Cruising Capri

With our appetite for glamour wet by Positano, we decided today was the day to take it up a notch: CAPRI.  It's KAH-pree, darlings... not ca-PREE!!!   Besides, it was still rainy in Pompei :(

Approaching Capri

Once again we walked over to the ferry dock in Marina Piccolo; the same ferry docks we departed from to go to Naples.  This time we took the long staircase down through the ravine from Piazza Tasso to the ferry dock, instead of the city elevator.  We departed on the 9 am ferry to Capri, thinking we wanted to get to the famous Blue Grotto before the hoards of tourists arrived.  The 20-minute ferry ride from Sorrento was beautiful on this clear, crisp morning. Approaching the Island felt formidable with its gorgeous limestone cliffs jutting straight out of the ocean.  There is a theory that Capri was named by the Greeks "kapros" which means "wild boar" when they settled the island. Later the Romans named it "capreae" meaning "goats". Hmmmm...."goat island" isn't so glamorous! Perhaps there were Ogres here, like in Odysseus travels.  If Sorrento was named for Sirens, then Capri could be named for Ogres?  

Our Sweet Sail

Arriving at Marina Grande (yes, the same name as Sorento's Marina Grande) we set out to find a boat tour to the infamous Blue Grotto. I didn't really want to go into the Blue Grotto because it sounded like a tourist trap; but Liam really wanted to go and I felt I had dragged him through enough churches, museums and archaeology sights that it warranted an activity that he was interested in.  We found the kiosk for Laser Capri boat tours located on the main drag, just to the left of where you get off the ferry.  TIP #1: check at the tourist info to see if the Blue Grotto is open before you purchase boat tickets.  You can purchase tickets online and save a few €, but I recommend you buy them in Capri because the Blue Grotto can close at any time without warning if the waves get too choppy.

Approaching The Grotto Entrance

Now for €14, you can go to the Blue Grotto and back; but for €18 you can take the trip around the whole Island AND stop at the Blue Grotto. My idea was a quick in and out of the Blue Grotto, then head up to Capri Town from Marina Grande for lunch.  My husband and son convinced me that it was more ECONOMICAL to take the tour around the whole island for €4 more.  I was also reluctant to visit the Blue Grotto because we had so little time on Capri to see everything. I am so happy I caved into Luke's frugal sensibilities and threw our itinerary to the wind.  TIP #2: YOU WILL NOT SEE EVERYTHING IN ONE DAY ON CAPRI.  Sad truth...and very painful for a Virgo with a loaded itinerary.

We got on our boat a little late because the operators had to wait until there were enough passengers to make the trip worthwhile.  It was still off-season and many businesses were still closed for the season.  Once we were finally underway travelling counter-clockwise around the Island, you could understand why Roman Emperors like Augustus built their villas atop these limestone cliffs.  The cliffs jut straight out of the water for hundreds of meters, making the island easy to defend. 

Volare...Oh, Oh

We arrived at the mouth of the Blue Grotto and we had to transfer from the yacht to a small rowboat with a man who will take us into the grotto.  This costs €13 extra (reduced cost for kids).  We purchase tickets from a floating "toll boat" -so CASH ONLY!  The best time of day to go into the Grotto is in the morning when the sun is shining into the cave, and when it is least busy.  It was our turn to enter the Blue Grotto; you lay down in the rowboat so you don't lose your head on the cave entrance, and in a second *poof* you and transported into another world!  The limestone sand on the bottom of the cave makes the water glow an iridescent blue!  Our guide rowed us around and sang Volare to us, which the translated lyrics are: "in the blue that is painted blue"....so very appropriate!  What a fun experience, I am very glad we made the side trip into the Blue Grotto.

Once all the passengers were back aboard the yacht from the Blue Grotto, we sailed around the eastern point of Capri passing by "il Faro di Punta Carena" or the lighthouse of Point Carena.  Built in 1866, this is the second largest lighthouse in Italy after Genoa's.  There is a nice walking trail around this point from the Blue Grotto and there is a bus stop near the trailhead. There is lots of information on the many hikes of the Capri on several of the tourism websites you can find.  My favourite website is the official Capri tourist boards website: Capri.com
There is also a nice restaurant and bar at Il Faro that has gorgeous views of the sunset; you can swim on the beach there or rent a deck chair and lounge in the sun all day if that's your thing. 

Liam Recording Our Cruise

Past Il Faro the boat takes you to some sea caves at the base of the limestone cliffs; the Green Grotto.  The shallow water is a spectacular glowing green because of the limestone sand at the bottom of the water here.  Following close along the coastline, our captain then pulls in to another cave high above us. This is the Grotto Bianco or the White Grotto. There are steps leading up from the water to the white limestone caves where stalactites have formed in the shape of the Virgin Mary.  The caves have been used by bandits and pirates as hideouts for centuries.  I bet this is also where the Ogres lived.

Three Grottos of Capri

Heading Through The Faraglioni Rocks

Next, we sail by modern cliff-hugging villas that would make Roman Emporers blush!  There is some serious money on this Island and it is super expensive to build or buy on Capri; something like €25,000/square meter for Oceanview!  But the view of the spectacular Faraglioni rocks would be so incredible.  That is where our captain is taking us next; straight through them in fact.  These stack formations with a hole in it are famous in Capri.  It is considered good luck to kiss your lover when passing through the Faraglioni rocks, and we indulged in a little smoocheroo!

Our cruise passed by the Villa Jovis or Villa of Jupiter where Emperor Tiberius had his party palace.  It's way up on the cliffs, and apparently, a good way to get rid of party crashers (or annoying Senators) was to throw them off the cliff into the sea.  Watch that first step; it's a doozy!  You can wander through the ruins of Villa Jovis which is a 45-minute walk from Capri Town.




What an outstanding start to our visit to Capri!  In my next blog post, we will take a birds-eye look around the island and discover why Capri has been such a popular destination for thousands of years.

Ciao for now!