TOUR OF THE ISLAND BY BOAT
No visit to Capri is complete without a tour around the island by sea, skirting the dramatically craggy coastline and taking in the shimmering caves and hidden coves.
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Two options for touring the island by boat:
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Organized tour: These group tours last between 1 and 2 hours.
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Individual tour: private boat, traditional "Gozzo" 2 hours - 3 hours - 4 hours - or full day (until 8 hours)
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There are a number of boat tour companies with ticket booths in Marina Grande. Motoscafisti and Laser Capri two companies which offer organized tours; tickets for these group tours can be purchased directly at their offices in Marina Grande(costs about €18 per person).
If you prefer an individual tour with a private "gozzo", we recommend booking in advance calling us or writing us by email.
Organized tours are the perfect solution for visitors who have little time to spare (those on a short day trip, for example), whereas an individual tour with a private boat rental is ideal for travellers who have the time to enjoy the charms of Capri by sea at their leisure.
Visiting the Blue Grotto
Most organized boat tours around Capri include a stop at the famous Blue Grotto, or the Grotta Azzurra. Those who are interested in entering the cave must disembark from their tour boat and enter on one of the waiting rowboats, which are small enough to pass through the cave's mouth. Entrance tickets much be purchased separately at €14 a person.
GOZZO BOATS
Gozzo boats are comfortable craft (up to 10 meters in length and 3 meters in width), equipped with cushioned sundeck, large awning, and a soft water shower for those wishing to rinse off after a swim.
Major points of interest
Port of Capri
The always busy and picturesque port of Marina Grande is surrounded by a myriad of colorful houses. This is usually where the boat ride begins.
Grotta Bianca
The Grotta Bianca is easily visible from the sea, but to best appreciate its beauty passengers will need to disembark and climb up the steps in the rocks which lead inside the cave via a small tunnel dug out of the stone. Only in this way will they be able to see the white stalactites and stalagmites and enjoy the view of the sea from above, through the mouth of the cave.
Bay of Matermania
One of the most beautiful and sheltered of the islandÂ’s bays. The level of the sea is quite low and the colors of the sea incredibly varied. On dry land, a pathway through the wood of holm oaks, past the Natural Arch and Villa Malaparte makes for a stunning walk. Opposite the bay, on the other side of the water, the Amalfi Coast and the islands of Galli can be seen. A swim in the bay is an unmissable and unique experience!
Villa Malaparte
From the sea, the famous Villa Malaparte, residence of the eponymous writer, Curzio, can be seen in all its avant-garde splendor. Dominating Punta Massullo, the outcrop on which the edifice was built, Casa Malaparte starkly contrasts with, and yet also seems part of, the beautiful natural environment which surrounds it. Unfortunately, at the present time, the building is not open to the general public.
Monacone
The Monacone sea stack rises up behind the Faraglioni as if to cordon off the small bay where the much-loved Da Luigi bathing establishment and restaurant are located.
Faraglioni
Think Capri. One of the first images to come to mind will, no doubt, be that of the Faraglioni: the three spurs of rock which rise up out of the sea, within meters of the island's Southern coast. The rocks have each been given a name: the first, still attached to the land, is called Stella, the second, separated from the first block by a stretch of sea; Faraglione di Mezzo and the third, Faraglione di Fuori or Scopolo, meaning the head or promontory stretching into the sea.
Grotta Verde
A tiny sea cave with water the color of emeralds, and on either side, two small bays. Although the boat is too large to pass through the cave, passengers can chose to swim from one side to the other.
Faro di Punta Crena
Capri's lighthouse is one of the tallest in Italy and marks the point where the South and West coasts of Capri meet. The restaurant situated on the rocks directly beneath the lighthouse is excellent
Grotta Azzurra
The Blue Grotto can be reached from the sea but also over land by way of a 10 minute bus or taxi ride from the center of Anacapri)
Famous the whole world over, the Grotta Azzurra is a quite extraordinary sight. The light penetrating through an underwater fissure assumes an intense blue color, whilst the rest of the cave remains in the shadows. The spectacle is so impressive that great crowds of tourists gather in front of the cave and it is often necessary to wait for as much as an hour before entering the cave for a visit, which many consider far too brief. The visit to the Grotta Azzurra costs approximately 10 euro, and is made on small rowing boats sailed by expert seamen.
Despite the activity being strictly forbidden, locals and holidaymakers have been known to swim in to the Grotta Azzurra in the early hours of the morning and late afternoon, when the boats have ceased to make their way in and out of the cave. If the interior of the Grotta is quite large, the entrance is extremely narrow, making it necessary for passengers to lie down on the floor of the boats as they pass through. Entrance to the Grotta Azzurra is not permitted in poor weather conditions.
Those choosing to make their way to the Grotta Azzurra over land, should make sure to visit the Nettuno bathing establishment. Guests who book a private tour of the Island might like to take lunch at one of the two restaurants in the vicinity of the cave: the classy Riccio fish restaurantor the more modest, but equally popular, Da Giovanni a Gradola.
CONCIERGE
A guide to organizing your boat trip sailing around the island aboard one of Capri's traditional "Gozzo" fishing boats.
Treat yourself to blissful moments of professional pampering in the privacy of your Room, by Casa di Capri SPA & Wellness
Trips to Sorrento, Pompei, Herculaneum and the coastal towns of the Amalfi Coast from the Island of Capri.
