CAPri, with the stress on the first syllable. | |
| Capri tourist attractions and
holiday information Capri is an island which some people love and some people hate. Those against the island are generally those who arrive for a day trip, and find an expensive commercialized destination crammed to bursting with other daytrippers. Others, however, love the combination of island simplicity, natural beauty and busy glitz. And if you stay overnight, you'll find a different Capri. After the last daytrippers leave, a kind of exclusive peace settles over the island as those who are privileged to be staying overnight emerge for their evening passeggiata, or to sip drinks on the famous little square, the Piazzetta. There are two towns on Capri; Capri town itself, which is in the centre of the island, and is where most of the hotels are located, and Anacapri. Anacapri is situated on a plateau above Capri, and is a quieter, more 'normal' town. Accommodation is generally cheaper, although you're still not far from the hub of things, and there is a regular bus service. From Anacapri you can take the chairlift up to the top of Monte Solaro and enjoy the views before the trip back down (on foot if you're so inclined). San Michele, the home of Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe (see book section below) is located in Anacapri, and is open to the public. |
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| The principal Capri tourist attraction is the island
itself; its views, its rocky seashores and its scenic charm. There
is plenty of good walking - or strolling - to be done as you explore
the island. Top scenic panoramas include views of the Bay of Naples,
the Faraglioni Rocks and the Gardens of Augustus. At the ruined
Villa Jovis you can see the remains of the Emperor Tiberius's
palace, and also the cliffs over which he is reputed to have had his
enemies tossed. Back in Capri town, the 14th-century Certosa di San
Giacomo is a handsome old monastery-fortress, now hosting a school
and art exhibitions. For shopaholics, Capri town is a dream, with all the big designer names and expensive boutiques. Almost every Capri visitor makes the trip to the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto. Like the island itself, it tends to split its visitors in two - those who find the blue-lit cave an unforgettable experience, and those who find the jostling boatsmen and extortionate prices a rip-off. A boat trip around the island, though, is a more rewarding experience. You can admire the coastline and the island's other grottoes in a leisurely fashion. |