Capri Travel Guide
Continuing the trip from my first post about Praiano and Positano, the next stop was Capri! After a ferry ride over from the port in Positano, we headed to get checked in at Hotel Canasta. We decided that we wanted to stay in Capri instead of Anacapri. Capri has a little more going on, is closer the Marina Grande (the main port) and is a bit more developed. I found Hotel Canasta through booking.com and was able to get a triple room (sleeps 3 people) for 310 euros per night, so about 100 euros each. The views from the rooftop pool were pretty cool and the location was key for this hotel as it was just a short walk from one of the main squares. A breakfast buffet was included with the stay, which included meats, cheeses, pastries, yogurt and juices.
After breakfast it was time to head to the Marina Grande to find the boat that we had reserved to take us on a tour around the island. We decided to take the funicular from the Piazzeta down to the Marina Grande as it was only 2 euros for a ticket and a 5 minute ride while a taxi would have been around 20 euros. Once we got down to the Marina, we found the little shop to check in for our Capri Relax Boat tour. If you are going to Capri, this excursion is a must! It was our favorite part of the whole trip. We were able to reserve a private boat for 3 hours for 190 euros (plus tip), so it ended up being about 75 euros each for an unforgettable experience. Our captain was very knowledgable of all the grottos and sites to see and took many group photos for us. We went all around the island and even went through the Faraglioni. The weather was wonderful and it was the absolute best way to be able to see the island of Capri!
You do have to let your captain know if you are planning on stopping at the Blue Grotto and the fee for going in to see the grotto is not included in the price of the tour as it is designated as a cultural site. The price of admission is 14 euros per person plus a tip for your rowboat skipper. After about 10 minutes of waiting (which can be a lot longer if you go at peak times in the afternoon), a skipper came over with his little rowboat to the boat that we had chartered and took us into the grotto. If you are claustrophobic, it is a really small entrance into the grotto and you have to lie down in the tiny rowboat in order to pass through the entrance. Once you are inside you are able to sit back up and listen to all of the skippers serenading you as you admire the bright blue waters.
After the boat tour, we headed back up to the Piazetta to grab some lunch. We found Gran Caffe R. Vuotto and sat outside in the square while sipping a cold Birra Moretti and enjoying a prosciutto, mozzarella and tomato sandwich. We actually ate a lite lunch here twice as it was a fun place to sit outside while watching what was going on in the square. I will say that Capri is definitely on the more expensive side even at the cafes, but we enjoyed ourselves.
After having a bite to eat, we walked around for a little bit before heading back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. I made reservations at Ristorante Da Paolino and we took the funicular down to the Marina Grande again and then walked over to the restaurant. This restaurant is know for their lemon dishes as you dine underneath lemon trees, which makes it smell so good! This was one of our pricier meals as we decided to splurge on eating here, but it was a really cool atmosphere and experience. We split a bottle of wine and I had the lemon seafood linguine. You can also opt in for the dessert buffet, which I decided to partake in, where you get to choose from a vast array of homemade cakes, pastries and gelato. We left very full and pleased with our dinner experience! Also, we later saw that Giada De Laurentiis, who was in Capri at the same time as us, ate here - if that says anything!
The next day we decided to explore Anacapri. We took a bus to the other side of the island early in the morning (you can catch a bus down at the Marina Grande) as we wanted to get to the chairlift soon after it opened in order to beat the lines. The chairlift starts at the bottom of Anacapri and takes you to the top of the mountain for some spectacular views. The chairlift costs 11 euros roundtrip and takes about 15 minutes to get to the top. If you are scared of heights, do know that the chairs on the chairlift only fit one person and it is pretty high off the ground, but it is just like a ski lift. Once at the top we walked around for a bit and took some pictures before heading back down to the town of Anacapri.
By the time we got back down the chairlift we were ready for lunch. We found Pizzeria Aumm Aumm to indulge in some calzones, pizza and beer. The pizza was absolutely amazing and the service was great. Highly recommend this spot!
After filling up on pizza we walked around popping in and out of stores before making our way to Capritouch to get my favorite souvenir. Here you can get custom made sandals and my pair cost 60 euros. You get to choose the color of the leather, style of the base and then the color of the straps. At the end they stamp your initials into the sandals, which adds an even more personal touch. It was really cool watching them make our sandals right in front of us!
After getting our custom made sandals we found a cute little cafe to get a latte and cannoli before trying to find the bus to head back to Capri. Bar Grotta Azzurra was the perfect spot for a little pick me up!
When we got back to Capri our hotel recommended that we head over to Capri Rooftop for some drinks. The views over here were killer as it overlooked the coast of Capri and it was the perfect place to watch the sunset. The drinks were good as well but the service was so-so. The views made up for the service though, so I would still go back here just for the views.
Overall I was glad that we decided to spend two days exploring Capri instead of just taking a day trip from Positano. There is a good bit to see and experience and two days was just the right amount of time! If there is one thing that you do here though, make sure you do a boat tour around the island as that is what I will never forget.
Ciao, Madison
